Do you believe it is possible for the government (in current or +10 yrs state) to run any program well and efficiently?

[AreaCode707]

Call me cynical but proposals for new programs, fixes for existing programs, and such ring permanently hollow, especially when accompanied by the promises and optimism of the politicians.

Whether any government can pull of efficient and well-run programs is another question altogether, but do you think this government could make their programs efficient, effective and well-run within the next ten years? I just don't see anybody getting a handle on spending, fraud, waste, unnecessary work and improvements in methods in government-run programs like welfare, medicaid, education, social security, and health care initiatives.

[Edit] This is not a commentary on the Obama administration, just the state of our government in general. Hence the "ten years" rather than 4 or 8.

Oh, and if you vote no, please post whether you think the government would ever be capable of this feat, and if so how long you think it would take to get there?

 

[Fern]

No

Fern

 

[Craig234]

Of course, but the propaganda saying otherwise is very effective. I'm the only 'yes' vote in the first 4 cast.

James Carville - who I'm not a big fan of in some areas - makes the case well in his small book, 'Had Enough?'

Excerpt

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: Craig234
Of course, but the propaganda saying otherwise is very effective. I'm the only 'yes' vote in the first 4 cast.

So you consider some programs to be run well now on the fed and state level. May I ask which programs you consider to be the most positive and promising?

 

[misle]

Nothing in their track record makes me believe that it is possible. So, no and I doubt they ever will be able to match the efficiency of the private sector.

Well, they do forcibly steal our money better than anyone else!

 

[BoberFett]

It's certainly possible, but only within a narrowly defined scope and only if that scope doesn't change. Sadly, government like any other large entity gets scope creep and the inefficiencies that go with it.

 

[woodie1]

Originally posted by: misle
Nothing in their track record makes me believe that it is possible. So, no and I doubt they ever will be able to match the efficiency of the private sector.

Well, they do forcibly steal our money better than anyone else!

Kudos - said better than I could have.

 

[Jhhnn]

Admin costs for SS run ~2%, iirc, which is a helluva lot lower than any other sort of investment annuity...

whatcha gonna do- privatize the roads, the sewers, firefighters, police, FDA, and all the other governmental acronyms?

Did I mention that I just love half-baked anti-govt rants? There are very few places in the world w/o meaningful govt, like Somalia, and a lot of places where the govt just serves the ruling elite, like Nigeria. So be careful what you wish for...

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: Jhhnn
Admin costs for SS run ~2%, iirc, which is a helluva lot lower than any other sort of investment annuity...

whatcha gonna do- privatize the roads, the sewers, firefighters, police, FDA, and all the other governmental acronyms?

Did I mention that I just love half-baked anti-govt rants? There are very few places in the world w/o meaningful govt, like Somalia, and a lot of places where the govt just serves the ruling elite, like Nigeria. So be careful what you wish for...

I wasn't proposing doing away with government, just wondering if anybody considered it to be running at peak efficiency. I'll break my own state/fed rule and bring up King County Libraries in the Seattle area. Our governor may have run the state budget into the ground but damn, that is the best library system I have ever seen in my life! It's well-built, well-maintained, well-stocked, well-staffed and well-used. It's a model for the type of use of money I'd like to see in government.

Our government may not be perfect but largely the reason it is as good as it is is because we citizens can voice our discontent with the bad parts and discuss improvements freely.

 

[fskimospy]

yes

 

[sandorski]

yes, but only if you Elect those who accept that it can be done. Electing those who don't believe it's possible will inevitably fail to make Government work.

 

[sactoking]

Well, the IRS operates on approximately 0.5% of their gross receipts, which is pretty efficient.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: sactoking
Well, the IRS operates on approximately 0.5% of their gross receipts, which is pretty efficient.

Pretty good example. I don't recall ever hearing the IRS accused of waste or inefficiency (not that I've ever gone out and looked for it), and their employees don't have the reputation of slacking.

On the other hand, how much is .5% of the IRS gross receipts?

 

[Jhhnn]

Originally posted by: sandorski
yes, but only if you Elect those who accept that it can be done. Electing those who don't believe it's possible will inevitably fail to make Government work.

What we have here is a conceptual breakthrough. People who hate govt and hold it in contempt obviously won't do a very good job of running it. Electing them has been a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.

That's the part of it Righties don't seem to be able to take into account... their heroes see govt as a big, dumb cashcow, and they've been milking her dry...

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Fern
No, never

Fern

enhanced

 

[rchiu]

Government - slow and inefficient
Private companies - Greedy and corrupt

pick your poison.

 

[idiotekniQues]

deregulate everything, get government out of business. see how that works out.


morons.

 

[her209]

How efficient is the federal government compared to what? Defense contractors?

 

[Jaskalas]

We can object all we want, but as long as we keep paying taxes our objection is mute.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
Call me cynical but proposals for new programs, fixes for existing programs, and such ring permanently hollow, especially when accompanied by the promises and optimism of the politicians.

Whether any government can pull of efficient and well-run programs is another question altogether, but do you think this government could make their programs efficient, effective and well-run within the next ten years? I just don't see anybody getting a handle on spending, fraud, waste, unnecessary work and improvements in methods in government-run programs like welfare, medicaid, education, social security, and health care initiatives.

[Edit] This is not a commentary on the Obama administration, just the state of our government in general. Hence the "ten years" rather than 4 or 8.

Oh, and if you vote no, please post whether you think the government would ever be capable of this feat, and if so how long you think it would take to get there?

You make some funny assumptions. You assume that my reaction should be to call you cynical when my actual first impression is that you have been programmed by the Lying Party, that collection of assholes known as Republicans, who prey on ignorant pimple-heads like yourself for votes, by stoking their natural levels of generalized rage and channeling it into Republican votes. In short, you are a tool the true cynics have paid billions to create to get them the very jobs you're supposed to hate.

And it's no big surprise that you can't see happening things you can't see or have no idea, yourself, how to bring about. So you're not really commenting on the government, but your own conditioned condition.

 

[Lalakai]

the FERS program is very efficient and effective.

for any gov't program to be really effective, it has to stay close to the grass roots, only have a max of 3 layers, with oversite by career professionals versus political appointees.

the further up the chain you go, the more bloat you find, the more waste, and an exponential increase of political connectivity, where-as you should find an increase in professional connectivity. but that's in a logical non-corrupt world.

 

[glenn1]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
Do you believe it is possible for the government (in current or +10 yrs state) to run any program well and efficiently?

Depends on the nature of the program. Yes for those with modest and clearly defined goals, they can and often are well-run if sometimes imperfectly (e.g. public safety, food inspectors, patent office, weights and measures, etc).

An emphatic NO to those where the purpose is some lofty social good or the "fixing" of some perceived societal problem (welfare, social services, etc). Those programs have built-in incentives to not only be inefficient, but to make the problems worse in order to justify their existence and expansion.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: glenn1

Originally posted by: AreaCode707
Do you believe it is possible for the government (in current or +10 yrs state) to run any program well and efficiently?

Depends on the nature of the program. Yes for those with modest and clearly defined goals, they can and often are well-run if sometimes imperfectly (e.g. public safety, food inspectors, patent office, weights and measures, etc).

An emphatic NO to those where the purpose is some lofty social good or the "fixing" of some perceived societal problem (welfare, social services, etc). Those programs have built-in incentives to not only be inefficient, but to make the problems worse in order to justify their existence and expansion.

Many would argue that the some of your examples - namely the patent office - are inexorably broken.

 

[manowar821]

Yes, I believe they're good at using people as lemmings for their wars. That's about it, though.

 

[palehorse]

no just 'no', but helllllll NO!