No cell phone for you!

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Sure things were great when he was in office the first time. He followed Ronald Reagan who had left him a very large pool of reserve money to spend. After Brown left office it has been down hill from there.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Some employees need 'em, some don't. Of course few if any of the ones I listed need 'em beyond what's already screwed into their wall or desk, and state employees are just the same. I can't imagine 2 out of every 5 state employees need cellphones, particularly ones that work from their desks.

This may surprise some of the youngsters here but can you believe there was a time when cell phones didn't exist and we took care of business anyway? Same with the Internet and before that, even computers.

[Bulldogdad]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

This may surprise some of the youngsters here but can you believe there was a time when cell phones didn't exist and we took care of business anyway? Same with the Internet and before that, even computers.

How about a sliderule and an abacus? LMAO

[Lovehound]

Heh! When I attended UCLA we didn't have calculators. I had a Pickett sliderule (magnesium), still have it for a souvenir, can still use it although no reason to. The first 4 function LED calculators cost a couple hundred bucks, a little too expensive until the price dropped after I graduated.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Heh! When I attended UCLA we didn't have calculators. I had a Pickett sliderule (magnesium), still have it for a souvenir, can still use it although no reason to. The first 4 function LED calculators cost a couple hundred bucks, a little too expensive until the price dropped after I graduated.

Let's hear it for the good 'ol slip-stick! I remember buying a four-function, Texas Instruments, LED "portable" (took up quite a bit of room in my briefcase) calculator in 1975. Even in the Post Exchange it cost $125 if I remember accurately. That was a lot of money in those days on military pay.

[Lovehound]

That's exactly the calculator I had in mind, TI 4 function LED calculator, a bit over $200 in the early '70s. In fact I bought one after graduation once I was employed. Those LEDs really fascinated me! The calculators were one of the first consumer products that had digital readouts. These days it's difficult to find a consumer product without a digital readout! Even stuff that doesn't need it!

[LASam]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

This may surprise some of the youngsters here but can you believe there was a time when cell phones didn't exist and we took care of business anyway? Same with the Internet and before that, even computers.

I honestly can't imagine a world where we do accounting without computers. That must have been extremely tedious and required an immense staff!

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by LASam

I honestly can't imagine a world where we do accounting without computers. That must have been extremely tedious and required an immense staff!

Yes and yes. And how many unemployed accountants are out there now, hmm?

[cb73]

I work for a state agency and I don't know anyone that has a state-issued cell phone. I asked my manager after this was announced and was told that they were only available to Manager V and above, which would be 3 people out of the 350 people that work on my floor.

There must be some agencies that give them to everybody, if it averages out to 40% of employees.

I was shocked when I heard how many cell phones are being paid for, and don't see any reason why the state should pay for any of them.

[LASam]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Yes and yes. And how many unemployed accountants are out there now, hmm?

Sarbanes-Oxley helped the employment prospects of accountants considerably