Pete;

Observations of my cousin Jim Whiteley, who worked as an engineer at Ampex (20,000 employees at the time) for about 30 years. “There are three basic business plans we use. Within each 10 year cycle we use each of the three. None of them work”! I was an engineer at Ampex for 15 years. The last buy out destroyed the corporation. Now they have 50 people.

There are some parallels between large corporations and government organizations. They are always searching for something that is not there. Any change of management, owner or administration is cause for a change of approach. When times are good who cares what style is in use? When times are bad everything matters! The important thing is to satisfy the ego of the “bastard” in charge! :)

Tom


>Thanks for sharing your laugh with me! I know EXACTLY what you are talking about!
>Pete
>
>>I can laugh now after 15 years with the government! The funniest was a 5 year period that ended just last year. There were many changes in government working toward a 'team environment' which included expensive team building training for all government employees, etc where all employees shared ownership of the business and shared responsibility and decision making. It didn't work though. They had everyone trying to be the boss. And now they are back to where they once were-basically a totalitarian system (authoritarian rather than parliamentarian)! Since then, we have even changed military advertising to the The 'Army of One' motto that focuses on the individual rather than the 'team.'
>>Tracy
>>
>>>Mark,
>>>
>>>I certainly believe in the importance of voting, and it does make a difference in many things. However, I've been with the government over 20 years, and have seen many changes. -- but, the underlying way things are done have never changed.
>>>
>>>Pete
>>>
>>>>>Mark,
>>>>... (Now I've also come to the point in life, where I don't think there's much we can do about this, so I make the best of it!)
>>>>
>>>>Vote, and vote often! :-) As much as the media and politicians talk about low voter turn-out, the pol's could care less as long as they get the most votes. At least Gary Condit's [Democrat] district had the sence to defeat him. Here in Texas, Dick Armey's son [Republican] lost his bid to take over his father's seat in the House of Reps. Everyone thought he would be a slam-dunk winner because of his father's influence. So, regardless of your party affiliation, there is hope that some things will change. I am a firm believer that the most effective change that any of us can affect is on the local level especially in school board and city hall elections. It is these particular entities that have the most affect on our lives and especially our children's lives. Get informed on who is governing the bureaucracy that has the biggest influence on our children, our homes and our neighborhoods.