Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Response from Annie Landmann

Someone sent the posting to Annie Landmann without the link to the blog......this is the first response she sent:

1st email:

Subject: FW: Insulting remarks made by chief clerk
Date: Fri, 26 May
2006 10:53:53 -0500
From:"Annie Landmann_HC"
To:anne.heiligenstein@hhsc.state.tx.us,
"Muth,Stephanie" , "Katherine Yoder"
CC:employeewhosenttheemail@yahoo.com

I received this email this morning from an employee of HHSC. Obviously a
very angry employee as you will see. (Not angry, just overwhelmed and in the midst of what is actually going on.) I feel like I need to defend myself because
it seems like the email I sent to you, Commissioner, was completely taken out of
context and my intentions were misunderstood. The Committee of Human Services is not in the business of insulting the agencies we oversee, badgering them, or
anything of the like. (I didn't think so either) It is my job to make sure that I take any issues in regard to your agency and direct them to you, in the most tactful way I can. I apologize immensely if I failed to be diplomatic.

I don't know how the email was "forwarded quite a bit," because the three addresses above were the only addresses the email was sent to. Again, if the email I wrote to you in early May seemed abrasive and offensive, I apologize. It was only meant as a red flag.

Please know that we all know how hard you all work and appreciate your responsiveness.

Sincerely,

Annie

2nd email which was sent to the employee only: (nothing has been changed)

Subject: RE: Insulting remarks made by chief clerk
Date:Fri, 26 May 2006 13:39:07 -0500
From:"Annie Landmann_HC"

To: employeewhosenttheemail@yahoo.com

Dear employee,

Although I feel your email was highly inappropriate and unprofessional (inappropriate? unprofessional? really? What's wrong with 'honest'?), I wanted to write you and let you know that I have a more of an understanding than you may know, of the situation local offices are in. (How? Are you a worker? Have you ever been a worker? If not, then you have NO IDEA of the situation the local offices are in.) When I wrote that email, I addressed it to the Commissioner (The commissioner is actually Albert Hawkins, not Anne), not to staffers. (You have to know that emails go from top to bottom. Especially when it's an email complaining about the work we are doing). I empathize with the overwhelming workload placed on your backs on a daily basis and the stress that must cause. I understand that you all receive and influx of complaints and reprimands, rather than words of encouragement and support. Your defensiveness is justified (but highly inappropriate and unprofessional?) and hopefully improvements are on the way.

Sincerely,

The Chief Clerk who did not make insulting remarks (is it professional to sign this way and not with your NAME?)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I always find it funny that people who have clearly been insulting refuse to admit it when confronted. The blame always seems to lie with the persons who perceived the comments as insulting... ridiculous as we all read it, saw it and were enraged by a CLEARLY insulting comment about state workers forgetting that we are in the business of helping people... These bureaucrats are freaking insane.

Anonymous said...

how unprofessional was that....
who does she work for?

Anonymous said...

She works for your Great State of Texas! Isn't it nice to see our tax dollars at work?

Good Job HHSC Employee!

Anonymous said...

Ironic, I think it's always funny when someone can't take a good look in the mirror and realize when they need to put their personal feelings aside when it comes to their JOB and remain PROFESSIONAL, AND fail to realize when they are stepping out of line by emailing someone who they had no contact with in the first place at it appears. I also think it's ironic that people comment that tax dollars are at waste when the Chief Clerk takes her time to respond to this, but when you blog all day long, that's not wasting tax dollars. Hello mirror???

Anonymous said...

No, the tax dollars are at waste if this is what is in the House.

Duh.

Plus, I believe the blog owner stated that the post was not sent by him/her- but by someone else who then sent him/her the response.

Anyone can do that.

You are reading the blog all day long....that's not wasting tax dollars? Employer dollars?

Anonymous said...

Chief Clerk,
Did someone get in your craw after finding you e mail on the internet?
Will you choose your words more carefully next time?

I see all of this stuff about people taking off of work, standing in line, yada yada yada, to get benefits. I've never had anyone stand in line. I've never had anyone take off work. We can use the phone too, you know...

This privatization is a bigger scheme. It's not just Texas. The federal funding is about to cut for alot of reasons. This is coming down from upstairs, not just Texas. TExas just has to be the example.

No one in state office, I believe, is in this for the clients.

Why when so many bad articles come out, does then Hawkins feel the need to put in his "special " articles.

Banking and eligibility for Food Stamps doesn't even compare. Neither does renewing your Driver's License. I see where you can now (supposedly" get birth and death certificates on line. I tried, got the message, this function is not available yet.

They want to do alot, but let's face it. We blew our money on the TIERS System. Where is Greg Phillips when you need him to stand up and take the blame?
This is the same mess caused in Mississippi when he was dhs commissioner there.

I'm just glad, other people can now see what's going on.