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|» \<;K Tl - PLAINHKALKR-WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 15,1980 Improving The Complaint System { ~Light'One ^Candle j When a woman in a Zapotec Indian village in southern Mexico has a complaint, she knows she is going to be heard. Her case involving an unfair business practice, for example, is heard by the "presidente" of the village- and her problem is usually resolved that same day. In technologically ad­ vanced societies such as ours, however, the channels available to most people raising complaints are not as simple. Consider the case of a woman in Pennsylvania who spent countless hours, not to mention energy and money, trying to convince someone that a stove she had purchased turned itself on and off unexpectedly: Before she could convince the seller, the manufacturer or a number of federal agencies about the danger of this appliance, the stove caused a fire and her house burned down. Although she felt vindicated, what remained of her labor were the shell of a house, a three- inch-thick file of correspondence and emotional strain and frustration Although a dramatic case, this incident, in Dr Laura Nader's view, is representative of the frequent failure of America's complaint mechanisms. Dr. Nader, an an­ thropologist at the University of California at Berkeley, studies the evolution of law in various cultures. She is currently writing a book about Zapotec Indian law, and a new book, No Access to Law- Alternatives to the American Judicial System, will be published this month. Dr. Nader began her career by studying problem- solving among the Zapotec Indians of Mexico and the Shia Moslems of Lebanon. In such small village societies, she found, all the residents have a stake in the welfare of the community. When someone has been wronged, the incident affects many more people than the two pai ties directly involved in the incident. The laws in these villages, therefore, reflect the commitment of the legal process to the welfare of the entire com­ munity. The village can more easily maintain its day-to-day operation when complaints are heard and resolved on a daily basis. In America and other technologically advanced societies, Dr. Nader says" there is often little or no direct relationship between the person raising the complaint and the party or parties who are the targets of the complaints. More importantly, there is often an unequal balance of power in the handling of services and products-the consumer4 faces a giant opponent. As a result, the problem-solving route is much more com­ plex; more often than not, the problem remains unheard and unresolved. During the course of her research on problem- solving, Dr. Nader became interested in the effects of unresolved complaints on American society and in­ dividuals. "The toll is enormous," Dr. Nader believes. "Unresolved complaints have a per­ nicious effect on the machinery of government, the mental health of Americans and the crime rate." Dr. Nader and her Berkeley students studied problem-solving techniques in America, using data from the Center for Responsive Law in Washingotn, DC., which is headed by her consumer advocate brother, Ralph Nader According to a study done at the center, "one out of every six pur­ chases leads to a recognized ground for complaint." Despite this high rate of dissatisfaction among consumers, however, only a small percentage actually raises complaints. Ac­ cording to a 1975 survey of 2,419 households in 34 cities, more than half of the con­ suming public-60.3 percent- does not complain about a l i t . M M I ' l l < < m » I> v staff psychologist tiom the family Service jnd MtnUI Health Clmtc ot McHemj County. There is, perhaps, no one single event in a person's life that is more difficult to cope with than the death of a spouse. No matter how old, or how protracted the illness, the death of a spouse leaves a vacant loneliness that no other experience can approach. Everyone who has lost a spouse has had the ex­ perience of thinking, "I must tell my husband about..." then realizes again that she will never tell her husband; or waking up in the middle of the night to put his arm on his wife and finding empty bedsheets. These are the times when the person relives again the painful surprise of being alone. Through the grief process, the person struggles with overwhelming sadness, anger, hopelessness, and panic, until gradually timer and human nature dulls the pain and life begins to be re­ built and re shaped. Gradually, old memories, like old photographs, are put away, not forever, but to be glanced at from time to time with fondness, not hopelessness. It is within the capacity of every human being to sur­ vive the death of a spouse and to continue a meaningful, rich life. The death of any person affects not only the surviving spouse, but also other family friends and the community. To help deal with the loss, everyone who has been touched by the death can help each other by talking about their feelings and sharing their pain The process of sharing feelings with others not only helps in dealing with the grief process, but also bands family and friends closer both for the present and for the future. Those who are able to freely express their feelings, positive and negative, and accept these feelings, will certainly cope well with the loss of the spouse. Those who fight the feelings and insist on a facade of unreasonable "strength" will certainly have a much more difficult time. Allowing family and friends to help is not a weakness; it is utilizing one of the most powerful of human strengths. SUMMED SUN RAYS ARE CRUEL! Is Your Hair Dry-Frizzy- Limp-Sun Bleached? During The Month of OCTOBER Our stylist will condition your hair with Required Hair Scupture Conditioner FREE with any Shop Service Let Us Give You A New Look for Fall Precision Cuts-Blow Dry-Styles Waves-Color On Shampoo & Set Men & Children Styles Cut CALL FOR APPOINTMENT iWlUafc/ 810 N. FRONT STREET M c H E N R Y ' , L 815-385-2966 problem that involves more than price. The survey was carried out by Arthur Best, a lawyer with the New York Department of consumer Affairs, and Alan R. An- dreasen, a professor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana. And what does the not-so- very silent minority com­ plain about? Analysis of letters sent to the Center for Responsive Law revealed that the most common subjects of complaints were the medical profession, food, cars and appliances. When a consumer does decide to complain in the name of justice, the legal route often is time-, consuming ahd expensive People have the option of taking their complaints to a small claims court when a complaint involves a sum less than $500. But many people drop their charges, Dr. Nader found, if attending small claims court means giving up a day's pay. She also found that it was rarely worthwhile to go to a lawyer with a complaint unless it involved a sum greater than $5,000. Because of the expense a n d b u r e a u c r a t i c procedures involved in initiating a complaint, Dr. Nader says, people whose complaints fall within the $500-$5,000 price range rarely resolve their problems. Dr. Nader and her researchers also studied the problem-solving techniques of various consumer-action panels and department store, congressional and federal complaint-handling systems to determine the effectiveness of these non­ judicial mechanisms. They concluded that consumer action panels established by trade associations and large corporations are not ef­ fective in handling com­ plaints. "Self regulation has never been successful," Dr. Nader says The Best- Andreasen study concurred, noting that "when con­ sumers take their problems to third parties, they come away satisfied only about one-third of the time." In contrast. Dr. Nader found that locally based politicians, neighborhood consumer-action groups^and locally controlled depart­ ment stores had a high rate of success because they provide people with personal opportunities to express their problems. Both the Best-Andreasen survey and Dr. Nader's studies pointed to the ad­ visability of an active government role in regulating the marketplace. "The 17th-century ideology of 'caveat emptor'-let the buyer beware--is an ab­ normal principle when viewed in our own tradition or cross-culturally," Dr. Nader says. Despite short­ comings in the existing legal system, she believes that, if present laws were enforced to their fullest extent, there would be less reason for people to complain. For the near future, however. Dr. Nader makes a number of recommendations for improving the complaint process in the United States. Among .• them is the establishment of a federal "complaint bank," where consumers' complaints would be on file fop the use of people investigating various products. She is also in favor of publicizing a cor­ poration's misconduct by requiring products or ad­ vertisements to carry notices that the manufac­ turer has recently violated consumer laws. In a technologically ad­ vanced society such as ours. Dr. Nader admits, problem- solving may never be easy. However, by closing the power gap between businesses and the consumer and by increased attention to preventative law. Dr. Nader sees American complaint- handling mechanisms becoming more equitable and efficient. ENERGY CONSERVATION Illinois schools that are participating in a state- sponsored energy con­ servation program saved an estimated $6.9 million in energy costs during the 1979- 1980 school year, according to an evaluation conducted for the Illinois Institute of Natural Resources (INR). "About half of the public and private schools in Illinois have yet to sign up for e n e r g y c o n s e r v a t i o n training. We believe Illinois schools ultimately could save $30 million in energy costs each year," said Frank Beal, director of INR. Josie For Justice Josie Lujan, a kindly grandmother from Monte Vista. Col., went back to school when her husband, ,a disabled veteran, could no longer work. All she wanted to be was a wife and mother but they had nine children and she had to become the breadwinner. One of the girls was mentally handicapped. Josie called her "our exceptional child." So it was natural that in returning to school she did so with the intent of helping handicapped children. Her family gave her full support and although studying wasn't easy, she persevered. Five days after graduating from college she signed her first teaching contract. It wasn't long before this Hispanic woman discovered that affluent suburban schools had much better books and programs than she had seen in rural schools. One day, her grandson visited her and said, "Grandma, you've got more books at home than our whole school library." "At that moment," Josie recalls, "I knew I would have to do something." And she did. . W i t h t h e h e l p o f t h e Chicano Education project in Denver, she interested other parents. There were months of frustration and threatening phone calls and letters. She was accused of trying to ruin the school system. But Josie was a fighter. Eventually, Josie Lujan became the principal plaintiff in a law suit which succeeded in, overturning Colorado's method of financing school districts. State Legislator Federico Pena said, "The day Josie Lujan won her suit you would have thought the golden dome of the Capital had fallen on the Colorado Legislature... T^hey were mad." Josie isn't out from under yet. She's a member of the school board now, and has become something of a symbol of bravery for her Hispanic brothers and sisters. "We have to keep working," she said, "there's a long way to go." Women -like Josie Lujan are the life-blood of this nation. America was established on the principle of the equality of all persons under God. It takes vigilance and courage to make our ideals work. The Christophers believe that every individual is im­ portant and that one person can make a difference. Jo6ie Lujan proved it. from HISTORY'S SCRAPBOOK OATES AND EVENTS FROM YESTERYEARS October 16, HMO--Selective Service System registers 16.4 mil­ lion men of draft age. October 17,1933--Albert Einstein, 1921 Nobel Prize-winner in in physics, arrives in the U. S. as a German refugee from the Nazis. October 18, 1867--Russia formally transfers Alaska to the United States for $7,400,000. October 19,1814--"The Star Spangled Banner", Francis Scott Key's poem set to music^sung for first time in Baltimore. October 20,1950--U. N. forces under Gen. Walton H. Walker capture Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. October 21, 1879--Thomas Edison successfully tests the first electric light bulb, at Menlo Park, New Jersey. Dennis Conway 3319 W. Elm St. McHonry 385-7111 J "See me for a State Farm Homeowners Policy with Inflation Coverage." Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. STAT I f ABM INSUtANCI SIM firm Fire •no CMuttTy Company Home Ottic* Boommgon Illinois Jim Larkin, Loan Officer at McHenry State Bank, is visiting with John "Red" Mitchell, owner of Mitchell Buick-Olds & GMC in McHenry. Jim Uirkin suggests that Now is the time to purchase a fine GM car or truck and take advantage of McHenry State Bank's October Auto Loan Special. Have Plans For You... We will finance a new automobile with an ANNUAL INTEREST RATE oL 12.83 for 36 months after a down payment of cash, or trade in epual to 25% of the purchase price, plus full payment of sales tax. October Auto Loan Special 5,000.00 LOAN (36 Month) 126.06 CREDIT LIFE 216.56 ACCIDENT & HEALTH 1,121.90 FINANCE CHARGE 6,464.52 TOTAL 12.83 ANNUAL INTEREST RATE THIS GIVES YOU A SAVINGS OF Sg568 36 at 179.57 MONTHLY PAYMENT 25% OF PURCHASE PRICE-DOWN PAYMENT (LONGER TERMS AT COMPARABLE DISCOUNTS ARE AVAILABLE). McHenry State Bank "A Full Service Bank Serving the Community with Complete Banking Service Since 1906" . 4P».. . x 3510 W. Elm Street, Lillian Street & Crystal Lake Road and A FULL\ Richmond Road & Pearl Street SERVICE] McHenry, Illinois 385-1040 BANK