Bureaucracy

What’s in a name?

My nephew, on my mother’s side, her sister Maude’s boy, Ron, recently filed for two separate tax reliefs. One for reduction for being over 65, one to delay payment of taxes until selling the property (or death). Notification was received granting the second, (signed Doug Eustice) but the first was being held in abeyance until Ron could provide documentation to prove that he and “Fred Woodsum” were the same person. His response:

Dear Doug (or is it Dougie or Douglas?) Eustice,
How nice to hear from you concerning the possibility that there may be more than one “Woodsum” in the State of Texas. However, exhaustive genealogical searches and public records indicate that such is not the case. Phone records = nada.
January 15, 1939. Unto us a boy was born. His momma named him Fred Ronald Woodsum. Little Fred’s daddy was named Frederick, so to avoid the “little Fred – big Fred” problems she decided he was to be called “Ronny” with a “y” not “ie”
As time passed and many nicknames (Woody, Ronski, Big Boy, Woodman). Later, the adult Fred Ronald Woodsum elected to be known as “Ron.” You, being in the bureaucracy business, understand that the powers that be do not take lightly those of us who wish to mess with official documented facts, birth certificates, driver’s licenses, form 1040s. Etc. However, having done so, I must now deal with the fruits of my misdeed.
I have enclosed for your viewing pleasure several official documents which relate to me in many of my aliases, Fred R. Woodsum, F. Ronald Woodsum, and Ron Woodsum, all showing the same social security number. My driver’s license, which you have a copy of, says “Fred Ronald Woodsum”, the DPS being one of the few anachronistic bureaucracies requiring an exact match between birth certificate and drivers ID.
I assure you that had I known some possible benefit would accrue to me by having another person with a similar name nearby for nefarious purposes I would have had myself cloned.
But enough about me. Could you be the same “Doug Eustice” who signed (or rubber stamped) the letter to “Woodsum Ron” from HCAD dated 02/09/2004 approving my “Tax Deferral Affidavit?” I thought you knew me.
I hope I do not hear from you again unless you can produce another person in the State of Texas named “Woodsum”

Yours truly, the one, the only,
Fred Ronald (Ron) Woodsum

Enclosed:
SSA-1099 Social Sec.Benefit “Fred R. Woodsum” SS# 123456789
WTFCU Credit Union Account “F. Ronald Woodsum” SS# 123456789
Wells Fargo Mortgage interest statement “Ron Woodsum” SS# 123456789
Aftermath: Application was granted (without notification) shortly after this letter was sent.