Comments on: convenience, my ass

By: mitten muses, rants and raves about life, the internet, web design and art » why americans continue to be dumb

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:45:27 +0000

[...] other AAPS news, a letter came home apologizing that the existence of the ‘convenience fee‘ in the new meal account system “was not well communicated in the first letter you [...]

By: Colin

Colin — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 03:32:16 +0000

I found your posting just after sending the email below to the “contact us” address on the AAPS website. Good to know that I am not alone in my irritation with these gangsters..

You have posted interesting articles about this new and exciting
service..

” Dear Ann Arbor Public Schools Parent:

Welcome back for the 2007 – 2008 school year! I am thrilled about what Dining Services has in store, and am looking forward to partnering with you to make student wellness a priority. To do so, I am thrilled to announce that Ann Arbor will begin offering MealpayPlus (www.mealpayplus.com), a state-of-the-art service that offers you convenience and information regarding your student’s meal account.”

So, forgive me for not buying into your excitement. You have taken away my free service at ParentOnline and replaced it with a service which incorporates a “small convenience fee” with every deposit made. At no place that I can find have you, or the folks at mealpayplus, cared to specify the fee structure for this not so convenient convenience fee.

You and I both know that if I use this service I am making your life easier and saving you money by cutting down on your admin cost. Yes, I know it is also a little easier for me but let’s not hide your advantages by trying to place the emphasis on mine. You are not paying fees (you will be getting paid kickbacks from my fees!).

Thanks for absolutely nothing. Have the courage to reply to this or if you are the wrong person to receive this then have the integrity to redirect it to the correct person or persons.

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 03:16:09 +0000

Yep, sounds like typical AAPS.

You could try a FOIA request for “All documents and records relevant to the adoption of…”. I don’t know who the AAPS FOIA coordinator is, though.

By: Clarence

Clarence — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:04:01 +0000

Direct deposit, for milk money?!? I suppose that makes sense. Service charges though?!? That is Al Capone, forreal. The last paragraph is what really caught my interest — what you thought about the way parents are being jived by the system. Pursue that campaign contribution angle — I would love to hear that story (if there is one).