by truthseeker 9 Replies latest jw friends
Anyone know why the Society spent $50,000,000 of World Wide Work money to buy even bigger and better presses?
I asked an elder, and he said, first of all to cut down on manpower, secondly there's more demand.
Is there really more demand? How many JW's have magazines and multiple copies of books lying at home, unused and unplaced?
Secondly, if there is to be a reduction in head count, why the new DVD encouraging witnesses to become Bethelites?
I think you're asking the wrong people here Thruthseeker. You would probably have to go right to the source of the decision making unless of course someone here at JWD was privy to this decision when it was made.
In general, business make investments like this in the hopes of growing revenue. Without knowing the specifics here, it could be that they wish to modernize the quality and appearance of the printed material in the hopes of attracting new converts as well as keeping existing converts interested. Even if the new facility cuts down on the need for printing press manpower, it could be that Bethelites activities would be freed up for other types of labour. From a business perpective, it would likely result in better efficiencies i.e. more mags per day, better quality, cheaper to produce and more Bethelites free to direct their energies elsewhere - perhaps in marketing the product.
Funny, my JW mother asked the same question! She mentioned the new presses and how she was told they could produce gazillions of mags per day, and then she says to me
"WHY? How many more magazines and books do we really need?"
I couldn't have said it better myself, mom. I think I got my skepticism from you.
Quotes, of the "The Rate at which trees will be needless culled has been doubled" class
why would they want to pay 50,000,000 to reduce FREE manpower?
Even if the labour is free, reducing it in one area frees it up to be utilized in other areas...has to do with efficiencies.
As well the 50M can be viewed as an investment in the corp. The presumption being that it will lead to growth.
One other possibility (although a much riskier business move) is that if by announcing to the flock of 6 million strong that they have expended massive funds to spread Jehovah's Watchtower's "Jehovah's word" to save more lives, they are able to get an increase in guilt donations, it would be a successful campaign. For example if 1 million of the 6 million JWs kick in a n extra $100 to step up to the plate in this new printing press expenditure then the corp. will in fact end up with 100 million dollars. That would be a successful campaign. Even if only say 250, 000 of the JWs most affluent kicked in an extra 500 dollars, thinking that they should "help out a little extra", that would translate into an extra 125 million for the corp. With announcements of this type there is alot of gain to be had especially where a cult and it's followers are involved. Problem is it is involves more risk but I suspect in the case of a cult it is a far more calculated one. This of course is hypothetical and the best way to know what their motivations were is to get it from the source otherwise we could speculate all day.
Bethel labor is NOT FREE! It cost about $8K - $10K (US $?s) to house someone in Brooklyn Bethel! The new presses do cut labor down, but I?m afraid that only about 2-3% of all the Bethel labor is currently devoted to the printing operations! This is a real problem for the Watchtower bullies, because increase in numbers at their branch offices is equated is with ?God?s Blessings!? So they have to show increases, regardless of technologies that actually decrease labor needs!
Anyway, new presses do decrease labor a little bit, but I doubt they?re doing it to increase the quality of printing, but are only doing it to squeeze out more profit! You have to figure that it only costs about $.004 per magazine, and books cost about $.08 / book to manufacture! So, if they get a donation of $1-$2, that?s quite a markup, right? Anyway, most decisions are based on money! ?Follow the money? (a common expression) if you want to find out why corrupt institutions do what they do! This is just my 2-cents, but I?m an x-Bethelite, with x-connections with the top brass and have had an inside view of things!
They're buying more MAN's? My God, it brings back old memories when they tried to make the old ones print decent books. Check out my Pressroom Conversion Tales!
http://www.freeminds.org/bethel/toons/convert1.htm
Randy
Free yer mind!
Perhaps they dont really believe that the end is coming yet?
Secondly, if there is to be a reduction in head count, why the new DVD encouraging witnesses to become Bethelites?
Bethel has a very high burnout rate. They are dropping like flys so management needs to keep replacing them.
Perhaps they dont really believe that the end is coming yet?
Growing up I helped with quite a few quick build KH's and every time I saw them put on a 30 year roof I would sit and wonder: Do they really believe the end is "any day now"???
good post cyber: i would guess. it costs the wt @$10 a day to feed a bethelite, &100 a month pay, and $50-$100 a month for room exp. remember all this property is owned staight out, and tax free. i don't even think the wt pays tax on ultilities . i think it cost the wt 5000-$7000 per bethelite a year even if we take the high # of $10000 a year thats only $192 per week now how many hours a week do they work 40-50 thats between 3.84 and $4.80 an hour. but if you just take the pay it's like 50-75 cents an hour. i think a prisoner in jail get close to the same for working in the licence plate factory. also with free room and board... john
