Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Butchering Taxpayers

Aldermen and the mayor are relying too much on the bureaucracy for their information. There is something one must realize about bureaucrats and data: they will give you carefully sifted data that support what they are doing and give them more money.

OK. So you can ask a bureaucrat, “What time do you come to work? What time do you leave? How long is your lunch break?” You could even ask Rick Jones something like, “How much solid waste is taken to the landfill each year?”

For questions like that you can rely on their answers.

But when you ask speculative questions like, “What happens if we…?” “How long would it take to…?” or “What should we do if…?“ you will get carefully culled answers that put constituents in the worst position possible and put them in the best position possible to give rationality to sucking money out of taxpayers pockets to support what they are doing.

That is how the bureaucracy functions.

To a large degree it works that way in the private sector also. That is why one gets second opinions and does additional research before purchasing. That is why businesses like Motor Trend, Consumer Reports and the Good Housekeeping seal are important.

Doctors, lawyers, insurance brokers all tend to cherry pick their data to sell you on them.

Bureaucrats are just as bad—generally worse.

So quit relying on bureaucrats for information.

Also remember, that you have limited time for your research. Under pressure a bureaucrat can spend his whole day researching. You may not believe it, but he has little else to offer you than data. His livelihood depends on it. He has no profit motive. He only has a “you need me” motive.
You will have trouble “out-researching” them.

So when dealing with a bureaucrat you must also have a strong philosophical base from which to operate. Otherwise you will be meat for their grinders.

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