Thelma and Me

State Senator Thelma Harper continues to totally ignore my letter and follow-up phone calls to her office regarding overnight security at Bicentennial Mall. So I just sent her the following e-mail (along with a voice mail via phone):

Dear Senator Harper,

I sent the attached letter to you concerning Bicentennial Mall Safety over a month ago, and your staff has not replied. I also have called your office to follow-up on three different days since I wrote the letter. The first time time I called was Monday, October 22, and I was promised that a staff member would return my call that same day. My call was not returned. On Monday, October 29, I called a second time and I was told that the staff member who was to follow up with me had been out of the office but that person would eventually get back to me. Your office assistant did not take my phone number during that call, saying that "it was already on file." I have waited two more weeks with no response before making two phone calls to your office today. One at around 9:30 a.m. and just now at 4:30 p.m. At both times an actual person did not pick up the phone. Instead, I got a recording and the option to leave a message, which I did at 4:30 p.m.

It appears to me that your office does not care to reply to my feedback on crime on state property in your district. It appears to me that your office does not care to acknowledge one of your own constituents. I consider this issue valid enough for a proper response and I am having a hard time understanding why I cannot even seem to reach an actual staff person during normal working hours today. Please reply to this e-mail. If I don't hear something from you soon, then I intend to take a day off of work to come sit in your office until someone speaks to me about this issue.

Sincerely,
Mike Byrd

Senator Harper is about to dethrone former Metro Council Member Ludye Wallace as the most unresponsive elected official with whom I have dealt.