I recently received this insightful little story via email, and it made so much sense that I decided to share it with my followers and readers. It’s a great example of how big government works—or doesn’t, depending on your perspective. Take a look. You won’t be sorry—or perhaps you will, depending again on what you think of big government.
Once upon a time, the federal 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 was to do the studies, and one was to write the reports.
Then Congress said, “How are these people going to get paid?” So they created two positions: a timekeeper 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 $918,000 over budget, we must cut back.”
So they laid off the night watchman.
NOW slowly, let it sink in.
Quietly, we go like sheep to the slaughter. Does anybody remember the reason for establishing the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY during the Carter administration?
Anybody? Anything? Anyone? No? Didn’t think so!
Here’s the bottom line: we’ve spent several hundred billion dollars in support of an agency, the reason for which very few people who read 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 2022 — 45 YEARS LATER — AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS “NECESSARY” DEPARTMENT IS $242 BILLION A YEAR. IT HAS 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES, AND LOOK AT THE JOB IT HAS DONE!
(THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD AND SAY, “WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?”)
Thirty-four years ago, 30% of our oil consumption was foreign imports. Today almost 60% of all oil consumed in the U.S. is imported.
Ah, yes — good old Federal bureaucracy.
NOW, WE HAVE TURNED OVER THE BANKING SYSTEM, HEALTH CARE, AND EVEN ELEMENTS OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY TO THE SAME GOVERNMENT.
What can possibly go wrong?
Hello!! Anybody Home?
Signed:
The Night Watchman
