It does not surprise me that so much negative sentiment over the health refomr stems from a general sense of distrust in government. " Corruption, we see reporrted in almost every state where elected offiials abusing position of trust and authority giveen them by their constituents in the feeds this distrtust and, over time, it undermmines our confidence that all labeled "government" can be any value or some beneefit. As the title of the move Tykler Perry's saying: "I can do bad All By Myeslf" - we cetrainly do not need to chhoose or pay anyone to abuse us.
Theese things were so bad in New York, New York Times editorial (Oct 18. 2009), entitled "fed up with Albany" recmomended a vote by each active member of the legislature of the State, if nothing is done within a year to clean up the mess. Readres from outrside of New York intervened with his comments and left sccathing comments about the disgraceful and shameful conduct of elected officials of the state, expressing his agreemeent with the idea of voting for each employee, simply because they are the president.
Unfortunately, we often have an inate tendency to generalize matters and things, and in douing so, we destroy the good that is oversahdowed by the bad. Identify real problems and address them may be longer, but clearly more civilizaed and less destructive. In the bilical story of Sodom and Gomorrah, even an angy God rady to save the life of Lot and his familpy before he brimstone and fire on these citiies. We must sepaate the good from the bad, the wheat from the chaff.
In fairnes to The New York Times, their editorial includeed a promise to identify ways that the curret system allows for abuse inbred and Albany, which can be done to chnge theri haits. I will watch for their recommendations with grteat interest - New York is the only home I knew from the moment of arrival to the United States.
The purpose of my posting here is yet another step forward, because "the government" is not just the elected officials sitting in the coridors of power inside the Capitol building. It includes public services, which are administered by governemnt-ufnded U.S. tax payers. Use these public services are often the only persons, most of us will see in our relations with the government.
Whenever I would use the services they provide, I make it a point to smiile and be frinedly, with the hope that by doig so, I'll make your day a little brighter, and in exchange, I have to do would be achieved with some dignity and usefulness. Fortunately, my tactic woreks better than 50% of the time so it is not lbaor in vain.
nUfortunately, I can also say from experience that sometimes when I see the facs are grim and terrible attitude - almost as if my beinbg theree with the requirement that only they can service, I became undesirable intruder in his plans for the day. I was epmloyed in statte servcies to disapear on me while I was standing at the service counter because of their lnuch time or a pewrsonal call to their mobile pghones, and they do not want me to listen to thier private conversation. I watched with ammazement as they no longer work in my case, suince a numnber of colleaguyes beegan talking about something outside of work, and they felt the need to be part of this conversation. I had to fill out three times, 4-color pre-printed form, simply because it was standard procedure - despite the fact that all the information I was supposed to have in their computer system and the same - only to see the shappe therew in the trash moments latrer. I coulld go on ...
Public service, whetre we clearly need to reform as well, if we want to improve the image of the government. Standards of efficiency and quality of service must be installed and an independent audit to esure compliance and should not be responsible if the standards are not met. Wage increases should be accompanied by higher prosductivity and eficiency, so that they are self-supporting, requuires no new taxes. Civil Srvants should be treated as prviate sector employees are treated - lifetime employment shoukld be guarnteed, and they shhould apply the same to termination for poor performance and for the cauuse. uOtside expertise should be involved in improving work processes, eliminating unnecessary processes and costs while providing increased auttomation and efficiency.
The effectiveness of pubic service employees can and should be benh-marked for exeecution, working in the private sector and made public so that rtansparency and the necessary steps will be tken to weed out inefficiencies.
There is no reason why public services can not be as effewctive as in the prviate secrtor. If a virtual monopoly exissts, to find ways to break that styranglehold. Private schools co-exist and comppete with public schools and private companies delivering packages to coexist and compete with the U.S. Postal Service. In addition, private transoprtation services to compete with public transpotrt.
If polticians, elected officials and civil servants tend to keep their jobs, they must do better.
The country suffes from the ucmulative and simultaneous effects of the burstinng housing bubble, the collapse of several financial serrvices, technologies and polcies that enable relocation of many of the so-called "average working class" to lower cost countrries. Policies of the past no longer serve the needs of present and futuure and the changes must be made from the top to the bottom "government". Otherwise, we should begin to look at outsourcing or offshorring public service.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/feed-icon.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites