From: rja@redwood26.cray.com (Russ Anderson)
Subject: Re: Ross Perot
Originator: rja@redwood26
Organization: The 1991 World Champion Minnesota Twins!
Distribution: usa
Date: 13 Apr 92 11:58:13 CDT


In article <LEE.92Apr10151831@meercat.wang.com>, lee@wang.com (Lee Story) writes:
> (Philip Moore) writes:
>    Anectdotal stories about Perot's off the cuff comments regarding violent
>    neighborhoods may make your libertarian ideologies flare into full flame,
>    but are you willing to sacrifice any hope of ever really making a difference
>    by directing your rhetorical skills against a fellow challenger of the
>    status quo?
> 
> Unfortunately they're more than off-the-cuff comments.  Actions speak
> louder than words, and Perot's sallies into his employees' personal
> lives are sufficient for me to oppose him.  The man has one critical
> and damning failing---on "morality" he thinks he knows it all.  I'd
> rather have Bush---at least he is controlled by political expediency.
> The ol' china shop may be in need of rearranging, but I don't want to
> let a bull in.
> 
> Let's take one other example---the dress code that EDS was famous for.
> This is indeed important in projecting a certain image to EDS's big
> corporate customers, and may have been an essential part of Perot's
> accumulation of billions of dollars; but what does it say about the
> man:  once again that he was more than willing to kowtow to bigwig
> prejudice, and to convention, and to think nothing of unnecessarily
> taking personal choices away as a condition of employment, all to make
> a buck.

As a former EDSer (with the suits to prove it), I think this dress code
bit is blown was out of proportion.  Suits are a necessary evil that go
with the market that EDS is serving.  The simple reality is that many 
EDS customers would not take EDS serious if they showed up wearing jeans.
I don't know why so many people get upset when Perot recognizes that
reality.  The part that people fail to mention is that when EDSers are
at a customer site with a relaxed dress code, they are allowed to relax
the EDS dress code.  One of the EDSers I worked with had a beard.  My hair
was usually down to my collar.  Instead of business suits, some wore tweed
jackets and docker type slacks.  This was acceptable dress because the 
customer had a relaxed dress code.

As far as Perot "kowtow[ing] to bigwig prejudice, [...] all to make a buck",
you have to remember that the *employees* are willing to wear suits to make 
a buck.  Or look at it this way, if having a relaxed dress code cost EDS 
10% of its buisness, do you think EDS employees would take a 10% pay cut 
to make up for it?  I can guarantee that the employees would be willing to
"kowtow [...] all to make a buck".  Hell, I was even willing to write COBOL 
code to make a buck (at least for a while).  There are trade offs in any job, 
whether it be writing COBOL, working on programs that you'd rather not, or 
wearing a suit.  Some people will not take a job that requires a suit, which 
is there preference.  Others are willing to accept wearing a suit to take 
advantages of the freedoms that EDS has (non-bureacratic management, flexable 
work time, great medical benefits, and job security (as long as your willing 
to relocate)).

Overall, I rate EDS as a very good place to work as far as civil liberties
go (dispite the few tradeoffs).  

> My one and only question about the man is:  Who will protect me from
> H.Ross Perot if he becomes President?

I think you'll find that Perot will protect your rights much better than
Bush has, or Clinton will.

-- 
Russ Anderson    |  Disclaimer: Any statements are my own and do not reflect
------------------              upon my employer or anyone else.  (c) 1992
EX-Twins' Jack Morris, 10 innings pitched, 0 runs (World Series MVP!)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc