Court Reporting Board of Arizona Proposes to Cut Ethics From Code

[Lisa Migliore Black]

http://blog.courtreportersaz.com/2013/09/16/court-reporting-board-o...

[Sharon Smith]

Oh, I take it that's a "yes" to my question.

[Lisa Migliore Black]

"Discounts can be offered within those guidelines"

Isn't this what national agencies are doing?

Discounts are offered across multiple cases after often credited quarterly when certain dollar thresholds are met, which does not constitute a case-by-case basis.  Again, the pricing is pretty misleading to begin with. 

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

"First it was all about it being "unethical" - now it's "fair competition", which I believe is really the basis of the complaint rather than an "ethical" issue. (competition = $$$) "

Ding, ding, ding! Sharon, you put your finger PRECISELY on the main flaw in the LMB rhetoric: the conflicts of interest contained therein and the resultant lapses in logic. 

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Having many reasons for supporting a cause does not diminish or negate the individual reasons.

Bad logic, Lisa.

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

Jesus! Do you really believe the horseshit you spin? Many reasons for supporting a cause, sure. CONFLICTING reasons--like I said!--for supporting a cause, no.

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Buying direct is often a cost savings.  Companies five states away advertise for business in my state Google advertising, farm out the jobs, carve out a profit.  Why wouldn't I advertise that hiring local is better?  When out-of-state firms quit advertising in states where they don't have offices or employees, I won't have to advertise that I'm truly local and how that can save the client money.  Truth is, everyone with a phone or an Internet connection can offer national coverage.  

I also live and work in two states that have prohibitions on contracting.  Why wouldn't I advertise that local reporters know the rules and laws in their state better than someone from, say, New Jersey or California?

Two issues with some common overlap.

Borders are wide open for out-of-state companies to do business across state lines--there is no restriction of interstate commerce, but if companies are doing business in a state, they should adhere to state law.  I think it's time that the big companies respect state rights, also part of the Constitution.  

[Sharon Smith]

Morning, LB - wow!  Do you monitor these forums 24/7, girl? :)  How do you have time to monitor all these forums and work and have a life?:)  You gotta teach me your time management, girl! I don't understand your response post, tho - what's all this about "advertising" - what brought that up? Or, sorry, maybe it was just a post & not in response to mine, I guess.  But I'd really like to know if you'd turn down a law firm's offer I described above. 

You live in 2 States?  How do you do that?  Cool!

I will share this with you. I am personally familiar with a rep of an ins. co. who is using a national contract agency.  I point-blank asked him why they were engaging in this practice and not contacting local reporters.  His response to me:  (1) Local reporters are sometimes too difficult to locate in some areas.  Law firms only have to make 1 phone call to schedule a reporter anywhere in the U.S. they need one and don't have to waste time trying to locate a local reporter; that agency does the legwork locating reporters, saving time, and he found it ended up being a local reporter who covered their work 99% of the time anyway; (2) We are assured of what we will be charged and not get surprised with over-flated invoices from various CR firms. 

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Morning, Sharon, first post was in response to Lisa O.  I was working on your response, and it took a long time:)  Just an overlap in the responses, and I apologize that I'm not as familiar with the format here on CSRNation.  I may not be replying in the right place.  But you asked great questions, and I wanted to respond to them before I got started working for the day.

One call does it all is definitely a service aspect that many clients demand.  That's why you see a number of reporters and agencies offering this to their clients to step up the service they provide and compete.   (Of course, for reporters, there's a difference in networking and contracting.  Networking is an agreement between two service providers.  Contracting is an agreement with the parties in interest.)

I work primarily in Louisville, KY, and own a home there.  My husband's practice spans Kentucky and Ohio, and he owns a home in Cincinnati. Between children, ex-spouses, and our businesses, it just made more sense to maintain two homes and commute on weekends.  It's complicated, but it works.  I love the man so much, that I'd crawl 100 miles over broken glass to see him, which makes a 1.5-hour commute to see him on the weekends seem pretty easy by comparison:)

As far as time management goes, I typically read forums on breaks in editing, waiting for depos to start, etc. I do try very hard to stay up on issues nationally.  What effects someone in, say, South Dakota may inevitably affect me and my business.  There's definitely a commonality of issues we all face.  I can understand a love/hate relationship with associations, but love or hate, I recognized for myself that being involved is the best way for me to make a difference.

BUT NOW I need to get to work!  We may not agree, but I do very much enjoy a professional exchange of ideas, and chatting with you has been a pleasure.

[Lisa O'Sullivan]

Yeah, go ahead and get to "work."

[Quyen]

Oh, come on, LisaB. Give it a rest, would you? I got you to admit years ago that it's in your own self-interest, you know, about leveling the playing field and all that BS. I saved the whole discussion that got deleted or closed or whatever for posterity.

competition = money = self-interest

It really is that simple.

Your attempt to disguise your personal agenda as an "ethics" issue is blatantly disingenuous and sickening.

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time."

[Lisa Migliore Black]

Contracting is illegal in my state (and approximately half of the other states), not merely unethical.  You and Lisa seem to forget that when you personalize your arguments to me instead of debating the issues.  Do I think it horrifying that companies do business in states illegally?  Absolutely.  You can disagree; I just think you have a weak standing to do so.

[Sharon Smith]

 

..."is illegal in my state" -- Which State are you talking about: Kentucky or Ohio?

By the way, neither of those States are licensure States. are they?  You do not have to be certified to take depos, merely call yourself a C/R??  If I am wrong, please correct me because I find it very strange you would have an anti-contracting Law when you don't even require certification to take depos!  That's kinda like the cart before the horse, in my opinion.

This may explain Kentucky's position - I took straight from their C/R Association website and written by their Pres. I included the first couple of sentences so I wouldn't take it out of context - but the final sentence explains it all.

 

Anti-Contracting is real and affects all of us.  Unfortunately, that is also what has divided our association and lost many members, because it is still happening in our state today.  Now that the membership has chosen to forego licensing at this time, it is still up to you to inform your clients because the association can only do so much.  We all wish we could just wave a magic wand and contracting would just disappear.  It definitely would make our livelihood more profitable!