outsourcing physical plant? - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Dec 2, 2005

RE: outsourcing physical plant?

Date: Dec 2, 2005

Are students who live on campus still required to buy meal tickets??

If so, are the meal tickets accepted at all campus eateries, e.g. do you have to eat lunch at commons are is the meal ticket good at Wimpie's in the Hub?

I notice Greg wants all citizens of H'burg to come on campus to buy from bookstore and eat...are there bargains at bookstore? is the Aramark food outstanding?? (what about this power plant deal?? wine list?)

Date: Dec 2, 2005

buffet wrote:

Are students who live on campus still required to buy meal tickets?? If so, are the meal tickets accepted at all campus eateries, e.g. do you have to eat lunch at commons are is the meal ticket good at Wimpie's in the Hub? I notice Greg wants all citizens of H'burg to come on campus to buy from bookstore and eat...are there bargains at bookstore? is the Aramark food outstanding?? (what about this power plant deal?? wine list?)

I don't know why someone would want to come here on campus. I tried to use my Barnes and Nobles discount card here and they wouldn't take it.

Amy Young

Date: Dec 2, 2005

Once upon a time the commons did a good business at Sunday lunch after church with middle-class families who came there to eat because the food was good and far cheaper than the alternatives. This group isn't there anymore. Ditto for the senior citizens who used to be in commons for lunch. I'm still there as I'm too lazy to leave campus.

Date: Dec 3, 2005

USM calms workers about outsourcingBy

Rachel Leifer
Hattiesburg American

http://clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051203/NEWS/512030353/1002/news

Date: Dec 3, 2005

Small ladder wrote:

Once upon a time the commons did a good business at Sunday lunch after church with middle-class families who came there to eat because the food was good and far cheaper than the alternatives.

Middle-class my a**. The wealthy who accumulated their wealth by saving instead of wasting money also ate there.

Date: Dec 3, 2005

USM's fervent embrace of outsourcing at this time has little or nothing to do with "philosophy," but rather with the simple fact that the university is damned near BROKE after years of bad budgets worsened by poor and abusive management. Cash up front plus dumping wages and benefits from the university payroll means that the president gets to stay fixed on the only part of his "legacy" that he cares about -- reaching the Holy Grail of "$100 million in external funding." Next on the chopping block -- printing services, followed by administrative support services. In the meantime, too, watch for more and more courses covered by contingent (one-year, part-time, adjunct) faculty.

Date: Dec 3, 2005

Old Money Bags wrote:

Middle-class my a**. The wealthy who accumulated their wealth by saving instead of wasting money also ate there.

That's a bad thing? So? People who save their money make money available for you to borrow; they buy stock in companies that give you jobs; they buy bonds that make infrastructure possible.
I think it's too bad Commons isn't open on Sunday, but the last time I ate there (Fall '04) I thought the food was much worse.

Date: Dec 3, 2005

LVN wrote:

Old Money Bags wrote: Middle-class my a**. The wealthy who accumulated their wealth by saving instead of wasting money also ate there.

LVN wrote: That's a bad thing? So? People who save their money make money available for you to borrow; they buy stock in companies that give you jobs; they buy bonds that make infrastructure possible.

LVN, nothing was said or implied about saving money being bad. I was pointing out the virtues of saving money rather than wasting it (on overpriced and often poorly prepared restaurant chow). So-callled "fine dining" (Ha! Ha!) in no way compensates for unwashed lettuce, a roach or two crawling across the floor, or a filthy washroom. Give me the old Commons any day.

Date: Dec 3, 2005

LVN wrote:

That's a bad thing? So? People who save their money make money available for you to borrow; they buy stock in companies that give you jobs; they buy bonds that make infrastructure possible.

This sounds like you're aboard the economic development bandwagon to privitize the university

Date: Dec 3, 2005

Jean Moulin wrote:

Next on the chopping block -- printing services, followed by administrative support services. In the meantime, too, watch for more and more courses covered by contingent (one-year, part-time, adjunct) faculty.

I agree that printing services is vulnerable to outsourcing, as is the campus housing operation.

Date: Dec 3, 2005

Let's outsource the whole state government. Let Mississippi be annexed by Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee. It's the old evolution thing, survival of the fittest. (O.K., maybe we better leave Louisiana off those options.)

Date: Dec 3, 2005

Old Money Bags wrote:

Small ladder wrote: Once upon a time the commons did a good business at Sunday lunch after church with middle-class families who came there to eat because the food was good and far cheaper than the alternatives. Middle-class my a**. The wealthy who accumulated their wealth by saving instead of wasting money also ate there.

My a** was not necessary. I would not disagree with you on that point for an instant and will gladly stand corrected.

Date: Dec 3, 2005

Small ladder wrote:

My a** was not necessary. I would not disagree with you on that point for an instant and will gladly stand corrected.

You're right. That expression was not necessary. Old Money Bags will withdraw it. I'd seen the term it used by others on this board many times, but that's no excuse.

Date: Dec 3, 2005

Jean Moulin wrote:

USM's fervent embrace of outsourcing at this time has little or nothing to do with "philosophy," but rather with the simple fact that the university is damned near BROKE after years of bad budgets worsened by poor and abusive management. Cash up front plus dumping wages and benefits from the university payroll means that the president gets to stay fixed on the only part of his "legacy" that he cares about -- reaching the Holy Grail of "$100 million in external funding." Next on the chopping block -- printing services, followed by administrative support services. In the meantime, too, watch for more and more courses covered by contingent (one-year, part-time, adjunct) faculty.

Well, yes, except that the first units to be outsourced - the textbook center, bookstore, and food services always made a profit and, in fact, were about the only guaranteed money makers on campus year in and year out. They were not privatized because they were money losers. But you are right that Thames has been leaking money like a FEMA contract - the Foundation accounts are down about 50% with almost no new money coming in. Wonder why?

Date: Dec 3, 2005

Angeline wrote:

But you are right that Thames has been leaking money like a FEMA contract - the Foundation accounts are down about 50% with almost no new money coming in. Wonder why?

There may not be much new money coming into the Foundation, but the executive director received a stealth pay increase so he must be doing something right. Check, mate!

Date: Dec 3, 2005

Capitalist Pig wrote:

LVN wrote:
That's a bad thing? So? People who save their money make money available for you to borrow; they buy stock in companies that give you jobs; they buy bonds that make infrastructure possible.
This sounds like you're aboard the economic development bandwagon to privitize the university

You must be new, or you'd know better than that.

Date: Dec 4, 2005

H.A. Editorial: Take workers into account in outsourcing
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051204/OPINION01/512040303/1014/OPINION

Date: Dec 4, 2005

HA poll as of 8 a.m., 12/04/05:

POLL
Do you believe, as USM says, that the outsourcing of jobs will benefit current employees?

yes 17.6%
no 82.4%

Total votes cast: 182

Date: Dec 4, 2005

info wrote:

HA poll as of 8 a.m., 12/04/05: POLL Do you believe, as USM says, that the outsourcing of jobs will benefit current employees? yes 17.6% no 82.4% Total votes cast: 182

This means that only only 3 or so people voted 'no.' Could it be that those 3 have some type of service to sell to the university and would personally benefit from outsourcing? Nahhh. It's probably because they think current employees would benefit if there jobs were in question. The survey didn't ask if the university would benefit from outsourcing.

Date: Dec 4, 2005

Let Henry do it wrote:

This means that only only 3 or so people voted 'no.'

This means that only 3 or so people voted 'yes.'

Date: Dec 4, 2005

Outsourcerer wrote:

Let Henry do it wrote:
This means that only only 3 or so people voted 'no.'
This means that only 3 or so people voted 'yes.'

Either the math or the satire needs to be a little clearer here, boys.

Date: Dec 4, 2005

School Marm wrote:

Either the math or the satire needs to be a little clearer here, boys.

Do the math yourself and you will see that, using the figures presented, mulltiplication or division won't yield an even number. It comes out to be just over 3.

As to satire, let me a little clearer: It is possible that the 3 or 4 who voted 'yes' were voting their pocketbooks?"

Date: Dec 4, 2005

i've done the math myself and 17.6% of 182 votes is slightly over 32, not 3.

Date: Dec 4, 2005

Let Henry do it wrote:

School Marm wrote:
Either the math or the satire needs to be a little clearer here, boys.

Do the math yourself and you will see that, using the figures presented, mulltiplication or division won't yield an even number. It comes out to be just over 3.
As to satire, let me a little clearer: It is possible that the 3 or 4 who voted 'yes' were voting their pocketbooks?"

Yes, since the percentages are rounded into whole people, the math is not exact. Still, 17.6% of 182 people is rounded to 32 people, not 3. Please go back to the blackboard. It would appear that you misplaced a decimal point.

Date: Dec 4, 2005

"Children, if there were 182 voters and 17.6% of them voted yes, how many people voted yes?"

"182 voters X 17.6% who voted yes = 3.032 voted yes. That's just a hair over 3 who voted yes, mam. Henry's figures were correct."

Date: Dec 4, 2005

As you can see, my Ph.D. was not in math.

Date: Dec 4, 2005

Let Henry do it wrote:

As you can see, my Ph.D. was not in math.

I think I can guess what field you took your Ph.D. in.

Date: Dec 4, 2005

Third Grade Math wrote:

"Children, if there were 182 voters and 17.6% of them voted yes, how many people voted yes?" "182 voters X 17.6% who voted yes = 3.032 voted yes. That's just a hair over 3 who voted yes, mam. Henry's figures were correct."

But it isn't 182 x 17.6. What about that % symbol? The math and science education problem has reached the PhDs. All is lost.

Date: Dec 4, 2005

LeftASAP wrote:

The math and science education problem has reached the PhDs

Asbestos, then radiation, and now mathematics.