I wonder if, perhaps, you are being a little too idealistic, Don.
First of all, management determines what will and will not be written into the contract. Explict and detailed contracts tend not to get low bids. The reason for contracting out is to get the service more cheaply than it could be done in house so management has a strong incentive to write in the minimum to get it as cheaply as possible.
Secondly, management decides whether or not it will follow up. In this case there was either no follow up or the managers who did it were totally irresponsible. NJT managers decide how much the will or will not manage and in this case they just decided not to do it until they could no longer get away with that.
Finally, I have no idea of the extent to which NJT managers ride NJT trains or buses. They may do it but there is never ever anything in the news to suggest that if they do ride their own vehicles that riding ever gets any consideration in their managerial roles.
As I said earlier, there is a difference between the ideal norms and the real norms.
John
So, if I have this right, NJT had a contract with a service provider to take care of a whole bunch of things. Given that the payment was fixed, the only way the provider could maximize his profit was by NOT doing thing - which he apparently did REALLY WELL! Conracts for service work if:
- you have performance expectations written into the contract
- they are explicit and detailed
- there are followed up with regular mgt. review with incentives for good performance
Contract administration isn't for the faint of heart.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
narig01How do you repair broken glass?
An interesting question. You led me to look up the definition of mirror. Here is a definition that includes the frame or, if a hand mirror, the holder: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mirror
However, most definitions define mirror (in the sense of a looking glass) as the reflective material you look into to see your image as you might do when combing your hair.
It is possible to take pieces of broken glass and repair them with metal clips similar to staples or with tape. However, to use duct tape to reattach two pieces of glass together is not exactly elegant. I haven't been in the men's room to look but I suspect the piece of reflective glass was simply replaced.
But since there must be at least some clips to hold the glass to the wall my personal opinion would be that the statement that the mirror was "repaired" rather than "replaced" was not incorrect. Also, if there is a long mirror with more than one piece of glass replacing one of them seems to me to qualify as a "repair" rather than a "replacement." But, as I say, that is only my personal opinion.
Oh, I don't know...it appears that NJT got the clean up and repair done...this is a straight forward story of facts and not an editorial. If there is a fault with the story it is that there was no comments solicited from NJT management bur used initial comments when the problem was presented. We can assume their acceptance of responsibilities by the actions taken and reported.
This is a better news media report than so many we see.
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An article today in the Bergen Record following up on the "bathrooms in Penn Station" issue. There's still no signs of NJT management accepting any responsibility for their failures.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/ny_metro/NJ_Transit_says_restrooms_at_NY_Penn_Station_finally_repaired.html
henry6Few, if any, large businesses carry a janitorial staff...it is all hired out to contractors. That does not relieve owner/management the responsibility of oversight or quality control.
Good morning, Henry. Many years ago I took an introductory course in sociology. One of the first things we learned is the difference between the ideal norms and the real norms. I think you are writing about he ideal norms and I am talking about the real norms. Managers, be they in the public or private sectors, are just not going to concern themselves with public restrooms. They consider it below their status.
But you are right. Absolutely right. Management is responsible and we need to hold them accountable. The Record does a real service by keeping this issue before the public.
P. S. Management does not have to contract out building maintenance services. The choose to do so. And when they make that decision they loose a degree of control. At Newark Airport baggage handlers are contract employees. They have been caught stealing from passengers' luggage and smuggling drugs. Hiring your own employees is not a perfect solution but it does provide more security than contracting out services.
Few, if any, large businesses carry a janitorial staff...it is all hired out to contractors. That does not relieve owner/management the responsibility of oversight or quality control.
henry6What is most surprising is that management does not visit it's properties to ascertain what is happening...I wonder if they ride their trains?
The whole point of contracting out services, Henry, is that management doesn't want to be bothered managing actual public transportation in New Jersey. At this point I wonder how long Hoboken commuters will have to be content to have lost all of the amenities at the Terminal except for a liquor store. And how long train riders must make do with out houses.
It is both apparent and agreed that there is something lacking in the operations and oversight of the management of NJT--the Port Authority is a separate issue, though. And, Sandyhook, you are so right in stating the need to keep the pressure on NJT management--and government--to be more responsive to riders' needs and not accept the list of excuses.
Today's (Sunday) Bergen Record has the following editorial about NJ Transit management and the Penn Station mess.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/215411511_The_Record__Mirror_on_the_wall.html
This seems to be a pattern with the Record recently: a news story about NJ Transit followed closely with a usually sarcastic editorial. Let's hope that the pressure continues.
No, John, the point is that NJT has been mismanaged since before Sandy, that Sandy only amplified and exposed the ineptness of upper management to really think through problems and services and make the right choices be it for service, for riders, or for inefficiencies of operations. At one time I admired what NJT was doing and had accomplished and how they dealt with the public. But especially since Sandy, all that has become apparently lacking. They were given a lot of slack...and they slacked alright...they've got to be kept on a short leash and watched with a careful eye. Ineptitude has to be done away with and the taxpayers, the riders, and the employees have to be taken care of before the brass collars and red carpeting.
sandyhookken Here's an article in the Bergen Record about the incompetence of NJ Transit management that's so bad that even the big bosses are upset.
Here's an article in the Bergen Record about the incompetence of NJ Transit management that's so bad that even the big bosses are upset.
The Star-Ledger had a similar article. So this is getting as wide newspaper coverage as you can get in north Jersey. Personally, though, I would be inclined to cut NJT management some slack here. They still have their hands full with Sandy repairs and clean up. I don't say duct taping mirrors and toilet paper holders is acceptable but I would, as I say, cut them some slack.
No, NJTransit officials are being hidden behind a screen since Sandy...PR and Customer contact is not the same as before. News and information is released through Governor Christy's office instead of direct from NJT in Newark and it is not on the web page as was the practice. Management is dancing on mud right now with public watching more closely than before. Media is watching more, too. Problem is that neither the public nor the media really have an understanding of commuter rail operations aside from their late train in the morning or afternoon. There is a lot that has not been said about the Sandy debacle and a lot not being said about the rail operations especially, since. Whether Christy is back in office after the next election or not, there will be changes made.
Well. I wouldn't say it's time for NJTransit to go, it does fulfill a need, and vital one at that. It's probably more than time for the top management running it to go. But we've gone down this path before.
What, go to NYP and mix with the riff-raff? Chances are the only time they go to the City is for Broadway shows, fancy restaurants and nightspots, or Yankees, Rangers or Knicks games.
And even then they probably get limo'd.
By the way, I looked up James Weinstein online to find out his background. Did you know he was a philosophy major? Strange qualification for running a railroad.
Henry,
Don't forget that if they were to ride their trains, they would now have to pay the fare, since they eliminated free rides for retirees and non-union employees
And, evidently, never go to NYP...i.e., they never go there.
henry6 What is most surprising is that management does not visit it's properties to ascertain what is happening...I wonder if they ride their trains?
What is most surprising is that management does not visit it's properties to ascertain what is happening...I wonder if they ride their trains?
They probably either drive, carpool, or depending on their rank in the organization, get limo'd.
WOW Thanks for posting
After the debacle at NJ Transit during and after Superstorm Sandy, questions were raised about the quality of management at NJT. Here's an article in the Bergen Record about the incompetence of NJ Transit management that's so bad that even the big bosses are upset.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/Reported_duct_tape_fixes_other_bad_conditions_of_NJ_transit_facilities_result_in_action_by_officials.html?page=all
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