The privatization of gov’t jobs has exploded in the last 8 years with NO ACCOUNTING for whether it has saved us money or cost us more money. I’ve never understood how a for profit company could save the gov’t money.
lalas- it depends on how you count it. Instead of supporting benefits, etc., theoretically you can pay a smaller direct fee to someone with no short-term bennies and no long-term retirement benefit lump to be paid down the line. Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually look that way, and you actually pay a premium so the for-profits get their cut here and now. But you can proclaim that you’ve “reduced headcount” without saying you’re now paying 30% more for outsourcing. After all, it’s not like we can outsource the government security files to India, can we?
The myth is that business is more efficient than government, but they also charge more, and they’re not necessarily more efficient in different contexts.
And of course people like Blackwater (which got a slap on the wrist for its gun-totin,’ trigger-happy tough-guy wannabes) and Halliburton rode the gravy train for a while, which certainly benefits Cheney and friends of Bush – and sorry, TGS, I’m blaming Cheney for some of that. Does that count?
Ok, so if the government pays desk people they are lazy but if the private sector pays the same people they can’t be? Explain the logic behind that, please!
Up here (we have a bigger government than you) there’s a line at government offices but go at the local Dollar Store or Canadian Tire (Canada’s Home Depot, sort of) and there’s a line too.
What I like here is that you can apply for a lot of things online; apply for a student loan, apply for a hunting license, pay the water bill…
Services Nouveau-Brunswick is a leader in that kind of stuff and it does it in two languages (a difficulty you guys don’t have). I’m not sure if they do the same in other provinces though…
Point is, government stuff doesn’t have to be a nightmare! The good use of new technologies is a good place to start.
TheGreatSatan over 15 years ago
Exactly. Don’t let his cult members know that though, they might get upset and somehow blame Bush.
lalas over 15 years ago
So if a large part of his package involves infrastructure developments how does that equate to desks? How does it even equate to gov’t jobs?
lalas over 15 years ago
The privatization of gov’t jobs has exploded in the last 8 years with NO ACCOUNTING for whether it has saved us money or cost us more money. I’ve never understood how a for profit company could save the gov’t money.
Motivemagus over 15 years ago
lalas- it depends on how you count it. Instead of supporting benefits, etc., theoretically you can pay a smaller direct fee to someone with no short-term bennies and no long-term retirement benefit lump to be paid down the line. Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually look that way, and you actually pay a premium so the for-profits get their cut here and now. But you can proclaim that you’ve “reduced headcount” without saying you’re now paying 30% more for outsourcing. After all, it’s not like we can outsource the government security files to India, can we? The myth is that business is more efficient than government, but they also charge more, and they’re not necessarily more efficient in different contexts. And of course people like Blackwater (which got a slap on the wrist for its gun-totin,’ trigger-happy tough-guy wannabes) and Halliburton rode the gravy train for a while, which certainly benefits Cheney and friends of Bush – and sorry, TGS, I’m blaming Cheney for some of that. Does that count?
raycity over 15 years ago
Goverment does not use shovels hire 10,000 Gov workers with teaspoons and pay union wage
HUMPHRIES over 15 years ago
fennec, why? They’ve done that very seldom, think they might start now?
CorosiveFrog Premium Member over 15 years ago
Ok, so if the government pays desk people they are lazy but if the private sector pays the same people they can’t be? Explain the logic behind that, please!
TheGreatSatan over 15 years ago
“but if the private sector pays the same people they can’t be? Explain the logic behind that, please!”
They’d get fired.
CorosiveFrog Premium Member over 15 years ago
they’d get fired in the public sector as well.
TheGreatSatan over 15 years ago
“they’d get fired in the public sector as well.”
Apparently you’ve never been to a DMV or a public school.
CorosiveFrog Premium Member over 15 years ago
Up here (we have a bigger government than you) there’s a line at government offices but go at the local Dollar Store or Canadian Tire (Canada’s Home Depot, sort of) and there’s a line too.
What I like here is that you can apply for a lot of things online; apply for a student loan, apply for a hunting license, pay the water bill…
Services Nouveau-Brunswick is a leader in that kind of stuff and it does it in two languages (a difficulty you guys don’t have). I’m not sure if they do the same in other provinces though…
Point is, government stuff doesn’t have to be a nightmare! The good use of new technologies is a good place to start.
Motivemagus over 15 years ago
Actually, the DMVs in Massachusetts (or at least in Boston) are quite efficient, considering how many people they have to move through.
TheGreatSatan over 15 years ago
You two can go ahead an lie to yourselves about the government being better than the average citizen all you want it won’t make it true.
It’s odd that liberals vocally denounce corrupt government practices but VOTE for them time and time again.
Motivemagus over 15 years ago
TGS - obviously not, since I voted against Bush-Cheney twice…