Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!ncar!boulder!sunybcs!bingvaxu!leah!itsgw!steinmetz!welty
From: welty@steinmetz.ge.com (richard welty)
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Re: Not Basing Usenet Behavior on Property Rights (Re: Fascism Lives ...)
Message-ID: <10765@steinmetz.ge.com>
Date: 10 May 88 01:24:02 GMT
References:  <3103@edm.UUCP> <10219@ncc.Nexus.CA>
Reply-To: welty@steinmetz.UUCP (richard welty)
Distribution: na
Organization: General Electric CRD, Schenectady, NY
Lines: 33

In article <3103@edm.UUCP> news@edm.UUCP (news software) writes:
*Just because there isn't a item labeled 'USENET' in provincial/state
*/national budgets doesn't mean that it isn't officially accounted for
*at some level.

In article <10219@ncc.Nexus.CA> lyndon@ncc.UUCP (Lyndon Nerenberg) writes:
>Don't be obtuse! The question at hand is: "What happens if/when the
>bean counters find out what the $xxxK per month under 'telecommunications'
>is *really* paying for?"

Exactly!  I'm going through a related phenomenon right now -- the
beancounters here noticed an increase in phone bills that was entirely
my (unintentional) fault -- my mailing list reached the point of
overwhelming a phone link (quite unexpectedly, I might add.)  The first
I heard of it was when my sysadmin told me that there was some discussion
a level or two of management above me.  After a day or two of trying
to rationalize addresses, I found out more about the cost and the
management reaction, and decided that my only responsible alternative
was to pull the plug until cheap way of restoring the list turned up
(it hasn't yet.)  A week and a half later, there is still turmoil at
higher levels -- I had an interview with my manager's manager this
afternoon.  I was assured that I was a valued member of technical staff,
and he apparently believed that I had not intentionally tried to hose
ge money down the toilet -- until that, I was concerned for my job
if the beancounters really went over the edge.  I was also told that
while news is a nice frill, he's not prepared to defend it against
a concerted attack from the beancounters if they decide to make one.
I am neither suprised nor disappointed -- this attitude is perfectly
understandable and reasonable (especially in the current cost-concious
atmosphere at a place like GE.)  I'm just glad he's willing to defend
me -- pond scum, er, contractors are easy to terminate.
-- 
Richard Welty               Phone H: 518-237-6307  W: 518-387-6346
    welty@ge-crd.ARPA       {rochester,philabs,uunet}!steinmetz!welty