Disappointing Stereotypes

I live downtown. Part of my agreement in living in an urban environment is parking curbside in front of my residence. Seems reasonable, yes?
Well, in order to park in front of my home, or on the street in general in downtown Denver, as in most domiciles of the city, it requires a parking permit. A free permit which you may obtain by strolling into the Department of Parking Works downtown (a mere few blocks from my house) and showing proof of residence. No big deal. The sticker is placed on the front window of your vehicle(s) and they even offer up to 2 guest permits (window hangars) for guests who wish to remain at your home for longer than 2 hours (which is the parking time limit for street parking). Every year thereafter, you may renew via mail by simply signing a form stating all previous info remains the same.
On September 3, 2010, I resubmitted info for the permit I already have and requested my two guest permits, via mail.
On September 24 (noted via mail stamp on envelope) I received this form letter:
We received your application for a Residential Parking Permit. You did not enclose the proper documentation to obtain a Residential Parking Permit. Please submit the following items that have been marked:
*to follow in the form letter, were numerous items which had no relevance to my situation, but I read diligently, wondering what could I have possibly forgotten, the small form only required drivers license number and signature - confirmation all information on record was the same.

I then reached the highlighted area, which someone duly took time to check and highlight for me, in case I wasn't intelligent enough to comprehend the marked line:
"Any outstanding parking tickets need to be paid before a residential parking permit can be issued. Please contact the Parking Cashier Office for further assistance"
AND
"Please return all required documentation including documents previously submitted"
[I highlight in bold because that's how it is highlighted in the letter]
Note: date I submitted request for new permit: September 03, 2010
Note: date letter stamped via PostMaster September 24, 2010
and
Note: date parking ticket I received (apparently in anticipation of request for parking permit):
September 21, 2010 1:13 p.m.
I can only assume, after driving downtown and being ticketed for "parking 18 inches away from curb" in front of banking structure, for 4 minutes while I used atm, the Residential Parking Office connected the license plate to the request for renewal and immediately sent out required form letter.

Here are my issues:
1) In effect, if the government is so prompt in sending out form letters to reject permits, why are they not so prompt in sending out permits... when request was sent 1 month prior to expiration and 3 weeks prior to vehicle being ticketed?
2) The definition of "outstanding"[out-stan-ding]

–adjective

1.

prominent; conspicuous; striking: an outstanding example of courage.

2.

marked by superiority or distinction; excellent; distinguished: an outstanding student.

3.

continuing in existence; remaining unsettled, unpaid, etc.: outstanding debts.

4.

(of securities and the like) publicly issued and sold or in circulation.

5.

standing out; projecting: a stiff, outstanding fabric.

6.

Archaic . that resists or opposes.

or opposes.

—Synonyms
1. eminent. 3. owing, due.

A. The ticket received on September 21, 2010 is not due until October 11, 2010 - hardly OUTSTANDING

B. There is an option to dispute the citation, which I fully intend on doing, for number of reasons - primarily, the one which indicates I was not parked 18 inches or more from the Goddamned curb. [Oh, you know I have photographic evidence in my favor]

3) Even if I had paid the citation the same day, placed my check in the mail on the eve of the 21st of September and it had been received on the afternoon of the 22nd or 23rd of September, there is no way in hell this letter could have been adjusted on the same day and my citation information updated to reflect payment by the afternoon of the 23rd before this mail went out on the 24th. That would lead to a massive inconsistency with the timeliness of the government and the original issue with why it took 3 weeks to produce my Permit in the 1st place.

WHAT GIVES?
This form letter, addressed to no one, is in fact an indication of everything wrong with the government and the impersonal attention given to tax paying, law abiding citizens who do indeed attempt to do the right thing all the time, pay tickets on time and choose to live on the right side of the street and are treated as common criminals with no INTENT to continue to do the right thing, even though proven historically.
I have no history of unpaid parking tickets (with Denver at least). In fact I have had only 1 parking citation in the last two years which were shown "paid" on the form letter they sent me. Yet, I am being held hostage to get a parking permit to park on the street in front of my house until I pay a parking ticket received 3 weeks after renewal application.
I don't bitch about much, but I am not appreciative.
In fact, I have composed a similar letter to the Department of Public works expressing my disgust at their offensive form letter and unfortunate display of stereotypical government "red tape" games, and indicated not only would I not be wasting my time (stamps, envelopes, etc) re-submitting application, but I would instead be parking my vehicle in my fucking garage, and expressing as powerfully as possible the ineptness of our city and state policies via word of mouth, and every social networking tool which maintains an audience.

Since When...

Did we become so judgemental. So stingy. So dependant on being at the top of the hierarchy?
Ultimately driving us from one of the best nations in the world to one of the worst. Economically, technolgically and socially.
When did we stop caring about our neighbor?
When did it become such a bad thing to pray together?
When did it become ok to shirk our responsibilites, relying on tax dollars and the government to soak up our bills?
When was it ever ok NOT to take care of your own children?
It seems as if every law that is passed now is one more step away from personal responsibility. Why is that OK?
When did we stop being accountable?

I just read an article in regards to the safehaven law allowing parents to drop off their kids at a hospital, firehouse, police station, etc, someplace safe, if they felt they could not take care of their kids. Well, apparently in the state of Nebraska, there was no age limit, so parents wee driving from all over the midwest to drop off their unruly teens.
Really?
Now, everyone has hard times, but this a pure example of what has happened to our society since we have grown so self absorbed, and so unaware of our neighbors. It does take a village to raise a child, and the further we get away from acknowledging our neighbor, the further our kids get away from being raised with the community values which inspire independence and success.
My 13 yr old gets on my nerves sometimes. I'm sure I get on her nerves. Would I ever think of dropping her off at a safehaven? Hell no.
I'd get 3 jobs, a british nanny, and some percoset before I ever turned my kids over. BUT, that said, if my neighbor came to me and said, "I can't do this, could you help me with my kid(s)." I would say "Yes", because that's how we are supposed to take care of each other. It starts at home. With YOU.

Cause we will believe anything John McCain

In a feeble attempt to regain any semblance of a true competition after the successful (to say the least) DNC, held in Denver this week, John McCain has pulled, what he obviously looks at, as his trump card. By choosing a female running mate, he believes he has made a brilliant chess move. I beg to differ. John McCain is transparent and simple. Not only have we seen this throughout his weak campaign, but now we see it highlighted in this aggressive and overtly insulting move. Are we small children? Do we not get his weak attempt at tossing us, the American public, a bone after seeing with his own eyes the power and stamina the Dems have touted this week?

This move brings to light 2 possibilities: On one hand, he believes he has made a brilliant choice, after years and years of not supporting women (fiscally, rights-wise, or otherwise), and we should believe that against everything he has stood for in the past, TODAY he is a new man, with a new outlook, and a new following? That his "good old boys" club needs a soft feminine face. A FACE EVEN YOUNGER THAN HIS COMPETITION WHICH HE HIMSELF HAS DESCRIBED AS LACKING EXPERIENCE. Obama is too young but his running mate is not? Rich! I guess the self-proclaimed hockey mom has built her defense strategies around what she's learned on the ice. How do the rest of the "good old boys" feel about that John?

or 2, he knows good and damn well he is trying to manipulate the American public, pull some disgruntled Hillary fans to his side and eeek by in an election he truly can't compete in. Now that's the John McCain I know.

Hey John, most of those Hillary followers were pro-choice, think they will overlook their beliefs to follow your running mate's anti-abortion campaign strategy? They are not as simple as you think.

I truly hope the American people see through the transparency of this pathetic attempt at collecting votes and see him for the fool he is.

By LIZ SIDOTI and BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writers 6 minutes ago

DAYTON, Ohio - John McCain has introduced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a conservative who shares his maverick streak, as his vice presidential running mate in a startling selection on the eve of the Republican National Convention.
At a raucous rally Friday in the swing state of Ohio, McCain said he made his pick after looking for a political partner "who can best help me shake up Washington and make it start working again for the people who are counting on us."

McCain said that Palin was "Exactly who I need. She's exactly who this country needs to help us fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second."

(Is this supposed to be a good thing? 8 IS ENOUGH FOOL!)

In an earlier announcement, McCain's campaign said that Palin, who has been governor less than two years, "has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of.
"Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today," the announcement said.

Palin has a strong anti-abortion record, and her selection was praised warmly by social conservatives whose support Mccain needs to prevail in the campaign for the White House.

GOOD FOR HER, BUT WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO ATTRACT...AND "WARMLY"...THAT'S USUALLY NOT A POWERFUL CATCH PHRASE USED DURING AN ELECTION. I'M JUST SAYIN'.

"It's an absolutely brilliant choice," said Mathew Staver, dean (AND IDIOT-SHEEP) of Liberty University school of Law. "This will absolutely energize Mccain's campaign and energize conservatives," he predicted.
With his pick, McCain passed over more prominent contenders like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, as well as others such for former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, whose support for abortion rights might have sparked unrest at the convention that opens Monday in St. Paul, Minn.

The timing of McCain's selection appeared designed to limit any political gain Obama derives from his own convention, which ended Thursday night with his nominating acceptance speech before an estimated 84,000 in Invesco Field in Colorado.

Public opinion polls show a close race between Obama and McCain, and with scarcely two months remaining until the election, neither contender can allow the other to jump out to a big post-convention lead.

At 44, Palin is a generation younger than two of McCain's seven children. She also is considerably younger than Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, who is Barack Obama's running mate on the Democratic ticket.

She is three years Obama's junior, as well — and McCain has made much in recent weeks of Obama's relative lack of experience in foreign policy and defense matters.

AND NOW YOUNG IS GOOD - YOUNG AND FEMALE, EVEN BETTER, EH JOHN?

In its formal announcement, the campaign pointed to her powers as head of the Alaska National Guard and the mother of a soldier herself as evidence that she "understands what it takes to lead our nation..."
McCain has had months to consider his choice, and has made it clear to reporters that one of his overriding goals was to avoid a situation like 1988, when then-Sen. Dan Quayle was thrown into a national campaign with little preparation.

A self-styled hockey mom and political reformer, Pallin was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, population 6,500, until she became governor.
Palin flew overnight to an airport in Ohio near Dayton, and even as she awaited her formal introduction, some aides said they had believed she was at home in Alaska.
She is a former mayor of Wasilla who became governor of her state in December, 2006 after ousting a governor of her own party in a primary and then dispatching a former governor in the general election.

More recently, she has come under the scrutiny of an investigation by the Republican-controlled legislature into the possibility that she ordered the dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.

Palin has a long history of run-ins with the Alaska GOP hierarchy, giving her genuine maverick status and reformer credentials that could complement McCain's image.

Two years ago, she ousted the state's Republican incumbent governor, Frank Murkowski in the primary, despite having little money and little establishment backing.

She has also distanced herself from two senior Republican office-holders, Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don young. Both men are under federal corruption investigations.

She had earned stripes — and enmity — after Murkowski made her head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. From that post, she exposed ethical violations by the state GOP chairman, also a fellow commissioner.

Her husband, Todd Palin, is part Yup'ik Eskimo, and is a blue-collar North Slope oil worker who competes in the Iron Dog, a 1,900-mile snowmobile race. The couple lives in Wasilla. They have five children, the youngest of whom was born in April with Down syndrome.