You can fight city hall (another guest post!)

My friend Arthur has been having trouble with the IBA--he'll explain what it is--and feels that 'the people' can affect change in the way it handles its customers. Here is his story. I have some thoughts, or rather questions, on the other end.

First of all, thank you Baila for allowing me this platform.

When Baila gave me permission for the guest posting I was actually going to write something very “angry” about my interactions with the IBA Collections Department. Since then there have been some new developments, so here goes.

One more thing before we get to the meat of the matter, Baila thinks that the New York Yankees are the best team ever. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, that is part of what blogging is all about.

The IBA, Israel Broadcast Authority, Collection Division has a particularly thankless task. They are the ones who must collect the Television Tax or "agra". Some background on this: years ago, and I don’t remember exactly when this changed, one had to pay the same type of agra or tax on the radio in one's car. “Am Yisrael Mamtzie Patenttim”—we Israelis are quite creative, especially in getting around things like this. Before going with the car to its annual safety inspection many would remove the radio from their car in order to NOT pay this tax. Today, however, thanks to collective punishment, we pay this tax in the license renewal even if we don’t have a radio in the car.

With televisions it is the same. If, when the letter comes from the IBA people one does not answer it, then quite miraculously one stays off this tax role. If, however you do answer, you pay. We used to live on kibbutz so the kibbutz paid, but once we left, the kibbutz transferred the agra to us. The tax is for owning a TV. Even if you do not get reception, you still must pay the tax if you own a television.

Rewind to 2006,when we left Israel for 2-3 years with my company. Before we left we thought that we had settled up with the IBA. We paid the pro-rated agra for 2006, told them we were leaving; alas the bills kept coming in 2007, 2008 and even in 2009. We recently got the latest collection notice that says they were going to come and repossess furniture, cars etc, G-d Forbid!

Since we have returned we have been writing letters to the IBA and their agents, a law firm in Tel Aviv that just does collections for the IBA. No one wants to pay the tax because it is silly. (Just as an aside, if you have Yes or cable you are paying this tax twice, once directly and once through the content provider).

While we have been writing to the IBA and their agents, we have received no response except more bills, some with higher values and some with lower. Before Shabbat we received the most recent bill and since I have a new all-in-one printer HP J6480, I began to fax the IBA repeatedly in order to get their attention. I also looked on line and found a bunch of e-mail addresses, the ‘Ombudsman’ among them. He replied that this was a collections issue. I replied back to him that it is not a collections issue it is one of harassment.

Enter the web. I posted my story on my facebook page and lo and behold there was someone else with same predicament. I e-mailed the ombudsman on her behalf and I guess there were some that e-mailed the ombudsman for us because this morning I received an e-mail that said that my case and the whole collection scheme of the IBA was going to be re-evaluated!!!!! YAY TEAM!!!!!

I also have in writing an admission that the agra for the first half of 2009 has been cancelled since we were not in the country. I don’t know why they did not cancel the debt for 2008. I also have in writing that they are going to investigate our claim that we do not have a television in order to never have to pay the agra again.

This is only half of the story. More people are needed to e-mail the Ombudsman at OMBUDSMAN @ iba.org.il to explain that the way that the IBA conducts itself is brutal and harassing and should be changed. The ombudsman’s name is Elisha Spiegelman. Letters should be polite and can be written in Hebrew or English. The argument of whether the TV tax is right or wrong is not the issue here; Mr. Spiegelman’s job is to oversee those who collect it. AviK at iba.org.il is the person in charge of the collection division. Please write to him as well.

Together we can recreate the IBA and help them to become transparent, and perhaps lead the way for the rest of Israel’s bureaucracy.

Suggestions for the IBA:
1) Post the rules and regulations regarding the agra on the web site
2) Include all information on both the Hebrew and English Websites, the various fax numbers for the Collections Division and all pertinent e-mail addresses.
3) Increase to 5 days a week 14 hours a day the availability of the call centers. Currently they are only available three days a week
4) Treat the people who pay the tax like the customers that they are and not like criminals waiting to be sentenced

Add your own suggestions as well. Remember to be polite, no bad language when writing. Together we can make change happen!

Arthur Rabinovitz – Guest Post

Here are my thoughts, or rather questions: Why am I paying a television tax if there are so many commercials on television? (I've timed it; there can be 10 minutes of commercials on Israeli TV).

I received a bill from the IBA. It says, "If you have not paid since 2003, pay x, if you have not paid since 2004, pay y". Does this mean I should choose 2009? And, Arthur, if I respond does that mean I am opening up a can of worms? Should I just ignore it and just not answer the door in case Repo-Man comes to the house?

Finally, how come some people get taxed and others don't? My sister-in-law who has had a television from the moment she moved here, (16 years ago) has never received a bill. That just doesn't seem fair.

Readers, how have you dealt with this issue?

Festival of Lights

Chanukah is here, the princesses are on vacation, but I, alas have to work. It's going to be a low-key week. We were going to do a tiyul (trip), but everyone has something else planned on different days. I'm kind of glad, because I'm still trying to beat this chest cold and feel totally wiped out after a few hours at work focusing on not coughing so that people don't think I'm Typhoid Mary. It's exhausting not coughing when you need to.

Last night, I coughed my way over to Tired's house for a Chanukah party. I had a great time and she served yummy cheese puffs. I also met Aliyah-by-Accident's Gila there. It's always wild-and-crazy when bloggers get together.

I'm curious as to what you guys all do about presents on Chanukah? Do you give them or do your kids not even ask for them? My kids were raised in the Five Towns, Long Island, and just love getting presents. I feel an awful lot of pressure. When they were little I'd get them cute little things like pencils with dreidels on them and note pads and they were thrilled with that stuff. I want them to know that the holiday is not about the presents, on the other hand, it does give me joy to make them happy.

Sufganiyot. In other words, Israeli donuts. Have I ever mentioned that I hate them? I mean the ribat chalav (caramel) ones look amazing, but the only part I like is the caramel. The actual dough part of the donut is usually bland, often greasy and just plain unappetizing. And yet billions of them are being sold (and eaten) as we speak. When I went to buy some for the first night of Chanukah, I was going to go Roladin, a bakery /cafe at the mall whose sufganiyot looked the most appealing. Then we bumped into friends who told us the donuts there were 8 shekel a piece, when next door, at Cafe Hillel they were 4 shekel a piece. So off we went to Cafe Hillel. Sure enough, they were sold out. So much for saving money. We went to a third place, the famous Maape Neeman, where that spoonful of ribat chalav looked cost 6 shekel. The doughy part covered in powdered sugar was free.

In other Chanukah news, my beloved digital camera has broken. I sent it away for repair and they'll call me to tell me if it's worth fixing. I used Liat's camera for these pictures, and well, I know they're not exactly photographic genius.

Oops, well, no pictures. Liat's memory card doesn't fit in my computer and I'll be durned if I'm going to search for that wire thingie to attach to the lap top. So I guess we'll have to wait a few days until I hopefully get my camera back. And now that you can't see the photos, I should tell you that they actually were, ahem, genius.

How is your Chanuka going?

Fear

I worked today, even though it's Wednesday. I wanted to make up some of the time I took back when I was sick.

This of course, throws off my whole schedule. As you know (if you are a loyal reader), Wednesdays is the day I do my big weekly shopping. If I go to work, when am I supposed to shop?

I decided to shop on my way home from work. I went to Rami Levi, which is right on the way, rather than going all the way to SuperSol, which would be totally out of the way. A few days ago, my friend and excellent lice lady Pnina (if you need her, e-mail me and I'll pass along her info)* told me that you could park underneath the store, and take the elevator up to the store, thereby avoiding the death-defying parking lot.

I decided to give it a go even though the word "elevator" makes my heart race. But I really didn't want to deal with that parking lot.

I parked the car and went looking for the elevator. It was off to a deserted corner that just shouted CREEPY. When I pressed the button the door lurched open. I decided to walk up the stairs and proceed with my shopping. I tried to forget that I would have to return via the dreaded elevator.

An hour later, with my shopping cart bursting at the seams, I had no choice but to take the elevator. I walked to it slowly, partly because I was hoping someone else would come along to ride with me and partly because Israeli shopping carts just don't go in a straight line. (Ever). When I got to the elevator, I looked around. I was on my own. I pressed the button and there again was that lurching door. "Well", I thought, "if I get stuck, at least I won't starve to death."

But as the door closed behind me, I felt that rising panic within me. I have no control over it. It's not a rational thing and has nothing to do with being stuck or not. It's just fear. I don't experience it when I'm with someone else. I held my breath until the elevator came to a stop and then muttered to the door, "Pleaseopenpleaseopenpleaseopenpleaseopen". When it finally did, I quickly escaped as relief washed over me. This is something I always experience when I am in elevators alone, which is rare. I'd rather climb 20 flights of stairs than be alone in an elevator.

I also have a fear of heights. I hate ski lifts and cliffs. That panic I feel with elevators also rises within me when I am in those situations, even if I am with someone. Especially when that someone laughs at my fear and starts shaking the ski lift chair. Whenever we go hiking Isaac and the kids are always going near the ledge to tease me and I'm practically in tears from the fear. Usually they laugh because the ledge is about a foot off the ground, but still, I think they are cruel and inconsiderate for laughing. Sniff.

I have no idea where these fears came from. Was I born with them? Did something happen in an elevator or on a high mountain when I was a little tike? (The elevator is possible, but there are no mountains in Brooklyn).

For now I'm glad to have my two feet firmly planted on the ground.

What are you afraid of?


*(How's that for a plug, Pnina?)

As promised, a guest post

My friend CK, has agreed to do another guest post (you can read her first one here). CK and I became friendly, about a thousand years ago when she began dating her husband, whom I was friendly with in Bnei Akiva. We especially bonded over our pregnancies with my Orli and her youngest daughter. We were both beginning our maternity leaves the same day and had plans to go to the movies together. When I called her from the labor room, she asked, "What are those beeps I'm hearing in the background? Are you cancelling our movie date?!" We never did make that date up.

Anyway, as promised, without further ado:

I just returned from a week long trip to Israel. Like many Jews, I have a deep connection to Israel (maybe Baila will let me muse about that someday on her blog), and my trip was filled with many small moments that touched me. I call them small moments, even though they were anything but small, because the “big moments” I reserve for seeing my family and friends there. I am deeply moved by my friends and family who live in Israel, make their home there, and build our country every day just by being there. But the small moments are things that I just stumbled upon unexpectedly that made me nod and say “only in Israel” So in no particular order, here are my small moments:

1. While driving out of Jerusalem, you will note a trempiada next to a gas station. Let me explain: Many people in Israel stand there to await rides with neighbors and strangers. Tremping is catching a ride. A trempiada is a spot where people who are tremping wait for rides. ( I will avoid the word hitchhiking, and if my children are reading this, they know how I feel about that! ) While driving past, I saw many soldiers awaiting rides, and one soldier, was sitting and playing guitar while strangers sang along. I wish I had a camera. (And I wish I knew how to take good photos). In this case, a picture WOULD have been worth a thousand words.

2. We rented a car AND a GPS. (Shout out to my wonderful husband, S. , who navigated over 1200 km with great skill.) As you may know, GPS’s include landmarks and buildings for easier navigation. This GPS actually had on it the Bnei Akiva snif! Bnei Akiva is the world’s largest Religious Zionist Youth Movement. Baila wrote about it here and here. I owe so much to BA – including, but not limited to that this is where I met my beloved. It has also been an important part of our children’s lives and we are VERY indebted to this wonderful organization . But to see it noted on a GPS – that is VERY cool.

3. The mall in Modiin, Baila’s hometown, is beautiful. I didn’t spend nearly enough money or time there this trip. But I did get together with some girlfriends there. They took time out from getting ready for Shabbat to sit, sip coffee, talk , laugh raucously and just do what girlfriends do (God bless every one of them!) While walking into the Cuppa Joe where we were meeting, right at the mall food court, There was a BLOOD DRIVE going on!! IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MALL. No privacy screens – just generous people rolling up their sleeves, lying on the gurneys, giving some much needed blood in the middle of the mall. Getting their juice and cookies afterwards. And of course doing an incredible mitzvah. Maybe if you’re squeamish this would make you uncomfortable. ME? I just loved it. Of course I wish that blood wouldn’t be in such great demand in Israel or anywhere. But the fact that those gurneys were all filled with people taking time out before or after running their errands to help out made me enormously proud.

Those were my top 3 small moments that touched me. What are some of yours?

I'm sorry. I've been busy.

Here's what I've been doing: after listening to the kids leave to school, and Isaac leave for work, I'd lurch out of bed, throw an anti-biotic down my throat. Then I'd drunkenly move toward the laundry, put a load in, hang some out to dry. I'd do some straightening. Then I took inventory:

Remote control. Check.

Cell phone. Check.

Land Line phone. Check.

American Line phone. Check.

Tissues. Check.

Water bottle. Check.

People Magazines (Thanks, Fern!) Check.

Book. Check. (Finished Jodi Picoult's new one. Read the first five chapters first, then the last five, and then random chapters in the middle. You can do that with JP's books. Now I started Annie Freeman's Traveling Funeral).

Thermometer. Check. (I tried not to obsessively check my temperature, but...).

Once I was sure all my supplies were in order, I'd climb into bed. Then I'd get out again to go to the bathroom, and then I'd get back in. The rest of my days passed in a haze of dreams, sounds and sights. (Did you know that Marlon Brando did not "respect his own talent", thereby causing his self-destruction? This from True Hollywood Stories, which I guess I watched).

Yesterday, I began to emerge from my fog. Today, I basically followed my (non-working day) schedule, and I seem to be okay. I'm still coughing, though, and am debating taking the last day of the week off tomorrow and calling it a week.

I never did get to finish Nablopomo. And I'm not sorry. I learned something about myself; daily blogging is not for me. I didn't like the quality of my writing.I felt like it made my blogging boring. It bored me.

So I'm back now to my regular posting schedule. And there are many new and exciting features coming. Okay, really only one--A GUEST POST!!! Look for it, it'll be here soon.

In the meantime, Haveil Havalim is up at Torah from Zion.

Cough, cough

I woke up this morning with a little tickle in my chest, but still managed to get my Thanksgiving Lunch together and on the table. At about 5 o'clock I felt really cold and as soon as Shabbat was over crawled into bed, barely saying good-bye to my guests. I must give a shout-out to Stuart, who did the dishes (and there were alot!) and Isaac who did all the post-lunch clean-up. I think the Advil has kicked in as I'm not shivering quite as hard, but I still feel pretty lousy and will spend the rest of the evening in bed. Hopefully, I'll have the stamina to stay up for Hisardut--Israeli Survivor.

Have a Shavua Tov--a good week.

Shabbat Shalom

Today I spent a good chunk of the day at Cup-o-Joe with my friends Carol and Fern. Both of them are librarians and are very up-to-date on the latest good reads. I have so much more to say about this, but since I whittled away several hours with them, I am way behind on Shabbat preparations. I plan to blog more about librarians, libraries in general, libraries in Israel, books, english books in Israel, how to get english books to Israel easily and cheaply (hint: having a librarian friend in America is a good start), and how having friends who love books as much as you do is amazing.

But I can't do that right now. I'm sure you understand.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and a great weekend.