Gubmint and How Gubmint Works

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Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard
in the middle of a desert. Congress said, "Someone may
steal from it at night." So they created a night
watchman position and hired a person for the job.

Then Congress said, "How does the watchman do his job
without instruction?" So they created a planning department
and hired two people, one person to write the instructions,
and one person to do time studies.

Then Congress said, "How will we know the night watchman
is doing the tasks correctly?" So they created a Quality
Control department and hired two people. One to do the
studies and one to write the reports.

Then Congress said, "How are these people going to get
paid?" So They created the following positions, a time
keeper, and a payroll officer, Then hired two people.

Then Congress said, "Who will be accountable for all of
these people?" So they created an administrative section
and hired three people, an Administrative Officer,
Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary.

Then Congress said, "We have had this command in
operation for one Year and we are $18,000 over
budget, we must cutback overall cost."

So they laid off the night watchman.

NOW slowly, let it sink in.

Quietly, we go like sheep to slaughter.

Does anybody remember the reason given for the
establishment of the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY....
during the Carter Administration?

Anybody ?

Anything?

No?

Didn't think so!

Bottom line. We've spent several hundred billion
dollars in support of an agency...the reason for
which not one person who reads this can remember!

Ready??

It was very simple...and at the time, everybody thought it very appropriate.

The Department of Energy was instituted on 8-04-1977.
TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.

Hey, pretty efficient, huh???

AND NOW IT'S 2009 -- 32 YEARS LATER -- AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS"NECESSARY"DEPARTMENT IS AT $24.2 BILLION A YEAR. THEY HAVE 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES; AND LOOK AT THE JOB THEY HAVE DONE! THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD AND SAY, "WHAT WAS I THINKING?"

Ah, yes -- good ole bureaucracy.

AND, NOW, WE ARE GOING TO TURN THE BANKING SYSTEM, HEALTH CARE, AND THE AUTO INDUSTRY OVER TO THE SAME GOVERNMENT?
HELLOOO! Anybody Home?

--Read more coherent stuff from Aaron by visiting his main blog at Aaron's EnvironMental Corner - where the environment is looked at mentally. Or something like that. Or just Twitter: Tweet Me