One of the Other Things

One of the other things I like about government is the occasional “public servant” that senses the big picture and has a genuine commitment to being helpful to me as part of the general public.

One of the other things I don’t like about government is all too common the person at the help desk has little if any sense of the world beyond their desk and doesn’t really care much about me or my problems one way or  the other.  I can’t help but want my government to represent and perform at a higher moral and competency level than the average everyday citizen.  From childhood on I was taught to look up to and respect all manner of governmental authority and leadership.  And for much of my adult life I have wanted to believe in the basic goodness of our governing authorities. 

Unfortunately, this has only sometimes proven to be the case.  And in the worst circumstances I have encountered individuals who are actually a cut (or two) below average - dishonest, morally corrupt, and incompetent.  In these situations my realistic options are few to none.  Some people may have time to appeal up the chain of command, but it’s unlikely they will have both the time and resources to pursue legal solutions if not granted an immediate variance.  Government has seemingly unlimited time and resources and thereby giving credence to the saying “You can’t fight city hall.”

I’ve had enough dodgy experiences in my career that by default I now respond to virtually any government request, proposal, or regulations in the negative.  For me, the less government the better.  For me, this is a case where Mies was spot on:  “Less is more.”