I met Bat Chen back in 1999 at the first major crip demonstration in Jerusalem and we realized that we feel the same way about a lot of the stuff that goes on in our world of cripdom, and decided to do something about it. We started our own non profit 'help the crips' organization called Ygal which in Hebrew is an acronym for "Got Your Back" It works in Hebrew better than in English, so I'll just use Ygal. Of course me being me, it wasn't long before I decided that I wasn't happy with the direction things were taking and I quit. Bat Chen being Bat Chen, decided that I quit because Arieh Zudkevich, the head of the group that organized the demonstration had threatened me for being involved with Ygal. Not even close to true. I don't react well to threats and told Arieh that. Ah, well, Bat Chen can think what she likes. It hardly matters now and *I* know what really happened.
To make a long story longer, we stayed in touch, mostly when Bat Chen needed help with English. At one point she decided to translate Solomon's Key to English, and came up here for a long weekend to do just that. We made a good start, then she decided to give it to a proper translator to get it right in the few places I had trouble. A few weeks later we decided to bring Ygal back and made a good start. Then, my father died and she started a renovation on her kitchen and we let Ygal ride. Somehow she got involved with a couple who have two disabled sons and run an agency that supplies foreign workers to disabled people. This couple also set her up with the contractor for her kitchen. She decided to get a worker through them as well. The worker set up is a bit dodgy. Bat Chen has license for a worker from the Interior Ministry and they brought her one from India who turned out to be problematic. The way it works is, Bat Chen gets the worker on her papers, he works for her, stays with her and then works at other places. She doesn't pay anything. This arrangement is not legal. In the meantime, the kitchen contractor turned out to be a thief, and did crap work. He also supplied her with a false ID and company details and never gave her a receipt for the money she paid him. The ever so helpful couple took the contractor's side in the dispute. I suggested that she report the contractor to the tax authorities and let them deal with it. She wanted to try and recover her money, and we had a few heated discussions on the subject. At this point I realized exactly who and what she was dealing with. Con artists of the worst kind. A few days ago they brought her yet another worker, this one couldn't have been more illegal if he tried. For starters, the law says that foreign workers that have first degree relatives here can not come here. This one has a mother and brother here. Ergo. On top of that, he was deported back to his country and was obviously not eligible to come back, regardless of relatives already here. Not to be deterred, he got his hands on a passport in the name of a dead citizen of his country. It also turned out that he had open heart surgery which makes him uninsurable here. That lovely couple told the worker and Bat Chen not to declare the surgery to the insurance company. At this point Bat Chen balked, and decided to cover herself by having him sign a statement declaring all the illegal things that couple had him do. Bat Chen and I have been having heated discussions about it for days now. I keep telling her that the only way to deal with these people is to call their bluff and report them. The money is gone and she'll never see it again. It's time to cut her losses and let the cards fall where they may.
yesterday. While arguing with her about the whole thing, I realized that I was getting upset and that it's not good for me, to put it mildly. I told her so and ended by reminding her that there is no way to make a ham sandwich kosher, and no way to make this worker legal when the whole thing is based on a counterfeit identity. It can't be done. Apparently she thought and thought and tortured herself all day. I do understand how hard it is to let go of the hope of recovering losses to conmen. I have Striar The Liar, after all, so I really do understand. I also understand that a point comes when you have to let it go. The major difference between her situation and mine is that I got most of what he owed me and that due to his health, suing him was out of the question. And it would be impossible to get him arrested because technically he didn't do anything illegal. I let myself be swindled. The people Bat Chen is dealing with are involved up to their eyebrows in criminal activity.
So, she had it out with herself, decided I was right and decided to turn everyone in to the relevant authorities, and called me at 0230 to tell me. She's a bit worried about reprisals, so I told her to get her house keys back and to come up here for a few days. I'm expecting a call any minute from her. I don't know if they'll come up today or tomorrow, but I will have company for Thanksgiving. I feel much better that she is going to do the right thing at last. The fact that our national leaders are corrupt doesn't mean we can be too. Sharon et al and my very own local elected officials are about as corrupt as can be, but that doesn't mean we can be too.
Details and updates, as and when.
1 comment:
"The fact that our national leaders are corrupt doesn't mean we can be too"
TRUE!!! Ohm how much would I like my people understand it!!
Lupe :)
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