Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghostvette
I will agree with parts of this, the Unibomber managed to live off the grid for several years before he got caught, so theoretically it's possible. Term limits is a start, but the real problem lies in the 'bureaucracy' that is the Federal Government. You have a legion of un-elected people making rules and regulations, that are not accountable to the taxpayers (BATF is a prime example). I've been to my state capital and seen the 'waste, fraud & abuse' that happens there, and I can reasonably presume that the same level or worse, exsists at the Federal level. For example, in an office of 10 people (the DMV in Topeka), there will be 3 actually engaged with serving the public. The other 7 are either 'on break', 'out having a smoke' or 'just sitting on their backside, doing nothing'.  I know they are supposed to be at work, because their computers are on, their trash is on their desk, but their backside isn't in the chair or at the counter. That's where I have a problem with government. I'm paying you (in a figurative sense, through taxes) to provide a service to me, the taxpayer, not sit on your kester and file your nails. 
My proposition is to eliminate between 30 & 50% of the Federal 'workers' (I can't say that with a straight face...  ) and encourage those remaining to actually put in a 40 hour work week by setting standards of production, with appropriate incentives or disincentives (boot out the door, if they fail to perform).
I could go on and on, but you get the idea.
I'm not against a strong Federal government, I'm just anti-them poking their nose where it don't belong...  |
Well, I thought about the unibomber example when I wrote my schpeel, but he was a terrorist, not a law abiding citizen, so I’d say that’s a bad example. Also, surveillance tech has come so far so fast I still say no one can truly be “off grid” anymore. I mean sure you can unplug so to speak and go live out in the middle of nowhere but if the feds want to find you and see what you’re up to, they can.
Accountability for unelected bureaucrats is definitely a good thing. I don’t know what an exact % should be as far as trimming the workforce. I will say that the DMV is probably the worst example of govt you could cite tho.
Although, to be fair, the dmv here locally is pretty good, best outta anywhere else I’ve ever lived. I think the ability to make an appointment ahead of time makes a big difference and I haven’t noticed the cliche 7 folks on break for every 3 working either, but I have experienced that in the past in other places.
At the end of the day it just boils down to better transparency and accountability for govt folks and agencies. Whether it’s the police, dmv, Congress, FAA whatever. Just doing this would help a lot.