A320 FLT CREW RPT ON DISPATCHER PROBS; LACK OF CHKING ENRTE MEA'S; ACFT GATE CHANGE AND FUEL RELEASE ALTERED WITHOUT PROPER CONSULTATION AT ORD.

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WE WERE GIVEN AN ACFT WITH AN INOP PACK; SO THE CAPT AND I CALLED THE DISPATCHER TO EXPRESS OUR CONCERN ABOUT FLYING AT NIGHT OVER THE MOUNTAIN RANGES FROM ORD TO SEA. WE ASKED HIM WHAT THE LOWEST MEA'S ENRTE WERE; AND HE SAID NOTHING WAS ABOVE 10000 FT. WE QUESTIONED HIM; AND AGAIN HE REPEATED 10000 FT WAS THE HIGHEST. SO WE BOTH PROCEEDED TO THE ACFT AND WERE PERPLEXED AT THE 10000 FT MEA'S. UPON ARRIVING AT THE GATE; WE FOUND OUT THAT OUR ACFT WAS CHANGED AND THUS THE GATE. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS BY THE DISPATCHER AND IN FACT THE FUEL WAS LOWERED WITHOUT THE CAPT'S CONCURRENCE. UPON DEPARTING ON TIME WITH A NEW ACFT WITH 2 PACKS; WE PULLED OUT OUR ENRTE CHARTS AND THE STAR AND FOUND THAT IN FACT WE WERE LIED TO BY OUR DISPATCHER. THE MEA'S ENRTE WERE FROM 10200 FT TO OVER 11000 FT AND ON OUR STAR THE MEA'S WERE FL180. A DISPATCHER SHOULD NOT CUT CORNERS AND LIE TO CREW MEMBERS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 637009: DISPATCH GAVE ME INCORRECT INFO DELIBERATELY. I FEEL THAT DISPATCH DID THIS IN ORDER TO GET THE FLT OUT. ON EXAMINING THE NEW FLT PLAN; I NOTICED THE FUEL WAS LOWERED FROM 28.7 LBS ON THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN TO 27.4 LBS ON THE NEW FLT PLAN. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM FOM 4.10.6; FUEL INCREASES OR DECREASES; THAT 'A DECREASE IN FUEL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRES CONSULTATION BTWN THE CAPT AND DISPATCH AND GENERATION OF A NEW OR AMENDED DISPATCH RELEASE.' THIS COM BTWN MYSELF AND DISPATCH DID NOT TAKE PLACE. I CALLED THE DISPATCH SUPVR BEFORE THE FLT DEPARTED AND EXPLAINED TO HER WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED IN REGARD TO MY DEALINGS WITH DISPATCH. SHE WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH ME TALKING TO HIM TO UNDERSTAND WHY HE DID WHAT HE DID. I HAD NO INTEREST IN HEARING WHY HE PROVIDED ME WITH FALSE INFO. I THINK DISPATCH NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT HOW TO READ A STAR; AN ENRTE MAP; AND BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH DISPATCH DUTIES AS OUTLINED IN THE FOM.