Someone close to me has recently spent some months confronting the abject incompetence of government bureaucracy. The lunacy of bureaucratic cover-my-back-side inactions is something most of us have experienced in frustration, regardless what corner of the government we have dealt with. Each and every time I have found myself confronting the blundering inefficiency of the gigantic government blob, over the years, the experience has usually been impeding, and has always been stressful. I always knew that, “entrepreneurs need not enter”, and as for the public, “don’t bother us, we’re busy and you’re an annoyance”.
I also felt that the Jabba-The-Hut type blob of government was in bad need of overhaul and rarely found any department where a good dose of zero-based budgeting couldn’t be applied.
I’ve always believed that the entrepreneur’s success over the very long term, requires a uncommon capacity for consistently finding the right people, installing them where they’ll do the right thing, and heading them in the right direction. This always requires some talent to accomplish, and always requires a good deal of outright luck.
Government morass is the antithesis of this modus operandi. Government departments grow endlessly, always beyond their intended purviews and budgets, and in our new age of Obama where political ideology drives all department heads and senior ranks, the blob of state has sucked up all of the oxygen in the Nation. Government has become, by far, the principal creator of jobs.
Taxpayers are helpless to turn back the monster, or slow it down. Taxpayers cannot restrict the blob’s assault on their freedom, their incomes, and their bank accounts.
For the first time in over a generation, an individual is within sight of the White House who has depended on hiring the best talent he could find to build his company. He has plenty of faults, but for the most part, he has run a clean ship and raised an exemplary family. At almost 70, we can safely say that he has done it over the “long term” and has done it consistently. It is in his blood and it is what he knows. He won’t change.
Trump might temper some of his behaviour, but Donald Trump will not change his modus operandi. Unlike the current inexperienced Jarrett/Obama team which has mismanaged everything it has touched, Trump will find the right people, place them in the right jobs, and head them in the right direction. He is not an apologist for his country and he won’t be spending his time on the golf course as the Nation he leads disintegrates.
His ego will require him to do exactly what he intends, which is to turn the great Ship America around.
A constituent of the vast baby boomer generation with a career which has been fortunate to know the ponderous corporate worlds, as well as the intimately pressurized, and invigorating entrepreneurial domains of high tech and venture capital, I have harvested my share of mistakes meandering through corridors of enterprise from Silicon Valley, to London and endless, colourful, sometimes praetorian points in between. The voyage has provided an abundance of fodder for a pen yielding to an inquisitive keyboard, a foraging mind, and a passionate spirit.
Whether political or business or social or economic or personal, is it not all political? It is a privilege to write, and an even greater privilege to be read by anyone, and sometimes with the wind at my back the writing may occasionally be legible. I do not write to invite scorn, nor to invite respect, but if I get really lucky the writing can stimulate thinking. I also write for the very selfish purpose of animating my own processes, and engaging the best of what life offers. Above all, whether biting fire or swatting shadows, I am grateful to be gifted the freedom to write and publish whatever flows down to the keyboard. To all those who enabled this freedom, and to all those standing guard to preserve it, I am indebted.
Having for over 30 years trying to guide A/E plans through city/state building departments in order to obtain building permits, I completely agree with this authors premise. GOVERNMENT IS WAY TOO BIG! In the last 20 years of dealing with the Charlotte, NC ‘Code Enforcement’ department, I can unequivocally say that we spent more time trying to satisfy the codes than we did satisfying the client!
A fine article, James.
In helping my dad since my mom’s passing a couple of months ago, I’ve helped him deal with some of the bureaucratic red tape. Talking with Social Security and OPM, those representatives were nice. Speak politely, understand some of the process beforehand, they will go out of their way to help. They do understand things are slow. Talk with them with a chip on your shoulder and allow yourself to be easily frustrated by the process, you don’t do any favors for yourself. Most of us, however, interact with government at the local and state level. They tend to be more arcane and convoluted in the way they approach things.
@bwax –
Code enforcement is the same all over. My sister has had problems with them in the past where we live. One of her friends is in the yard business, so he takes care of the mowing and weed whacking for her every three weeks. The worst offender is the local government on their empty lots and property – which should be of no surprise.
The argument is flawed on several fronts.
For starters, governing the economic backbone of the world is much different than governing a private corporation. There really is no comparison.
While the thought of Trump surrounding himself with people of high intellect helps quell the nauseating concept of him taking the WH, his past and present actions don’t indicate that as a reality. Trump was simply a rich spoiled brat who happened to have plenty of assets to haphazardly pitch around and has a record of utilizing the courts and legal system to offset his shortcomings off the backs of others. He’s no more than a rich conman with a resume of failures.
And even if he were to actually fill his cabinet with these smart people, by what possible logic can one deduce that he even gives a flying rat’s ass about the Constitution or conservative values or even anyone’s economic conditions other than his very own?
Any way you slice it, the man is a charlatan, an absolute lying fraud in every aspect.
@bwax: #1,
Bwax, the very nature of a bureaucracy is to ‘bloat’. That’s the only way its human components get raises, advancement, and increased power.
Bureaucracies are incapable of “caring” for you or your needs. Gov employees all have forms to ‘fill-out’ to justify their jobs and their bosses’ jobs.
It takes a strong Leader who can embarrass Congress into doing the right thing. Washington thinks that reducing ‘rate of growth’ is doing its job. Pols refuse to cut. Their handlers don’t allow it. Taxpayers need to react.
@David: #2
David, thanks. You bring up a good point. The power of the blob places dominion over your affairs in the hands of individuals you beg help from.
You have to prostrate yourself and you might get lucky and find one who will feign “niceness”.
Niceness from a those few it emanates from, solves nothing, unfortunately, but makes us feel better. Meanwhile, nothing gets done. If you’re an entrepreneur, you go broke waiting on the niceness.
In the world of the entrepreneur, which I have written about extensively over the years, the blob has reached a point where the entrepreneurial spirit is being smothered. Of course, this hands the advantage to such as the too-big-to-fail Obama BFFs. And it leaves total power in the hands of the ‘big money’.
If you vote for Trump, you’re stupid and a racist. Pure and simple.
@James #6 –
I’m not prostrating myself before anyone. And, I’m not begging for anyone’s help. Nor, do I feel I have no choice in being polite and show some niceness. If that’s your opinion, that’s your estimation of me, it is not a very good one. Being in the military for most of my adult life, I’ve learned patience.
To be polite, to be nice, doesn’t cost me anything. It does not mean I’m laying down. If someone makes me irritable, I’ll say my peace. The process is the process. If it takes 6-8 weeks to process a series of forms, so be it. I’m not going to get frustrated, upset, or angry about it. And, taking it out on the person taking the information, saying you want, demand your business to be taken care of more promptly isn’t going to move it along any faster.
@David: #8
David, my bad. I wrote that comment not meaning YOU in particular, but meaning ONE, any one. I don’t know what you had to do to have your needs met. My comment is consistent with what I have witnessed and experienced over many years as things got progressively worse and worse.
When ONE deals with the ones who are nearer to top of the blob’s food chain, you get what we’ve seen from the likes of the IRS in more recent years. But its in all departments — evidence of failure upon failure, principally from mismanagement.
@James Raider:
Unfortunately, one party (the Democrats) has succeeded in stacking the echelons of the agencies with political operatives, and that has resulted in a politicization of the bureaucracy. While this was accomplished under Clinton and Obama’s regimes, the Bush administration is also partly to blame for foolishly leaving too many of Clinton’s operatives in place. The result of such politicization is reflected in the actions of the IRS, the EPA, Leadership over our Border Patrol that will not let them enforce our laws, and too many other instances of agencies that re-write their regulations and overstep their authority without Congressional approval or oversight. What we see today is the inevitable lawlessness of uncontrolled bureaucracy, encouraged and enabled by executive fiat (i.e. tyranny)
Mr Raider perhaps you should have considered entering government service yourself. At one time that was considered an honorable and patriotic duty
I remain unconvinced that Trump will be anything but either a puppet or a disaster, using the government and running the government different way different.
@kitt:
A puppet of Whom? Trump has never shown himself to be anyone’s puppet. I certainly don’t think Trump would be a bigger disaster than having Hillary or Bernie as President.
You seem to be a rebel without a cause. and a voter without a candidate. Over 80% of the Republican party (according to latest polls) has come out in supporting Trump. of the 20% #nevertrumps; 15% are establishment progressives who are discussing voting for Hillary, and the 5% remaining are sour-grapes conservatives who still want Cruz but can’t get it through their thick skulls that Cruz has no path to nomination. Ted simply does not have the delegates to win a second or third convention vote, and even if he by some miracle did, he can not get enough moderate, independent votes to beat Hillary in the general election. Nor is the third party #nevertrump going to happen. You want to sit this one out, go ahead, but your whining pouting is getting ridiculous.
Paul Ryan cites ‘very productive conversations’ between his staff and Donald Trump’s
Ryan’s going to cave, and then the transformation of the GOP (aka the sellout) will be complete.
Stay tuned. It might at some point be revealed what it has been transformed into. It all depends on what Trump turns out to be. Meanwhile, we can count on the selection of a running mate calculated to create the optimal desired impression, like his Supreme Court nominee list. Wary republicans can then imagine that’s what they’re voting for.
@Ditto: Awww you dont like my attitude TOUGH, your numbers dont mean anything Trump is used to dealing with local municipalities not the big boys. He is a greaser not the one to be greased. This posting again failed to present a platform that Trump like a wind vane wont turn on.
Anyone can beat Hillary she isn’t popular to the point of being disliked.
Is it just me or am i wrong in assessing folks like Kitt and David substantially “saner” than the vast majority of FA posters and authors?
Look at this interesting headline I just saw posted. You don’t need to read the article, the headline says it all.
@Richard Wheeler:
just keep hanging with the Rainbow crowd, you’ve got them assessed very well.
@kitt:
Unlike your boy Obama that had tons of ‘national’ experience.
@Redteam:
News flash: Trump is not running against Obama. And exactly where has Kitt ever supported Obama?
Its ok they are using worn out tired liberal tactics to break down conservatives. False accusations, threats, name calling ect. Aint gonna work on Me or anyone else trying to objectively vote someone that could represent my political views.
Trumps numbers have not gone up, he is pulling up in the polls by Hillary sinking like the Titanic, with all the second class passengers locked below deck.
Greg on the front of the ship singing “My Heart will go on”
Whats going down in Washington with delegates is interesting, Happy Monday all.
@kitt:
Kitt, I’m sure I was a conservative before you were born.
Not true, it’s estimated that half the ‘neverTrumpers’ have now joined Trump.
There’s two ships sailing: Trump and Clinton One of them will win.
It’s interesting how many are willing to throw out the Democratic process in favor of dictatorship.
@kitt:
You still haven’t answered my question. You make claim that Trump will be a puppet president, but you don’t provide anything to back up your claim. A puppet of Whom?
@Redteam:
How are the Democrats affecting a Republican State convention?
@Ditto: Anyone that has an angle to make Trump look like a great leader or wonderful man has high ground on this mentally instable individual and will be in control.
@Redteam: What dictatorship?
The delegates?Really?If you are not a Republican why vote that way?
If you were a conservative before I was born perhaps its dementia related…
@Richard Wheeler:
RW, all Jarheads don’t share your view of Trump:
http://www.hannity.com/articles/election-493995/200-stranded-marines-needed-a-plane-14727522/#.V0MJyUfyUCE.facebook
@retire05:
Actually I didn’t mention Dimocrats, believe it or not, Republicans sometimes use democratic processes in their electioneering. Thats democratic with an e instead of Dimocrats with an i.
But then you knew that, right?
@kitt:
Sorry to hear of your diagnosis.
You’re confused: I’ll blame that on your dementia.
@Redteam: Now you sound totally confused dear, you roll into your room and take a nice nap.
I should not have to explain the delegate process nor the reasons it exists.
Washington ROCKs, I hope to see an upset at the Convention.
Trump supporters often refer to his business acumen as one of his strongest points, overlooking numerous occasions when it hasn’t been. Here are ten of them for your consideration.
Overall, Trump has obviously done very well for himself. He takes a lot of business risks and avoids the crashes when things go wrong by yanking the lever on his ejection seat. As the wreckage burns, he dusts himself off and moves on to the next project.
So, how does that strategy work when the aircraft you’re piloting isn’t a disposable corporation with an ejection seat, but the United States of America? This is a serious question.
@Greg: How did Benghazi work Greggie?? America already knows the failure Hilldabeast is so to try and create an analogy against Trump and choose to overlook her failure reduces your credibility to less than zero!! You have NO clue how Trump will respond when he becomes President because you will still be blaming Bush!! BTW Greggie 75% of the casualties in Afghanistan belong to Obola!! Also Obola told us Iraq was stable. There are NO successes there Greggie and Hilldabeast was Secretary of Defense after she supported Bush’s request to go to Iraq!!
You seem to have missed the question.
Trump may have a problem with his 6 million dollar lie or theft for raising money for the vets. Donors were directed to go to his website and make their donations, to be funneled through the Trump Foundation. when you get there you put in your credit card info and make the donation.
Wow that means it was kept track of on a computer, computers are very good at math, the vets want an accounting now.
So either he campaigned on a lie of helping vets with 6 million or the money was taken for other purposes.
Wheres this server, will he come clean on this?
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/432162/veterans-donald-trump-oppose-
My bet is was less than 3 million raised his ego inflated it to 6 million. So many times he got away with lying his numbers actually went up the bigger the whoppers got so why not.
@Common Sense: Doc I know you can’t stand HRC. I assert I will not vote for her–handling of post Benghazi–“lets move on”-outrageous.
But Trump? Where is the money raised for the Vets?–where are his tax returns?–either he’s not worth what he claims—or he gives very little to charity.
What about his POW comments—his bad foot med deferment?
How can you, a man of honor, possibly indicate support for this pathological liar.
@Richard Wheeler: Richard, I respect your questioning my intentions to vote for Trump. If any voter in America where to only vote for those deemed NOT pathological liars in politics I doubt anyone would vote at all. Having said that, my intention is to do all I can to prevent someone who lied over the dead bodies of those brought home from Benghazi from assuming the role of Commander and Chief. Last I checked there where no requirements for any presidential nominee to provide tax returns, please correct me if I am wrong on this point. My support ends at the ballot box and my intent to prevent the evil known as hilldabeast getting in the Whitehouse. Is this an honorable reason, hardly but to do nothing in my view is less honorable. I believe all in office should do more to support Veterans and that our country has failed our veterans. As I have also mentioned, part of the requirements to be Commander and Chief should include military service. I worked here at the VA in San Diego to in some small way give back. What I observed was truly appalling Richard. America can and must do better.
@Common Sense: I agree America can do better—I believe under a Trump Presidency it will do worse—I believe he is dangerously unstable.
I’m hopeful an alternative to these two very unpopular choices will emerge over the next 60 days, I stand against both.
Semper FI
@Richard Wheeler: Rich, your position is compelling and I will give your comments consideration. Frankly it will make NO difference here in California how I vote. I see Trump just being a politician at the moment and he knows how to keep his name out in the press. He has toned down already but clearly I will watch for signs. I do not agree that Trump would be worse than hilldabeast. His Supreme Court nominees already validate that.
@Common Sense: Obviously someone composed that list for him–he says he may well add more. He is not to be trusted in such a position of importance—to give him that power IMO is extremely dangerous.
The fact the race is even is more about Hillary’s inadequacies than Trump’s favorability.
@Richard Wheeler: I would love for some interveiwer to as him to repeat the list or just maybe 3 names on it.
@kitt: #40 LOL—Do you think Trumpists would blink if it turned out the “big man” pays little to no income taxes? If he shot a man in the middle of 5th Ave?
Lemmings following a dangerous pied piper
@Richard Wheeler: I dont care if he paid a red cent in taxes, Trump wouldn’t know how to take the safety off his huge endorsement was for looks only, Cruz was given first endorsement by NRA. Some of his followers are true lemmings others are surrender, some delusional, and then there are the anti-Hillary.
Can’t find one that love his political policy plans. I know I do not remain alone in my opinion that he is just a nut with too much money and an unhealthy mental desire for power. I would love to ferret out his agenda Obama had an agenda, Hillary wants to carry on that agenda. Much of what Trump says then flips 5 mins later is socialist. Things he has said very disturbing. If the Vote were today I would not be able to with clear conscience vote for him, I would maybe go libertarian or a write in.
Cruz is back at work he is trying to protect a free internet, by opposing net neutrality, as the Dems are drooling to tax and regulate it.
Trump, Clinton Win Washington State’s Presidential Primaries
SHOCK: Trump-Hater Krauthammer Stuns GOP Elite With Huge Betrayal
Stumpin’ For Trump!
@Ditto: Pro-life Ms Delaware endorses Trump–that’s impressive Ditto—Let me know when Cruz endorses him–I’ll be next.
Do you think he’ll release his tax returns?
Anytime soon. Trump’s a NYC large scale con man—people who have actually followed his career know this all too well.
t
@Richard Wheeler:
You, a Cruz supporter? That’s a laugh. You’re only pandering to Kitt. You wont even acknowledge Webb’s support of Trump.
Trump doesn’t have to release his tax returns. Nor do any of the other candidates. Actually, I’m surprised that none of the leftist bosses at the IRS haven’t leaked Trump’s tax records. When Obama finally unseals his records, then we can talk about Trump releasing his tax reports.
@Ditto: Like me, Webb does not support Trump OR HRC—I’m not a supporter of Cruz–never said I was. I do agree with him that Trump is a pathological liar.
Semper Fi
@Richard Wheeler:
Webb said that there were many things he liked about Trump. That indicates support of Trump as a viable candidate.
The same could be said about the vast majority of politicians. Certainly those of the GOPe and most of those the Democrat party has given us. Nor is Cruz innocent.
@Ditto: Webb has not endorsed nor does he support Trump for Prez–KISS He’s not endorsing any pathological liars this go round.
@Richard Wheeler: I dont believe Cruz will endorse, nobody expects him to after the Enquirer episodes. I hope Ryan also resists, his state did. (the pods have not yet reached here)
@kitt: Exactly—
Who has? Mainly washed up old white
pols looking for jobs—Gingrich, Giuiani, Huckabee, Christie, Perry
Notable holdouts—Cruz, Rubio ,Ryan Walker Paul Romney Martinez Haley Bush–all 3