bucs90
Gold Member
- Feb 25, 2010
- 26,545
- 6,028
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A catch-phrase I hear a lot is how government should be run "like a business". WHY????? I doubt many people would actually LIKE govt when it is "run like a business". Here is why:
When a business is struggling, they do a combination of things. Reducing pay for workers is one. Downsizing is another. The beloved private sector has surely shown us that, through emotionless layoffs and outsourcing. But hey, "its just business".
But they also do something else. Raise prices. As we've seen in gas, food, power, water, clothing...really anything we need, the price has gone up. But again, hey, its just business.
So if a government was run like a business, what would it look like? Well, a few thing:
1) Less government workers and programs. Downsizing and outsourcing (by saying let the private sector do it). If we look at supply/demand models that the biz world does, "demand" for government has skyrocketed in our society. People call 911 for damn near ANYTHING these days. Any problem at all, people of all parties say "Someone needs to DO SOMETHING!!". That someone, to most, means the government. THey demand the president, governor, sheriff, mayor, chief, or someone to do something. Keep us safe. Keep us healthy, fix the traffic problems, pave the roads, keep the illegals and terrorists out, keep the air and water clean, etc, etc, etc.
But do they wanna pay for it? REMEMBER: Supply and demand. If they aren't willing to pay for it....be ready to consume far less government, and STOP asking the govt to do as much. A realistic analysis by a fair minded person will inevitably acknowledge our society does have a high demand for government in practical terms if not ideological.
2) "Raise prices". The government...er, business....provides a serivce. Which as I've stated above, is a service that is in high demand right now in society. Well, the government's "price" is the tax rate. If the govt is in debt, they must "run it like a business" by downsizing, outsourcing, and raising prices. Sure, some say lower prices/taxes will bring in more customers and revenue. And that is often true. BUT if so, why have prices for food, water, power, gas, clothing spiked lately???
Seems if raising prices works for the private businesses who produce food, water, power, clothes, gas..................why would a government NOT run it like a business and raise their prices (taxes/fees) also?
So, can someone explain to me why, if the government is run like a business, would they not also raise their prices exactly the same way that JIF Peanut Butter, Exxon Oil, the local water and power companies, Cheerios cereal, Regal Cinemas, and any scores of numbers of other private sector companies have done??????????
(**To head it off early, I know the response of "But we can choose to buy a product, we dont choose to pay taxes" is coming. Answer: You choose which city to pay taxes in. And really....do any of us realistically have a choice but to buy power, water, food and gas? No, we dont. Those are staples of survival. That argument is voided.)
So....are we really ready for government to be run like a business? If you were a victim of a horrible crime, and the local police couldn't solve it because they cut costs and lost all their experienced detectives.......would you accept the neighboring city's PD saying "Sorry, we cant loan you one of our experienced detectives, you dont pay taxes here, our taxpayers dont pay to help you. Sorry, but it's just business."
Food for thought.
When a business is struggling, they do a combination of things. Reducing pay for workers is one. Downsizing is another. The beloved private sector has surely shown us that, through emotionless layoffs and outsourcing. But hey, "its just business".
But they also do something else. Raise prices. As we've seen in gas, food, power, water, clothing...really anything we need, the price has gone up. But again, hey, its just business.
So if a government was run like a business, what would it look like? Well, a few thing:
1) Less government workers and programs. Downsizing and outsourcing (by saying let the private sector do it). If we look at supply/demand models that the biz world does, "demand" for government has skyrocketed in our society. People call 911 for damn near ANYTHING these days. Any problem at all, people of all parties say "Someone needs to DO SOMETHING!!". That someone, to most, means the government. THey demand the president, governor, sheriff, mayor, chief, or someone to do something. Keep us safe. Keep us healthy, fix the traffic problems, pave the roads, keep the illegals and terrorists out, keep the air and water clean, etc, etc, etc.
But do they wanna pay for it? REMEMBER: Supply and demand. If they aren't willing to pay for it....be ready to consume far less government, and STOP asking the govt to do as much. A realistic analysis by a fair minded person will inevitably acknowledge our society does have a high demand for government in practical terms if not ideological.
2) "Raise prices". The government...er, business....provides a serivce. Which as I've stated above, is a service that is in high demand right now in society. Well, the government's "price" is the tax rate. If the govt is in debt, they must "run it like a business" by downsizing, outsourcing, and raising prices. Sure, some say lower prices/taxes will bring in more customers and revenue. And that is often true. BUT if so, why have prices for food, water, power, gas, clothing spiked lately???
Seems if raising prices works for the private businesses who produce food, water, power, clothes, gas..................why would a government NOT run it like a business and raise their prices (taxes/fees) also?
So, can someone explain to me why, if the government is run like a business, would they not also raise their prices exactly the same way that JIF Peanut Butter, Exxon Oil, the local water and power companies, Cheerios cereal, Regal Cinemas, and any scores of numbers of other private sector companies have done??????????
(**To head it off early, I know the response of "But we can choose to buy a product, we dont choose to pay taxes" is coming. Answer: You choose which city to pay taxes in. And really....do any of us realistically have a choice but to buy power, water, food and gas? No, we dont. Those are staples of survival. That argument is voided.)
So....are we really ready for government to be run like a business? If you were a victim of a horrible crime, and the local police couldn't solve it because they cut costs and lost all their experienced detectives.......would you accept the neighboring city's PD saying "Sorry, we cant loan you one of our experienced detectives, you dont pay taxes here, our taxpayers dont pay to help you. Sorry, but it's just business."
Food for thought.