Oooooh! The Irony!

[OceanBlue]

Forwarded to me by a friend. Laugh, cry, but please do not start an argument over its contents.

Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a
desert.

Congress said "someone may steal from it at night." So they created a night
watchman position and hired a person for the job.

Then Congress said, "How does the watchman do his job without instruction?"
So they created a planning department and hired two people, one person to
write the instructions, and one person to do time studies.

Then Congress said, "How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks
correctly?" So they created a Quality Control department and hired two
people. One to do the studies and one to write the reports.

Then Congress said, "How are these people going to get paid?" So they
created the following positions, a time keeper, and a payroll officer, then
hired two people.

Then Congress said, "Who will be accountable for all of these people?" So
they created an administrative section and hired three people, an
Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal
Secretary.

Then Congress said, "We have had this command in operation for one year and
we are $18,000 over budget, we must cutback overall cost."

So they laid off the night watchman.

[Paddlefish]

Ouch! Is it okay if I laugh AND cry?

I frequently find myself stuck between a governor/legislator/school board member who sobs, in all sincerity, that more tax money will be needed to avoid the end of education or safety or public health, and an avowed "anti-tax advocate," who cries that we're being "taxed to death" and won't hand over another penny without a lawsuit and/or initiative referendum to prevent it.

I always find myself wondering how my relative tax burden compares with that paid by my parents in the 50s and 60s, when Oregon and its parks and highways were the envy of the nation.

Are we really being overwhelmed by government expense and waste or are we just being more selfish?

Are we being overwhelmed by excess government regulation or simply being protected from the slimeballs who would find a way to take advantage of us without it?

I know that the state didn't provide full-time assistants to hand-hold and assist handicapped students as they do now, but who am I to tell those same students that they can't attend school?

And ADA-required wheelchair access is a large nuisance and expense, but do we just say "No" to disabled veterans or kids with birth defects instead and tell them to stay home?

And, finally, what happened to simple questions, like "Flatfish or Kwikfish?"
:whazzup:

OB,
Sad but true.

[ 12-10-2003, 12:25 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]