Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman
your statement wasn't that the government wasn't financially efficient...your statement was that government employees are another form of welfare....
and you are also off on your "Bet"....I wouldn't say it is a 1 to 5 ratio.
I'd give you a 10 to 1 ratio....for every 10 employees that work...there's one slug...I work with one, guys friggin useless...but the other 7 people I work with come in, on time, and work a full day for a full day's pay
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I can only account for personal experience and the experiences I'm told about by close friends. The reason I say 1 to 5 is because there are examples of uselessness throughout every government agency. 80% is certainly an exaggerated number but I'd seriously wager that in many government jobs at least 25% of those employed are useless.
For 4 years I volunteered as an assistant director of a high school after school program. I was at the school 3-4 days/week for 4 months per year. The 4-5 janitors sat in the back closet all day and watched tv or played cards, the 3 groundsmen hung out in the field shed watching tv or sleeping during the winter, a large portion of the teachers didn't give a damn about anything and 5-7 secretaries in the office that grumble all day. Just from what I saw for 4 years, a school that was $2million over budget could have eliminated at least 5 or 6 shlubs and would have saved close to $500k/year.
My current work has me contracting with schools, towns and the state quite regularly. One day I'm working at a school, the next day I'm working in the Capitol Building and the next day I'm at the Moakley Federal Courthouse. I probably work directly with 20-30 gov't employees per year and encounter hundreds over the course of my contracted work.
I'd say a minimum of 1 out of every 3 people I encounter are there just so that they don't have to be off doing something else or have nothing at all to do - 3 security guards to monitor 1 loading dock, an extra electrician whose job is solely to "make sure the lights are turned on", not to mention it takes a 1 hour onsite meeting with 4 people to decide which direction tables and chairs should face.
Just like with all generalizations, there will be exceptions. You seem to work in an area that is efficient and effective. You and the people that you work with should be commended, because that is not the norm.
And I'm not just talking about your labor-oriented positions. There's even more waste and uselessness when you start talking about government employees that wear a suit to work.