29 July 2002

French Bureaucracy

The French are famous for their bureaucracy that employs a major portion of the working folks in this country.  The gossip is that all government workers are well paid.  The French have tons of rules and paperwork to support those rules that would overwhelm just about anyone.

Possibly the major difference between the French rules and the Ohio rules for governing people and communities is that the French regularly ignore the rules.  You couldn’t prove it by me just yet because I am in the middle of putting together our application for a French long term stay visa.

The application for the visa is one page long with about five more pages of instructions on what documents are needed for short term stays, long term stays, student visas and work visas.  All of that is understandable.  The kicker is in the very first sentence of the visa instructions:  “The Consular Administration has full authority to appreciate and request more documents than those listed on this page…”

I have to admire that they let you know right up front that they “might” request more documents.  Of course they are going to request more documents.  They are bureaucrats.  It’s in their job description.

None of this compares though to a recent article in the TIMES RECORDER which I read on line. The headline read, “Officials say horse in city is zoning violation”.  The article went on to say that the zoning person had not received a complaint but that he was obliged to investigate all complaints.  I had to shake my head on that one and hope that the guy was misquoted.

Never mind that the people had kept a horse at that location since 1966.  Didn’t the zoning guy ever drive by there in 36 years?  I can’t help but think that there are plenty of zoning violations around Zanesville. But then I’ve only driven past some of those places and I might be mistaken by all of the junk that is piled around the buildings.  All of those sunken roofs and falling down walls might just be within the city code.

One thing for sure, that zoning guy is not related to the French zoning people in Senlis.  There is a house within full view of the Marie (city hall) and the police station that added an entire third story by using illegal imported Polish labor.  Each day as the government workers sat at their desks they must have enjoyed watching the progress of the construction.  At one point the Polish workers had to put in a 24” x 24” 40’ beam into the living room ceiling because the weight of the new third story was causing the old beam to crack. 

That must have required a crane as the house is on a street that is barely wide enough for a car to pass.  The transporting of that beam and the lifting over the house must have been the talk of the town.

Still no zoning inspector came to inspect.  No papers were signed for a permit, even though tons of paperwork is required. 

So I think the French have got it right:  the government should employ lots of people, pay them very well, don’t expect them to do much, but require lots of paper work to be shuffled.  At least their tax dollars are visibly doing some good.

As I prepare for the visa application process I am keeping all of these stories in mind.  I have made six copies of every document we own.  That way I am ready when the inspector shuffles through the required paperwork and says there is something missing.  I have letters from employers, the bank, the insurance companies, friends and anyone else I can think of.

After two days of making copies on my slow-as-Moses copier I am prepared for anything.  I can just see the look on the face of the French woman who will take our application.  My goal is to overwhelm her with our charm and patience and if that doesn’t work, then I will charm and overwhelm her with our paper work.  Oh if only all things in life could be so simple.