We have a new building at work. Our department (an MIS/IT support department for a local school system) had previously been split over two buildings side by side - one of which had at one time been the "colored" middle school during segregation. They were pretty pathetic facilities. Old run down buildings with really sorry bathrooms, break rooms... anyway, they sucked.

So they built a new building for us. I could down a very long list detailing the bad decisions and money wasted on the whole project but I won't bore you... Typical non-accountable bureaucracy type stuff.

However, they formed a "decor" committee to ensure a proper workplace environment. Our building basically consists of a huge rectangular hallway. Along the outside of the hallway are offices. Inside the hallway is a large cubicle farm (where I reside; I'd had an office in the old building) where the tech support people live. In my old office, I had 4 star wars posters (framed) on the walls, with 7 lava lamps on my desk and beads in front of the door, bookshelves with various toys and such, a fishtank in the corner and all sorts of stuff on my desk. Pretty sweet as far as office environments went. Nobody EVER said a word about it. In fact, people would stop by just to marvel at how cool my office was.

Well, apparently rather than asking me to tone it down in the new building... they formed this committee and released a rather nebulous, arbitrary and subjective memo explaining the new standard of office decor. All pictures on desk must be framed, frames must be in a similar style, art on the wall can be no larger than 18x24 inches (so much for my posters)... blah blah blah... no extraneous items on the desk such as empty drink cans...

So this is what we have to worry about? Nobody worried about how to get our mail delivered to the building or how pickup of UPS/FEDEX/DHL/USPS is going to work. Nobody arranged for vending machines or water cooler service. Nobody has addressed the parking situation. Nobody got a committee together to decide XY or Z about the building when it was being built so it would better suit our needs (not "wants" - NEEDS!) and would be much cheaper AND esthetically pleasing...

I AM grateful to have a job. I am grateful that my job allows me to take certain liberties regarding my education. I am grateful to have a 2 minute commute (it went up from 45 seconds when we moved into the new bldg). I am just disappointed when it seems like if given a decision to make regarding something that would have no operation impact but would be a bonus for morale, all things being equal, they'll go the other way. You hate to feel harassed over petty stuff. Thats always been par for the course around here to a certain extent... but it seems the mickey mouse bullshit is reaching critical mass.