Sound familiar? "All politics is local." Tip O'Neal

Thanks to our excellent historian Ms. J. Stock for this piece!


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.

NOW slowly, let it sink in.

Quietly, we go like sheep to slaughter.

Does anybody remember the reason given for the establishment of the DEPARTMENT
OF ENERGY.... during the Carter Administration?

Anybody?

Anything?

No?

Didn't think so!

Bottom line. We've spent several hundred billion dollars in support of an
agency...the reason for which not one person who reads this can remember!

Ready??
It was very simple...and at the time, everybody thought it very appropriate.

The Department of Energy was instituted on 8-04-1977 TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON
FOREIGN OIL.

Hey, pretty efficient, huh???

AND NOW IT'S 2009 -- 32 YEARS LATER -- AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS "NECESSARY"
DEPARTMENT IS AT $24.2 BILLION A YEAR. THEY HAVE 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND
APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES; AND LOOK AT THE JOB THEY HAVE DONE!
THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD AND SAY, "WHAT WAS I THINKING?"

Ah, yes -- good ole bureaucracy.
AND, NOW, WE ARE GOING TO TURN THE BANKING SYSTEM, HEALTH CARE, AND THE AUTO
INDUSTRY OVER TO THE SAME GOVERNMENT?HELLOOO! Anybody Home?


Tom Ford

NO. 698