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.