Posted May 22nd, 2009 at 12.11pm in Ongoing Priorities. If you need another reason to not let bloated government run wild, watch this video and read this paper:
…the federal civilian workforce has become an elite island of secure and highly paid workers, separated from the ocean of private-sector American workers who must compete in today’s dynamic economy.
[...] Government Employees Never Get Voted Off The Island [...]
Yeah we do get “voted off the island!!” And those who do deserve it. AND there are some who deserve it who are not. That happens in private sector as well as public though, yes?
My argument is remember that regardless of those who deserve to be voted of, there are those who do not.
That said…I do understand the point of the argument, that the federal government is growing at an alarming rate. Personally I don’t like it. A federal work force should be of absolute necessity, not of fabricated need. “Work incentive” hiring into government positions is just…wrong. Well meaning but wrong.
Anyway, that’s about all I have to say about that.
Patricia, your comment shares a perspective of the federal employee looking out, and it is valid. However, as the private sector looking in, I fail to see the connection you have made to the topic at hand. Do federal employees perform meaningful tasks for America at large? Sure, but so does the private sector! Are there people operating in the private sector or federal government considerably lazy? Of course. The point that was trying to be made with this segment is how can anyone account for this gap between private and government. The American tax payer is paying for compensation and benefits for the federal employee that is two times what they themselves earn. Tell me, how do we measure the benefit of this, or explain its necessity? I believe it to be disproportionate, but maybe there is a logic I am not yet in sync with.
I recommend anyone who thinks government service is vital, needs to read Benjamin Franklin’s, George Washington’s and Thomas Jefferson’s writings. Also, learn the meaning of Natural Law and study the theorists of natural law such as John Locke and Cicero who believed in God given rights not Kings Law for people to be free and happy. They believe Kings Law leads to large central governments and tyranny and is un-natural.
Our framers gave stern warning that government workers should be temporary and mostly voluntary and those serving need to return to the nongovernment service arena as soon as possible. Service to your country is a duty of every American they believed and should be temporary. Even George Washington was insistent about this belief. It should not be forced on to people and should come from ones own desire to serve freely. They believed Service to the government should receive minimum pay and a personal enjoyment to serve. They were worried about bureaucrats becoming little dictators and feeling the world would not function without them and believed it would lead to large governments that become monarchial and tyrannical ultimately leading to a dictator or monarchy like societies where the people rely on their leaders for everything thus enslaving those receiving their lively hood from the corrupt and selfish bureaucrats or monarchs who have control over them through their created governmental powers.
Look at how people without Natural Law belief systems have lifted Obama to a messianic level. This is worry some since it was believed that our rights are NOT derived from man but from the creator as indicated in The Declaration of Independence. The shackles of governmental tyranny under Kings Law were shed by these men and they formed a new nation with a small government and 13 independent states which has grown to 50 independent states. The 9th and 10th Amendments; part of the Bill of Rights is very clear about the sovereignty of the people and the states. As I learn more and more the more I want a return to the original intent of this nation.
So if you feel you are a well deserved civil servant and think it is a good way of life I recommend you start studying our history and get out of government service immediately. Someone else can do your job as a temporary servant. If it is not related to national security (police, military, CIA, FBI, Fire Department, Secrete Service, Coast Guard), Post Office, Judiciary and/or infrastructure (Roads and airways- air traffic control), Department of Science, or the Commerce Department- Treasury then you should not be there. Some offices in the House, Senate and Executive departments can exist for these offices to function. The staffs of the three branches of government should be very small and limited to only those essential for the operation the branches.
I am military veteran myself and I am married to a twice deployed Vietnam veteran and I grew up as a State Department dependent so I understand government service. I fully agree with Franklin and the framers you can service and you should get out as soon as possible. Yes, current government employees are paid way too much and tend to be very inefficient for the most part. When I visited a local veteran’s hospital I found it to be the dirtiest hospital I have ever been in and I have worked in many hospitals. I am a non government employee and intend to stay that way.
Our legislators and individuals who have served as President of these United States should not get life time salaries. They need to serve and then go back to their states and back into the private sector. We need to get rid of most Civil and Federal service positions and shrink all government levels expect for national security and for infrastructure purposes and those areas listed in the Constitution which I tried to list above should be reduced in size. Unless you are in the security services and or infrastructure service you do not defend this country this is just wrong thinking. You may think you provide a valid service; it should not come from the federal level other than those listed in the Constitution itself. It should come from the state level only. Limited funds should go to the Fed to only operate at a minimal level.
Bureaucrats should not operate any companies. They are not equipped to do so and they are not sanctioned to do so within the Constitution. It is a pure violation of the 1st, 4th, 9th and 10th amendments to the Constitution as well as the Articles of the original constitution.
Franklin and the framers studied the bureaucrats of Europe and their governments and the demise of civilizations. The French Revolution was very emblematic of bureaucrats and royalty gone wild.
It is time to shrink government spending and structure.
I hope that each and every person who hears (and those who are deaf to it) realize that this “cap and trade” legislation is NOTHING but a SMOKE AND MIRRORS effort to HAWK more money from the people who produce the wealth (large and small) to grab power to INCREASE the size of government, because Mr. Obama reiterates his lack of confidence for the individual to manage his own largess in ways that suit him!
This is the continuation of perpetuating the socialist state that gives the poor worker candy and beer money after the IRS takes everything else to pay for the fat, pork, ear mark special interests that are now clamoring Obama to hear their agendas and support them! Buyer beware, because once “standards” are “set”, lookout! because the same demagogues who create this boondoggle HAVE the power to INCREASE THE OBLIGATION STANDARD to make Mr./Ms American Taxpayer more vulnerable. I say, call your legislators/senators and tell them to vote it DOWN, REJECT, KILL it.
The government has YET to do the RESEARCH in how to improve our electrical grid and other infrastructure projects, much less how to fix them, IF them need to be fixed. And the very badly run company called GE (General Electric) absolutely is the WRONG entity to get the “contracts” to supply the hardware/software! Lord help us all!
And the suggestion of the above commenter is right on–CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES and VOTE OUT THE EXISTING SQUATTERS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!
[...] Via The- invaluable- Heritage Foundation, [...]
If the government had any integrity to the people their pay would be equal or closer to the lowest pay of the private sector.
post above:
Starting pay. Wage increase determined by the service to the people and on a vote of the people to honor or dishonor…
They’re not worth their pay…or amenities, perks, etc.
Without these things and high pay it would show if they’re in for the people or the money & benefits. It would show the kind of character they have also.
May 22, 2009 Patricia Johnson, North Carolina writes:
Perhaps this is true…in some places. And perhaps it is true in any large private business where there is a longtime established work force. What I do know is this:
I work for the Federal Government. I am a GS-12 so, perhaps you might even think of me as one of those complacent fat-cats. Ok, lets leave weight out of this Life is easier when we categorize and lump groups together and paint them all with the same brush, something liberals are famous for hm? What I can do, is provide you with a personal prospective and observation.
I have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. I am a servant of the people. I am a veteran, and I am a Patriot. I am a conservative in principles, principles I value and which are supported by the Heritage Foundation. In my work, I am privileged to work with and for our Veterans, and do all I can within the scope of the law to provide the greatest benefits possible. When the answer is “no” I do my best to make sure it is correct and understood why. I am not alone. I see the same dedication to service to work ethic, country and service to others in my co workers. We are a silent population because we are government workers, and we are not to be political entities at work but do our job and do it well with a sense of dedication and surprise, many of us are conservatives.
Is our work monitored? You betcha. We undergo routine quality reviews. We are under production requirements. We are participate in ongoing education related to our work to ensure we are up to date in changing law and regulation in how we apply the law to what we do. If we fail to meet standards, we are treated fairly and given a chance to improve performance, and if we fail to do that, well, its time to look for a new job. And I have seen people released from my organization as a consequence of their failure to meet expectations.
I love what I do. I am honored to be able to serve the people of this great country. I am blessed in so very many ways, and because of that, I will continue to endure the frequent pricks generically cast at government workers that we are lazy, ineffectual, not subjected to a competitive work environment and in essence, live an unproductive life at the cost of the American tax payer.
Because I love my country, and this is my service back to her for all the good I am given.
Keep promoting the truth, and conservative values and ethics. In the end they will keep us free.