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June 05, 1975 - Image 4

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Text
Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1975-06-05

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The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students at the
University of Michigan
Thursday, June 5, 1975
News Phone: 764-0552
Remove barriers t e
XT LOOKS AS if both Egypt and Israel have budged
enough from their intractable stances of a few
months ago to take another stab at shuttle diplomacy
with Henry Kissinger as the go-between.
American intercession as a forum for reconciliation
Is certainly no substitute for direct talks between the two
parties, but, in light of the fragile chemistry of mideast
politics, it may well be'the only feasible route to peace.
Most observers agree that the Palestinians' refusal
to recognize Israel as a legitimate national government,
and Israel's reciprocal denial of Yasir Arafat's claim to
their homeland, would prevent a Geneva conference of
Mideast antagonists from bearing fruit.
When the Kissinger shuttle broke down last winter,
many felt that an all-out resumption of Arab-Israeli
hostilities was just around the corner.-
I-OPEFULLY. RECENT OVERTURES from both Israel
and Egyt concerning a possible retention of the
U. S. as intermediary in the stalemate signal a new-found
awareness that even an imperfect peace can be more
self-serving than the imminent prospect of another
round of detah and devastation.
Israel, for their part, has been sluggish in realizing
that the massive shift in the power balance of the Mid-
east and the world has significantly undercut its lever-
age with its Arab adversaries.
The Arabs have indicated their understanding that
an aggressive posture toward the Jewish state is both
untenable and could spark large-scale U. S. interven-
tion and a reversal of the economic gains made over the
past three years.
It's unlikely that a clear-cut victor will ever emerge
from the Mideast debacle. Even so, peace by compromise
could prevent the area from suddenly becoming powder-
keg to the world; in which case, everybody loses.
Editorial Staff
JEFF SORENSEN
Editor
PAUL HASKINS
Editorial Director
DAVID BLOMQUIST. .................................... Night Editor
JEFF RISTINE ..............................- Night Editor
TIM SCHICK... ..... . . ................ . . Night Editor
DAVID WHITING ........................... Night Editor
BILL TORQUE........................................ Night Editor
BE NI SEN............................Editorial Pe A't.
ANN MARIE LIPINSKI.......... .............Ass't. Night Editor
SUE ADES ...................................As't. Night Edior
ELAINE TCHER ..........................Ass't. Night Editor
CATHERINE REUTTER.Asst. Night Editor
ROB MEACHUM, JO MARCOTTY.... ................. Supplement
TsE M4 ULUS

THE HOUSING-CRATS
Rewarding incompetence

By STEVE HIBSHMAN
Maybe I live in a world which
lacks reality but I think that
caring about people is import-
ant, and when I come in con-
tact with an organization which
is inhumane and which is only
interested in self-preservation, I
become upset. Thus, the busi-
ness world upsets me, as do
politics and bureaucracies. It is
especially my frustration with
bureaucracies on which I wish
to focus.
It is an interesting thing about
organizations, that even though
they may be formed to accom-
plish a specific task, they seem
to far outlive or over step their
usefulness. Any method will be
used to preserve the bureaucra-
cy and to satisfy the organiza-
tion needs.
Methods such as hiding or
twisting the truth have become
very popular. In fact many ad-
ministrators don't seem to un-
derstand the word "Truth". Two
general examples immediately
come to mind.
The first is the Jewell Cobb
debacle, which has become so
clouded that no one will ever
really be able to understand
what happened.
THE SECOND example, (and
since I am a minor employee of
this organization, the one I
find most interesting,) deals
with the scandals which ema-
nate from the Housing Office.I
am referring to the agony that
John Feldkamp needlessly caus-
ed with his untimely dorm lot-
tery, and also the whole issue
surrounding the alleged Build-
ing Director at Stockwell.
To my knowledge there has
been no investigation of Feld-
kamp's lottery. The investiga-
tion concerning Ms. Morris is so
shrouded in secrecy that only
Housing administrators will
know if the investigation is kosh-
er or a whitewash.
I would be willing to predict
that President Flemming will
be unhurt by his bungling of the
Cobb mishap, that John Feld-
kamp will make it through his
lottery blunder unscathed, and
that the incapable Stockwell
Building Director will be given
another chance to prove her in-
ability.
I PREDICT these things be-
cause. of the very nature of
Bureaucracy to reward incom-
petence and to do whatever is
good for the organization, no
matter what effect the adminis-
trators and their policies have
on people.
Two recent, though minor de-

velopments have occurred in
the Housing Office Bureaucra-
cy, which illustrate my point
on the operation of such or-
ganizations.
The first illustration shows
the Housing Office's attitude to-
ward people. In the fall and
winter terms I live and work in
a dorm. I have gotten to know
many of the dorm employees,
one of which was a mainte-
nance man. He had been there
for at least five or six years,
and maybe since the dorm had
opened. The man knew every
inch of the dorm, was very good
at his work, was well liked and
trusted by the residents, and
what is most important he lik-
ed his job.
WELL, THE maintenance
man's boss is probably a good
administrator. One day he sud-
denly came to the realization
"Some of the de-
creases i n services
s e e m s like punish-
ments the Housing Of-
fice is forcing upon re-
sidents, because Mr.
Feldkamp did not get
his desired increase in
room and board rates
or his new housing
plan."
that this man was the only per-
son who really knew everything
about the maintenance of that
dorm. This administrator fur-
ther thought, what happens in
thirty years or so if the main-
tenance man would die, or he
thought that there is a one-
thousandth of a percent chance,
(especially in time of re-
cession) that this maintenance
person might find a better job
elsewhere. This supervisor de-
cided it would be best for the
Bureaucracy if others were
trained in this particular build-
ing. But it would be wasteful to
have two men working in the
same building. So the adminis-
trator decided to transfer the

maintenance man out of the
building to a maintenance rov-
ing unit.
It didn't matter that the
maintenance man didn't want
to be transferred. It didn't mat-
ter that this person took pride
in being responsible for this
particular building and enjoyed
working there. The only thing
that matters is what makes ad-
ministrative sense. If the super-
visor cared about the person
instead of the Bureaucracy, this
event would never have occur-
red.
A N O T H E R developmrent
was explained to me the other
day. It seems that even though
University of Michigan dorms
give lower service at higher
rates than the majority of dorm
systems throughout the coun
try, further cuts in services
have already begun. Some of
the decreases in services seem
like punishments the Housing
Office is forcing upon residents,
because Mr. Feldkamp did not
get his desired increase in room
and board or his new housing
plan. I think an investigation is
needed to find either where all
the money is going, or how
other dorm systems can give
more services for less money.
Though this idea hasn't seemed
to occur to the Housing Office,
what has is most disturbing.
The Housing Office has di
veloped a new policy, which
area coordinators and supervis
ors are now enforcing. It is
policy called Work Tension
The object of this policy is em
ployee attrition. People who d
nonadministrative service job
are over-worked and harras
sed to the point that they ar
forced to quit. No one is hir
to replace the person and oth
er employees have to do mor
work or the work is not done
This policy is presently bein
executed with certain Hous
keeping and cleaning staffs.
Is this humane? Of coursi
it is not. But it is economical
Not only does it decrease tlb
budget strain, but it also elimi
nates people who are not im
portant to the bureaucrats. N
one really cares about the one
who leave.
THINK OF ALL the servici
that could be performed if jus
one $4,000 a year administra
tor was laid off instead of fi
actual workers. Even m
money could be saved if whol
useless bureaucratic commit
tees would be abolished, suc
as the Housing Committee.f
Minority Programs in dor
tories. If that multi-thosan
dollar do-nothing committ
disappeared, perhaps dor
meals and meal reserves cao
be left in tact. There is a I
of wastage in the Housing i
fice, but I believe it is misma
agement from the top that
the prime contributor. Mism
agement from insensitive a
ministrators who slash servic
and people to protect their a
salaries and pet projects.
Think about it. How mu
can a Bureaucracy get awl
with? In an organization, w
can't people matter? Inste
of slashing services, burdeni
lower level employees, and
taining incomoetent administr
tors, why can't mistakes be a
mitted and problems aired
public. Why can't reductions
made from the top down. Wh
I stop studying academics f
a while, these are some of I
things I wonder about,
some of what I see makes
awfully nauseous.
Steve Hibshman is
LSA senior and a reside
odvisor at Bursley.

More UGLIness

By STEVE KORSMAN
TWO WEEKS AGO on this
very editorial page, the
cruel injustice of the hand dry-
ers at U.G.LI. was revealed.
But is that the only thing wrong,
with the U.G.LL johns? What
about those urinals that seem-
ingly flush every forty-five sec-
onds, splashing "water" on the
helpless victim that innocent-
ly relieves himself at the wrong
time?
Alas the wrongs of the U.G.
LI. are not confined to the
bathroom. Also deserving men-
tion is the candy machine
which beautifully displays that
delicious candy, but refuses to
give it up. fEven after three
dimes.) And not to be neglect-
ed is that torturous "ping"
which monotonously threatens
the sanity of every late-night
crammer at closing time - a
noise which incidentally is
heard at the same time that the

lights brilliantly dazzle in
their on-again off-again varia-
tions.
P O S S I B L E improve-
ments? First of all, the reserve
desk should be converted to a
bar. After all, there is a
stereo system there already.
(Have you ever tried to book
down when the reserve librar-,
ian is enjoying his Simon and
Garfunkel record?)
Secondly, a simple verbal
statement at closing time would
be more than an adequate
means of asking people to leave.
And think of all the electricity
and money that could be saved
if the ping machine wasn't al-
lowed to ping? Maybe that sav-
ed money could buy not hand
dryers but some new books!
Steve Korsman is an LSA
sophomore.

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