Commentary: Like I Was Saying ...

Bad Timing for ‘Solitaire-gate’

By Kellyn Brown, 4-19-08

Recently two state departments have reinforced stereotypes that neither wants. It’s become easier to accuse the Montana government of wastefulness upon revelations that its employees are playing video games and swapping dirty e-mails on taxpayers’ dime.

Late last year, a Department of Corrections employee reported receiving an objectionable e-mail from a co-worker. A subsequent investigation revealed all sorts of lewd note passing, including an e-mail containing a picture of a naked child. In all, 47 staffers were disciplined, but none fired.

Just months later, in March, Department of Public Health and Human Services employees had the audacity to complain that their new computers didn’t include any video games like solitaire and Minesweeper – after all, the older models did. When Lee Newspapers inquired about it, the department promptly erased the games from the old and new computers of more than 3,000 employees.

The recent reports affirm the position many disgruntled Montanans have long held: government at every level is bloated, inefficient and riddled with ineptitude. That’s not all true. For two summers I worked for “the man” on the garbage beat in Yellowstone National Park. It was a good, honest job and there was little, if any, escape from the stench during a 10-hour day. Many of my peers also stayed busy repairing roads and clearing trails. But we wasted a lot of time when the tourists left. And for every hard-working grunt, there was someone about whom nobody could say what exactly he or she did all day.

Such sinecures are rampant as well, of course, in some of the private sector, but taxes don’t sustain those jobs. And in theory, the market will weed out those inefficient businesses in ways that government bureaucracies simply can’t. Government employees should be heavily scrutinized. But superiors at each of these departments had to be told about the computer abuse before realizing that their employees were playing Minesweeper and forwarding inappropriate jokes while on the clock. If an agency is already a target for criticism, you would think those in charge of them would do everything to deflect it. But they don’t.

Yes, state higher-ups have acted swiftly to remedy the issues and assured us that these were isolated instances. But taxpayers in a floundering economy, many of whom already have little patience for government, probably won’t buy it. Who can blame them? From pork barrel spending at the highest federal level, to the number of solitaire games and jokes played at the state level, the general public has plenty to gripe about when it concerns where their hard-earned money goes.

Lately, the top brass has pretended to listen. President Bush, sensing frustration, is sending out tax rebates to stimulate the economy. The plan has already been roundly criticized as too little, too late. Our state lawmakers, who approved a one-time $400 property tax rebate last session, may soon hear similar complaints. The despised “man” sure gives the impression that he is chronically wasting.

After such stories of government waste surface, it’s easy to think, “My tax dollars fund video game tournaments and all I got was this lousy rebate.” I guess the check is better than a T-shirt. [End of article]

That kind of goofing off on the job will get you fired in my company.  It’s kind of irritating to go to an employee’s work station and go into the history file and see how many dozens of internet chat rooms she had been to today and yesterday and the day before.  Meanwhile the checklist of “things to do” had been ignored.  “You’re Fired”.
Work ethics of employees are pretty disgusting lately.  Worse yet, notice what kind of attire some think is appropriate for serving the public. 
Not in my store.

excellent article. Keep it up !!

This sounds like a typical article meant to distract readers from the real problems that face government.  It’s much easier to point a finger at government, it’s not quite so easy to point a finger at solutions to problems.  Granted, those who play video games on taxpayer money (or someone else’s nickel, for an employee in the private sector) to the point where it interferes with their job is an issue that needs to be addressed; but to say, “This is typical of a bloated inefficient government” is only blaming goverment for their woes, and does not address real issues.  Not every government agency’s employees plays video games because there is nothing to do.

To JD:  You sound like a typical Montana business owner who is only concerned about your bottom line and not the welfare of your employees.  You probably don’t even pay your employees anything resembling a wage matching living standards.  Why don’t you live in the 21st century, because not everyone kow-tows to your way of thinking.  You sound like someone who makes more problems than they solve...get a clue:  Treat your employees like human beings and maybe, just maybe, you might get some work out of them...not to mention respect.

JB you are an ass.  You have no idea.  My employees get lots of neat perks!  Even those doing minimum wage jobs make $9.50 an hour to start.  Managers make $16 plus percentage of their department’s net.  Their monthly bonus can be more than my house payment.  Free family passes to the theater and to the racetrack are distributed, then I pay my way at the gate.  You dick.
When we need help, the word gets out and we are flooded with apps. People with your ethics need not apply, you won’t last the first hour, if you even had the incentive to show up.
You should try being a business owner instead of a loser and do your best to contribute to the community’s well being and support numerous families.  Then feel the irritation of having to pay people who have no intention of working. 
As if you even could.

hey J.D. - What business do you own? I need a job and I like your way of thinking!

I don’t advertise in the forums, they tend to be full of mean and irresponsible citizens who I don’t want any part of other than to try to encourage to think rationally to solve their obvious problem.
There’s lots of jobs out there, AR, go get one!
Also I don’t like to “go off” on idiots like JB, but sometimes such ignorance galls me that bad.  I’d really rather help someone if they deserve it, or can even act like they do.
So.  Keep your eyes and ears open.  Your job is out there!  If you hear of one that sounds fun and where you are treated like family, that may be my company.  The referrals almost always come from within.  You’ll also know by then that you will be required to 1) Show up, cause if we didn’t need you we wouldn’t hire you.  2) Show up on time because your problems shouldn’t pass on to our customers.
3) Show up on time dressed appropriately, that means try to appear to be a normal and sane person. Piercings and facial tattoos and rap/gang/slut/goth wardrobe disgust our high class customers. 4) Treat customers courteously and with respect and be very helpful to them, because they walked in the door to give you their money. 5) Please just ask for a raise anytime you can prove you deserve one.  If for some reason you can’t afford toilet paper just say so and we’ll give it to you, if you steal it you’ll be fired.  6) Simply do as your told, do it my way, and feel free to make thoughful suggestions.  7) Work safely and respect your workmate’s rights.
It’s just that simple.  How do I know?  Because I started at the very bottom, too!  I was given a formula for success.  It was about working hard.  And giving your boss your best.  And caring enough to suggest improvements.  Just making it so obvious to everyone I came in contact with that I want to excel. On my own merits, though, ass kissing doesn’t count in my book..
I applied this to numerous companies I worked at.  When it didn’t work I moved on to the next.  Eventually I was at one that the owner wanted to sell and retire from.  He “gave” it to me.  Someday I will “give” it to someone else.
There is an air of mediocrity in this valley that annoys me.  I think it comes as a result of the workforce available, to some extent.  You can only do so much with what you get.  So to succeed, your business needs the best.  Just paying well isn’t enough, you have to ride people to earn it.  You have to remind them that they can go back to washing cars or flipping burgers any time.  Or they can buckle down and earn that wage I pay, perhaps overpay.
I despise welfare.  I don’t want my employees living on welfare.  They can do better than that.  I’ll help them any way I can, but they have to help me, too.  I don’t want to end up on welfare but it will happen if I don’t run my company well, or let my employees rip me off.  Or pay them for something they aren’t doing. Same thing!
I’ve known people whose goal was to see how little they can do to earn a living.  They say “minimum wage, minimum work.” They will always be losers.  You see them every day when you are trying to do business somewhere.  They cause me to take my money to another store where I might get good service.  I can’t have them working in my store, no way.
Back to the topic.  If you goof off at work you are ripping off your employer.  Computer games and e-mailing jokes and surfing the net and polishing toe-nails on the clock and tying up my business phone arguing with your boyfriend tells me you don’t care if I succeed or not.  You’re not on the team.  I owe you no future.  You should leave now so someone who deserves your job can have it.  You’ve ignored two warnings and just don’t care.  Here is your last paycheck and there is the door, have a nice life.
Still want to work for me?  We’ll be putting on a summer crew real soon.  You’ll be in some interesting situations at the nicest places in three counties.  You’ll meet lots of millionaires and even a couple of billionaires.  The whole project is all about having fun, lots of it, sometimes at great expense.  I’ll get my cut, you’ll get yours.  That’s business.

Hey, JD...From your comments, you obviously think that I am some irresponsible flamer who can’t hold a job....and I probably hacked an account so I could flame you on some subject meant to distract people from the real issues of government?

Guess it doesn’t matter...because if people don’t think the way you do, then they aren’t worth anything to you, right?  Try thinking outside the box for a change...maybe, just maybe, you might get somewhere.  I certainly will not fall to your level of name calling...what if your customers heard some of the things you called me?  Wouldn’t have a business very long, would you?

Actually I think I was pretty light on you, considering how erroneous your assumption of how I treat my employees was.
And I do think outside the box, that’s why I have such a loyal customer base, most of whom are (or have been) successful in the business world.  People with no “expendable income” have no use for my services, see?
Of course I have no idea how you support yourself, but if you are defending the goof offs then you are a part of the problem that the government has addressed.  And they have a long way to go.
I am somewhere, and I worked hard and took risks to get there.  No job ever came close to making me feel successful, but it prepared me for it.  I jumped at an opportunity, and upon becoming the owner I made huge changes that increased efficiency and made the policies more likable to the customers AND the employees.  Step one was show the goofs the door and give the hard workers a $2 raise.
We have doubled the business.  Working hard to do it again.  And again.  There is no limit to how far it can go!
People don’t have to think the way I do, I can’t force that.  All I can do is respond in a positive manner and help people understand that government and business and LIFE are all about people working together and working hard to be happy and prosperous.  Goofing off on the job isn’t the right road.
You don’t have to agree.  Good luck.

Well, JD, I can see that you are NOT like most Montana employers.  You’re right, I was absolutely wrong about the way you treat employees...from your last comment, it was a thoughtful constructive discourse and a well delivered defense.  My apologies.

If you think outside the box as you say, then you are one of the few empolyers in Montana that do...most are still of the “old boy” network, and with time, they will go the way of the dinosaur.

You found your niche in the business world...good for you.  You took risks and made it pay off for yourself.  That’s great.  If you read my first comment, I was not defending anybody...I was suggesting that solutions be found to problems.  You can’t always go on a witch hunt and point the finger at people every time there is a problem.  Always attack issues, and never attack a person...such a successful person in business should know that his employees are his bread and butter, and I am very sure that you think the same way...just use the same line of reasoning when thinking about solutions to government.

Government needs to be more efficient because the systems in place that run our government are old, antiquated, and wasteful.  There have been some changes, but it’s always been too little, too late...like employees playing video games on their computers.  If the systems in place were efficient, the video games would never be a concern.  This is just a sticking point with some people, and detracts from the real issue.

If you could do to government what you have done to your business, wouldn’t it have been done already?  So why hasn’t it been done?  Because the system is the issue...NOT necessarily people.  If the system were changed, then the people working in government wouldn’t be so concerned about employees playing video games on computers, because then employees would be so busy working that it would be a non-issue.

By the way, I have seen many successful businesses where employees are allowed reasonable personal use of their office computers, phones, etc...A couple of them I have worked for, both number 1 in their fields in the world.

Good luck to you as well.

Okay everybody ... GROUP HUG!

Then let’s go play a game of Minesweeper.

LOL...OK, enough with the social engineering, I’m way over my limit on this blog...

Hmmm...Minesweeper...sounds like a good one to play on my corporate laptop...

I’m sorry I went off on you, JB.  Obviously you are a level headed thinker, what we need more of in this world!
Yes if I thought I could fix government, I’d be on it and wouldn’t quit till I did.  But I truly believe it’s impossible.  Those greedy and corrupt self-serving manipulators that run this world would eat me for breakfast.
Robin Williams for President!
I know, it’s a joke, but his campaign has great ideas, that even I could agree with.  After all these years it’s hard to take him, of all people, seriously, but he’s right!
By the way, and back on topic, I did explain to my employees that they are absolutely welcome to play on the Internet at work.  But not on the clock, and not during store hours.  Trust me, it is impossible to be bored at our store.

Apology accepted JD, thank you Again, I apologize for my initial comment, it was way out of line, and absolutely wrong about you, but I do that sometimes on a blog/comment board to see how a commenter responds...and you responded with both your head and your heart...I thank you for that.

There is no way that any one person can “fix” government’s issues...but if we all speak out (like you and I both have, both exercising our right of free speech), and encourage others to do the same, then we have a chance.  Government is the servant of the people...not the other way around.  We don’t pay taxes so that we can have problems...we pay them so that government can solve those problems and serve everybody.  The “video game” issue is really minor...it detracts focus from what the real problems are.

On your store policy, I think that’s fantastic that you are allowing off-clock use of your computers for Internet access for your employees.  It’s a benefit that I strongly believe will improve your employee’s efficiency on the clock, and I commend your generosity.  Well done.