Thanksgiving is tomorrow. As you’re reading this, you’re probably already thawing your turkey and preparing it for its early-morning visit into the oven to bake for several hours.
My family and I will be in Ohio visiting relatives. Of course, I’m also looking forward to the post-Thanksgiving meal tradition of watching the Dallas Cowboys game (this year, America’s Team–playing its final season in venerable Texas Stadium–will host the Seattle Seahawks).
While we eat turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes (which I love, especially with the peels still on the potatoes), it may seem trite to talk about being thankful, but for me it’s a very good thing to do. With all the ugliness and negativity in the world, why not spend that day thinking of the positive things happening in the world?
It might be an inconvenience if your kitchen faucet leaks, but at least you live where there’s running water. At my church we have missionaries to Africa and where they serve, running water is considered something only the rich have.
As I ponder Thanksgiving, here are some things I’m very thankful for:
As a Christian, I’m thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He paid a debt He didn’t owe, and I owed a debt I couldn’t pay.
As a husband, I’m thankful for my wife and for her surviving a near-fatal health scare in 2006.
As a father, I’m thankful for my three sons and the fascinating things they teach me about life through what they say and do.
As a writer, I’m thankful I can get paid to do something that I love.
As an American, I’m thankful I still live in a nation where we can elect our leaders, where we can say what we think and have opportunities that are non-existent in much of the rest of the world.
As much as I hate wearing glasses, I’m thankful for my eyes. Besides my unusual hazel-green eye color, my extreme nearsightedness–thankfully–doesn’t mean I’m going blind. An optometrist has told me my eyes are healthy and that LASIK would definitely be an option for me.
Here I am, a 35-year-old man approaching 36. I may now have the beginnings of noticeable gray hair, but I still have a full head of hair. (Thanks for the genes, Grandpa Goade).
Aside from a nasty, brief bout with a respiratorial viral infection back in 1999, I’ve had very few health problems. No visits to the emergency room aside from when, at six, I accidentally fractured my finger by closing it in a car door.
The only two times I’ve had anesthesia were when I had my wisdom teeth removed and when a cyst was removed from my back.
Yes, my car is an older one that will need to be replaced soon, but at least I have a vehicle to drive to work.
I’m thankful for the Thanksgiving meal I’ll have. I remember the stories of my Mom’s family in the Great Depression, when sometimes the pecans from the neighbor’s trees were all there was to eat.
All families have their issues to deal with. Mine does, and yours probably does also. One thing I would like to encourage Oxford Leader readers to do is use Thanksgiving as a time to set aside any differences and give bickering a much-needed day off. This should be a day to relax, enjoy good food, engage in casual conversation and hope that the Cowboys and the Detroit Lions both win.
And prepare for that important post-Thanksgiving ritual of eating turkey sandwiches.

As you may have noticed, this column is now named ‘From A to Zowie? instead of ‘Richard’s Ramblings.? After tossing around a few names and getting suggestions, I felt this new name fit best. Here’s why:
One: It’s unique, unlike ‘Richard’s Ramblings?. Google both and you’ll see what I mean.
Two: It reflects my column style. I like to write about anything–politics, current events, social issues, reader feedback, humor, ideas I have and anything that’s unusual. Literally, anything from A to Z. Hence, A to Zowie.
Three: Speaking of my unique surname, why not generate publicity by using that as the column title?
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As the holiday season approaches, we’re bound to have two things that don’t mix: wintery road conditions and drunk drivers. When I get the weekly police logs, it’s far from unusual to not only see one or two drunk driving reports, but to see the drivers were well above the legal limit for intoxication of .08. One recent alleged drunk driver, according to the police report, had a blood alcohol level of .299–more than 3.5 times the legal limit. Please be careful when driving. Slick roads and drivers leaving holiday parties after having too much to drink can be deadly combinations.
Drunk driving is a very serious subject for the Zowie family: in November 2001, a cousin of mine was killed by a drunk driver and left behind a wife, three kids, four older brothers, both of his parents and an aunt (my Mom) who absolutely thought the world of him. The driver, an illegal immigrant, is now in prison.
* * *
Yes, I’m happy the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Seattle Seahawks 34-9 on Thanksgiving Day. Before that game, I watched the Tennessee Titans declaw the Detroit Lions 47-10. Detroit ‘improved? to 0-12 as they have four more games to go in their quest for a ‘perfect? season. I’ll bet some Lions fans/Oxford Leader readers wish the game had been blacked out.
Who should take over for the Lions? soon-to-be-ex-head coach Rod Marinelli? I wonder if current NFL analyst Brian Billick (who coached the 2000 Baltimore Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XXXV) is in the miracle-working business.
* * *
The other day my wife dropped me off at work. As we approached the Oxford Leader offices at the intersection of Oakdell Street and South Lapeer Road, Jennifer asked that magical question: ‘Isn’t there an easier way to get back onto South Lapeer Road??
Her concern mirrored mine: having no traffic light at Oakdell Street means waiting patiently until there’s a clearing of traffic on both sides–especially in this snowy weather. Sometimes I think the Lions will be Super Bowl contenders by the time the traffic clears.
I suggested she head down Oakdell, take a left on either Glaspie or Olive Roads and then another left onto West Drahner Road and go to the stoplights there.
Thankfully, Jenn’s not related to the late Evel Knievel.

In the nearly-nine years I’ve been writing professionally, I’ve won a few awards. They came from my time doing broadcast journalism, a medium I liked since I have such a great face for radio.
In broadcasting, you take down information for news stories, write them in a way that sounds great when spoken rather than read and go from there. One award was for a news story about a Lapeer girl who made a dress out of candy wrappers. Two were for news coverage I did on a triple murder.
As I return to print journalism (which I prefer, by the way), I’m eager to earn awards. Not just because trophies and plaques look nice and shiny or because it’s fun dusting them periodically with Pledge, but because it’s always nice to have accolades you can add to your collection. They’re something tangible that shows you did a job well enough for others to notice.
Sometimes, though, awards don’t come in trophies, plaques or certificates.
A few months ago, I wrote some articles about outside-the-box teaching methods teachers in Oxford schools were using. Among the teachers I had the privilege to write about were Oxford High School science teacher Karen Facca and Oxford Middle School teachers Mark Ott, who teaches eighth-grade English and language arts, and Catherine Colagross, who teaches seventh-grade English and geography. As I interviewed the three, it became very clear to me they had the same thing in common: each loves to teach.
Because I’m a writer who enjoys reading, I especially liked to hear what Miss Colagross had to say about her usage of the ‘Right on Reading? program to reach out to ‘reluctant readers? and to build a love for reading by letting them explore a setting in a book they read. For example, while talking to her students about soccer, Miss Colagross took them to a Michigan Bucks game so they could meet professional soccer players.
A week or so ago, I learned Miss Colagross was one of a number of Oxford Area Community Schools teachers who received grant money through the Link to Assistance Grant. Specifically, she received $1,000 to be applied to the Right on Reading program. While writing about this, I asked her and the other teachers to tell me about their grants.
Miss C chose to send me the grant proposal she submitted. It reads in part:
?[The Right on Reading program] has been very successful! The Oxford Leader published an article about the program on September 17, 2008. I have included it at the end of this application.?
As I read that and thought back three months, I realized that was the article I wrote.
Wow. Zowie!
Talk about a flattering experience, one I didn’t see coming.
In short, I am amazed, touched, and thrilled that Miss Colagross chose to include the Leader article yours truly wrote in her grant proposal, and that her proposal was accepted.
There’s something very satisfying to know I could be of a little help as Catherine Colagross now has the funds to help her to reach out to reluctant readers.
In this crazy world we live in, it’s the kind of thing that tells me I’m making a difference as a writer.
Who knows, maybe some of those reluctant readers will even read this column sometime.

Ah, Christmas is once upon us. That’s the day of the year when American children wake their parents up at the stroke of midnight and ask that all-important question: ‘Mom! Dad! Technically it’s Christmas morning! Can we open our presents now??
The next day, while Americans are busy returning items they don’t want or that don’t fit, Canadians are observing Boxing Day. This day, for Americans wholly unfamiliar with Canadian culture (such as myself), is actually Election Day: political candidates in Canada get together in a boxing ring and duke it out for political supremacy. Whoever’s the last one standing is then elected the Prime Minister of Canada. (Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya, if the two of you are reading this column and would like something to do now that your ring careers are deader than proverbial door nails, maybe you should practice saying ‘eh?? at the end of each sentence).
I’m kidding, of course; Boxing Day is actually a day when Canadians give gifts to the less fortunate in their society.
As I look back upon Christmas, I have many memories. Among my favorites:
Christmas 1978, when I received Dallas Cowboy pajamas and housecoat. I still have the housecoat, and currently my eight-year-old son wears it.
Christmas 1979, when we went to Georgia. We visited with Aunt Margaret (Mom’s sister) and her family. I have no brothers, and Aunt Margaret has five sons. For me, it was like heaven as I got to spend time with four of my cousins–Brad, Jeff, Doug and Randy. I remember pinching Doug to avenge his tossing me into a swimming pool the previous summer and not realizing that Doug a) is about 13 years older than me, and b) wrestled in high school. Guess who won that match. Still, a very wonderful time. I remember that Randy, who passed away in 2001, kept me in stitches by yodeling like the ‘Cliff Hangers? game character on The Price is Right.
Christmas 1986, when I received a portable radio with a cassette player. Many hours were spent calling radio stations to request my favorite songs and then recording the songs onto cassette when they played. I also used the radio to partake in one of my favorite pastimes: listening to Milo Hamilton broadcast Houston Astros baseball games.
Christmas is, of course, also about giving. If all anyone ever did was receive, nobody would receive any presents. In 1993 I received wallets from two different people. I didn’t need both of them, so I started praying about what I should do with the extra wallet.
A few weeks later, a college friend asked me to get him a soda and gave me a dollar to get it. His wallet looked very tattered. I thought and then said, ‘B.J., I have an extra wallet from Christmas and have been looking to give it to somebody. Would you like to have it?? He was gracious, telling me he’d been praying for the funds to get a new wallet. His prayer was answered as he received a free wallet.
As a child, I enjoyed receiving presents and as an adult, while I still enjoy receiving them, one of my biggest pleasures is being able to give to others things they really like or things they really need.
Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day!

What a difference a few months makes.
Back in September, I went to the Addison Township offices and tried to get a quote from a certain official regarding the new smart carts police use to monitor how fast people are driving. I knew this official wasn’t a fan of this newspaper due to what he perceived as negative reporting but decided to try to be polite and ask him for his thoughts about how the carts will help law enforcement efforts.
No problem, right? Wrong.
‘I have nothing to say to the Oxford Leader,? the official briskly told me.
I tried explaining–diplomatically–that I didn’t bite, and had had my rabies vaccination, but to no avail.
That official is now out of office, and to be honest, it’s becoming less and less of a surprise to me why voters ousted him.
With the new administration in office at Addison, walking into the township is different now then when it was that official declined comment. The place looks brighter and has a faint smell of paint. It resurrects a very pleasant adolescent memory from the mid to late 1980s: Saturdays, during the South Texas summers, Dad would take us to town to rent a few videos. The video store we’d go to was open in a brand-new facility. New paint, dry wall and other pleasant smells wafted in the air.
Inside the Addison offices, I had the opportunity to chat with a few people–supervisor Bruce Pearson, clerk Pauline Bennett and deputy supervisor Sherry Beens. Seeing them made me think of an amazing phenomena: someone who’s deeply immersed in a job that they truly enjoy.
From talking with him, Pearson sounds excited to serve as supervisor. He reminds me a lot of the classic glass-is-half-full person. A half-empty person, for example, looks at their pen and an empty pad of paper and dreads having to use nouns, verbs and direct objects to put words onto the page. A half-full person looks at that paper and imagines the creative, concise ways in which they can express themselves.
What possibilities does Pearson see for the township? I think the easier question to answer would be, what possibilities doesn’t he see?
Time will tell how Pearson and Beens will do. Will he be re-elected in four years? Will he face opposition from former supervisor Robert Koski? I would not be surprised. Koski’s recent diatribe against Pearson at a township board meeting shows Koski’s no member of the Bruce Pearson Fan Club.
If Pearson implements the things many voters want in Addison, I think he’ll do fine while in office.
All I know for sure, though, is that it’ll be anything but boring.
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Before Christmas break, I noticed something very disturbing while taking pictures at an Oxford Wildcats sporting event. They were on the road against a Flint Metro League opponent.
During the playing of The Star Spangled Banner, I noticed that several people (I don’t know if they were fans of Oxford or the opponent) didn’t have their hands over their hearts during the playing of the National Anthem. There were even some people talking during the song.
Yes, I know that some religious groups don’t say the pledge or observe the song, but I was wondering if this is something that’s permitted or if it’s just a lack of respect for our country.
Granted, to some it might seem routine to play the National Anthem before every sporting event. Some may consider me a picky veteran, but I think we’re losing our sense of awe as Americans.

In my experience, you can always tell a cancer survivor. I think of my own Dad, who’s had cancer several times (including skin cancer and an inoperable tumor near his heart) but has been fortunate enough to have the cancers caught in the early, containable stages.
Yet, despite the chemo, radiation and cancer removal procedures, Dad remains a friendly, optimistic person who seldom–if ever–complains. Dad’s always been the type of person who dislikes being the center of attention, and he remains that way.
Then there were the ladies I met in Clio a few years ago at the annual Race for the Cure. Their mother, Janet, had died from ovarian cancer, Talking about their mother was a very emotional experience for them. They told me that no matter how much pain she endured, she always put others before herself and refused to make cancer an issue in her life.
And then there’s Bob Pilarcik.
As you may recall from the Jan. 14 issue of the Oxford Leader, Mr. Pilarcik recently was named the North Oakland County Board of Realtor’s 2008 Broker of the Year.
I spoke with him on the phone to get his comments for an article. He spoke of his job, the company where he worked, his faith and those who worked under him.
Not once in that initial 10-minute interview did he mention being a cancer survivor.
For my Dad and Janet, cancer seems to produce an astonishing sense of humility that puts healthy people, such as myself, to shame. Mr. Pilarcik is no exception to that rule.
In less than a month I’ll turn 36. I have no idea what the future holds for my health, but I do know this: if I’m ever diagnosed with cancer, I hope I can handle it with the dignity of these people.
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Speaking of humility, you never know what you’ll encounter in the journalism business. When I traveled to Oxford High School recently for photos and a story on Marlon Young (lead guitarist for Kid Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker band), I didn’t know what to expect.
You know the stories we’ve all heard about rock stars. Some destroy hotel rooms, some drink like fish while others abuse drugs. Others can be complete jerks.
Young, on the other hand, couldn’t have been nicer.
Some musicians, I imagine, probably have entourages bigger than Oxford Village. Young’s ‘entourage? consisted of Oxford’s Lisa Bryant, a longtime friend who grew up with him in Pontiac. (Her son’s in Gary Ashton’s guitar class, where Young spoke).
If you’re an aspiring musician, you really could benefit from what Young had to say.
He encouraged students to study guitar (or whatever their ‘axe? is, whether it’s the drums, saxophone or the piano), told of pitfalls to avoid and gave what sounded to me like a very clear blueprint to be successful not just as a musician, but also as a person.
From the way he talked and conducted himself, you hardly could’ve guessed Young is not only Rock’s lead guitarist but also a co-writer of much of his music.
It’s great to see a very successful musician who remains humble.

Teaching Chinese at Oxford schools has become an issue in recent letters to the editor. One letter writer facetiously wondered if the new school website would have a ‘non-Chinese version.? Another one stated we should confine Chinese lessons to fortune cookies–a comment I, frankly, found in extremely poor taste (no pun intended).
Harry Fischer, writing in the Jan. 28 issue, said he never wanted to speak Chinese and can hardly remember hearing anyone else speaking it, adding: ‘Let’s put our resources into something more beneficial instead of a language that will be unusable unless you have Chinese connections or a friend that can be placed into the position to teach it in our school…?
Is it indeed useless to teach Mandarin here, or are we functioning in an ‘out of sight, out of mind? mentality? Are we assuming all Oxford school students will remain here in Oxford for the rest of their lives or will never live somewhere among Chinese?
In the wedding and birth announcements we receive, former Oxford students have ended up on the east and west coast. One couple is residing in California, which has several Chinatowns (such as in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland) and a sizable Chinese population.
For those who join the service, it’s highly likely they’ll wind up overseas or in completely different parts of the country. Perhaps somewhere near Chinese populations.
As someone who studied Mandarin Chinese for eight months while in the service, I don’t understand how learning Chinese is not beneficial. Chinese, along with Russian, Arabic and Korean, is an in-demand language among military linguists. The language (and the culture) is one of layers upon layers of incredible beauty. There’s also the practical application: Mandarin Chinese has an estimated 845 million native speakers, according to the 2009 World Almanac. English has about 328 million. Also, Mandarin’s spoken in 20 countries (including the many Chinatowns across America and elsewhere).
Dave Yell wrote in his Feb. 11 letter that we should teach only a beneficial language like Spanish (Oxford High School offers Spanish I-IV along with Mandarin Chinese). But what’s ironic is that Mr. Yell’s opinion isn’t held by OHS Spanish teacher Janice Smith.
‘Last year I encouraged my Spanish IV students to try Chinese the following year,? she told me. ‘I told them that the more languages that they had under their belt, the better prepared they would be in their future…Our students at OHS are definitely on their way to facing the challenges of a world very different from their grandparents?. I am very proud of any student that tackles a second language, whether it is Spanish or Chinese.?
Oxford may not have a Chinatown and we may dislike how dependent our economy is on China, but here’s reality: China is an economic super power. It’s entirely possible that in 100 years Mandarin Chinese could displace English as the world’s universal language.
If you learn Chinese and can become at least good in speaking, reading and writing it, you can give yourself a huge advantage. Those fluent in Chinese are in demand with many companies who need interpreters or someone who understands China’s culture and customs and are willing to pay well to fill those needs.
Some argue we should have nothing to do with China because of its deplorable human rights record against its political dissidents like Wei Jingsheng and religious dissidents like Zhang ‘Pastor Bike? Mingxuan. While I am no apologist for ‘Red China?, I submit this well-known saying: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
China has millions upon millions of citizens who either speak fluent English or who are very intent on learning English, and it would certainly behoove us as Americans to try do the same and learn Chinese.
If you’d like a good, comprehensive website on Chinese, visit www.zhongwen.com.

Waking up with a headache is one of my least-favorite activities, but that’s exactly what happened to me on Saturday, Jan. 24.
No, I wasn’t hung over. The strongest stuff I drink is iced tea. (With caffeine, of course).
My headache was merely the result of an assignment as a reporter covering a rock concert.
This was my first rock concert since the 1980s, the Era of Big Hair Bands. Specifically, the Jan. 23 Oxford Stock multi-band concert. The previous concert I attended was around 1989, before many of those performing at the Oxford Stock had even been born. On that day at A.C. Jones High School in Beeville, Texas, the band The Edge (not to be confused with U2 lead guitarist The Edge) performed mostly covers of M’tley Cr’e, Poison and Van Halen songs.
As far as this concert at Oxford High School, for someone like me–a Christian who grew up as an independent, fundamental Baptist–it was a very fascinating, unusual experience. The loud decibels of this concert reminded me of a t-shirt a high school friend of mine used to wear. It read, ‘If it’s too loud, you’re too old.?
Still, while I enjoyed covering the Oxford Stock and listening to Corrupt Within, Fairledge, Steel Rose and Half Empty, it was quite the earful. I am certainly a man behind the times. I learned, for example, that Corrupt Within plays ‘death metal? music. The clarification was very appreciated: until about a year or so ago I honestly thought ‘death metal? referred to radioactive plutonium or to poisonous metals like mercury or lead.
Keep in mind, those who are no doubt laughing at my musical ignorance, that the hardest stuff I tolerate these days are groups like Van Halen. And speaking of that band founded by Dutch-born brothers Eddie and Alex, it looked like Steel Rose guitarist Adam Cross even did some two-tapping ? a guitar technique Eddie popularized.
Of course, I felt sheepish when I had to ask Half Empty lead guitarist James Baker why the fans of Corrupt Within violently shook their heads forward and back. Were they trying to dry their hair? Were they emphatically nodding their agreement?
No, James told me, and I imagine he must’ve thought I wasn’t ‘with it?, ‘hip?, ‘happenin?? or however today’s teens categorize a square, 36-year-old man. He explained that it’s called ‘headbanging? and is ‘simply a use of adrenaline?.
I’d heard of headbanging before, but apparently I had it confused with headbutting. If I ever headbanged, it would only be after I put my chiropractor’s number on speed dial.
By the way, Greg Deridder, very nice guitar playing.
I also noticed that the Fairledge drummer performed with what looked like an inverted box. Is his drum set broken? Did it not arrive in time? I thought. No, he was drumming with a box drum called a caj’n.
I’ve read about how wild some concerts can get. You know, the band wrecks the stage after having already trashed their hotel rooms while their fans get so wild and crazy that the local police department has to call officers out of retirement to handle security detail. These performers, though, seemed very well-behaved. So were their fans.
While Corrupt Within performed, their fans moved to the front aisle to head bang. One young lady approached the seat where my jacket was and very politely asked me, ‘Is it ok if I sit here??
‘Absolutely. No problem,? I said as I moved my jacket. She then proceeded to headbang.
Rock on, man, and pass me the Ibuprofen.

As an Oxford Leader reporter, I wrote an article in last week’s paper regarding Dr. William Skilling’s thoughts on the school bond failure. This week, I wrote about James Schwarz? comments (see cover page) on the Oxford Schools strategic plan and possible future bond vote.
What does Richard the ‘From A to Zowie? columnist have to say about the school bond controversy?
(Cue the sound of crickets chirping)
This issue is one I prefer to approach strictly as a journalist. There are times I’ll cross over and write a column on something I covered in a news or feature article (such as the Goodwill Store; see two segments down), but for now the bond won’t be one of those exceptions. Sorry.
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In my nine years as a professional journalist, I’ve interviewed several martial artists with black belts. In December I wrote of Connor Ervin, an Oxford lad who’d just earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Recently there were the four Oxford residents who earned black belts in Koei-Kan.
Besides speaking to their Koei-Kan sensei, I’ve also spoken to those who are masters in the Korean martial arts of Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do. I’ll never forget what one Tang Soo Do master once told me: he’d talked his way out of many fights, just so he didn’t have to hurt the person. Whether a master or sensei, one thing remains constant in their philosophies: the martial arts should only be used when absolutely necessary, when all attempts to peacefully diffuse a crisis have failed.
If you’re a parent looking for a martial arts school for your child, that’s something crucial to keep in mind.
* * *
Yes, I’m very excited about the Goodwill store in Oxford. As much as I’d love to peruse the book section, I’m trying to hold off on buying more books until we move into our new place and have an idea of how much space we’ll have to work with. Someday, I’d love to have a sizable personal library.
* * *
Speaking of books, I recently posed for a poster for Oxford High School’s library. No, the camera didn’t break and I’m not looking to make the cover of GQ. Instead, it’s a simple poster that encourages students to read. Against an outer space backdrop I hold a thick book titled The Stories of Ray Bradbury with READ in giant letters at the bottom of the poster. The caption reads: ‘Journalist & book lover Richard Zowie for America’s Libraries?.
Underneath that caption it is my quote about the venerable fantasy/science fiction legend: ‘If we ever encounter intelligent life outside our planet and wanted to impress them with our creativity and imagination, we should give them the complete works of Mr. Bradbury.?
For those who are curious, the book is opened up to one of my all-time favorite Bradbury stories: Marionettes, Inc. That story explores a science fiction theme commonly found in The Outer Limits and in the sci-fi classic films Blade Runner and The Terminator: what happens when robots do the unpredictable and start thinking for themselves?
* * *
Among my Oxford Leader assignments have been the What’s the Biz restaurant reviews and new business articles. One of my favorite questions to ask is how a business can survive in today’s economy. I find it especially important to ask, since I’m still lamenting how a certain south Oxford Township restaurant–the only Michigan eatery I’ve encountered that knows how make great iced tea*–has since closed. They also had a phenomenal salad bar. Whether it’s Casa Real, Ella Fashion, Magnolia Lane Boutique or Golden Nugget Restaurant, the answers are simple: know your market, be unique, find out what your customers want and offer a product that’ll make them keep coming back.
* For the record, the best iced tea I’ve ever tasted has been at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q in San Antonio, Texas.

Readers of the Oxford Leader learned in last week’s issue that Fatty’s Pizzeria will continue offering a discount for Big Three employees, whether they’re current, laid-off or retired. That is certainly good news for those workers who face a nebulous future with the Big Three’s continued financial woes.
Despite delicious discounted pizza, the Big Three’s problems may still only get worse. Some say the automakers have problems they know how to fix; unfortunately, it’s not that simple anymore. To paraphrase what syndicated conservative columnist Cal Thomas once said on The Phil Donahue Show, the simple solutions have been ignored for so long that the simple problems have become complex.
I spoke recently with a longtime Big Three employee. ‘Steve,? who works for a Genesee County GM plant, talked for almost half an hour about the nonsensical things that still go on where he works.
‘You know, if you could find enough people at the plant willing to talk, you might have a great news article,? Steve told me when he finished.
I wonder how such an article would work. In my experience as a journalist dealing with GM, I’ve found it’s like other corporations and even the military in its tight restrictions on who gives out what information. I remember once, in the service, a sergeant major was embroiled in an embarrassing scandal. We were given strict orders to direct any and all media inquiries to the local Army public affairs office: under no circumstances were we to talk to reporters. As for any GM employees not specifically authorized to talk to the media, would any be willing to talk on, off the record or even–like Steve–anonymously? Not many, I’m guessing, especially since they fear reprisals of lost jobs or losing what’s left of their pensions.
Steve had plenty to say about how things were at the plant where he worked. He recalled recently arguing with another employee over a job that employee did incorrectly and wouldn’t fix. You know that adage: If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over again?
Also, Steve talked about how he’s known many employees over the years who are, frankly, useless.
‘If they don’t do anything, why doesn’t GM fire them?? I asked.
‘Because it’s not that simple,? he replied. ‘They’d file a union grievance, and it’s easier to just keep them employed.?
I don’t know how much the average Big Three floor employee makes now but if they make, say, $20 per hour, eight hours a day, five days a week, 52 weeks per year, that’s an annual gross of $41,600. Add up the number of useless employees and you get a lot of dead money shelled out with zero return on the investment.
(In fairness, most Big Three employees obviously are extremely hard-working men and women who probably could easily outwork me).
Steve spoke of other issues that are the tip of the iceberg, such as the bad employees who lack the knowledge or skills to do good jobs often mysteriously get promoted to management–ostensibly because those in management want to make sure they’re not surrounded by others who are smarter or more equipped than they are. There are also the bosses he has who know practically nothing about vehicles or how they’re built.
Regardless of where you work, incompetent managers make terrible decisions. Steve recalled the tens of thousands of dollars management spent on what he described as a ‘dog and pony show? when corporate bosses visited the shop. Later, when he and others in the shop asked for less money to buy urgently-needed new tools, management told them they couldn’t afford it.
‘The problem with the dog and pony shows,? Steve said, ‘is the plant is so concerned with image that they restrict who gets to talk to the bosses. And when they do talk, they make it sound like things are going great when there are a lot of things that need to be addressed. [Corporate] also lets us know well in advance when they’re coming. The best thing is for them to show up unannounced and be willing to speak to anybody who wants to address something.?
Can the Big Three fix their problems? Maybe. I think it would start with the upper management sitting down with the in-the-trenches employees and encouraging them to speak freely. They may not like some of the answers, but with auto sales still plummeting and bankruptcy still a possibility, I think they could benefit from it.
Perhaps they could talk about it over discounted pizza.