When you run a government like a business, you ONLY please the donor – not the public
This weekend, my local candidate for City Council Member, called me back after I left a message asking a question about his flier/advertisement.
He stated in his conversation with me that he believed a government should be run like a business. I said, “No – No, it shouldn’t be. It should be run like a household – You pay your bills and balance your books. You spend wisely and put your savings into the bank for a future rainy day.” Suddenly, he agreed – unexpectedly to my surprise. I asked, “then what do you mean when you say ‘You should run your government like a business” – He said “You shouldn’t be trying to please your friends instead of trying please your voters”.
I think he accidentally tried to use something that is popular with voters – but actually meant the opposite of what he meant – which was actually a relief to my ears.
We agreed – Don’t try and appease your donors – Appease your voters, instead.
I’m still wondering if he truly meant what he said – or if he was simply trying to twist my arm. He’s a politician, after all. I was just happy enough that responded to my call.
Still – I’m here to say: DON’T RUN A GOVERNMENT LIKE A BUSINESS. A BUSINESS IS RUN FOR PROFIT – A GOVERNMENT IS RUN TO KEEP A CITY RUNNING. TAXES MAKE THE CITY RUN. PROFITS MAKE A BUSINESS RUN.
About Ginger
About me...let's see...
I guess I'm just another tree-huggin', commie, Cheetos-eating, pajama-wearing, unemployed blogger.
I'm anxious and vainly optimistic about where the country is headed, and openly dreaded the day Bush ever came into political office...I''m not happy about having a party filled with spineless "oh we need to cherish the blue dog dems" ...but I'm also glad that we are finally moving away from the cliff we were all teetering on for the past decade.
What bothers me most is the fact that too few people today understand how incredibly dangerous our government has become or how unreliable and weak our news sources are. I'm not just talking about Fox. I'm talking about the bulk of the mainstream media. It's not liberal - and it's certainly not fair or balanced. My kind of news reporting was the kind I grew up in the 70s, and clearly remember a time when the so-called liberal media was all about reporting the cold, hard facts, filled with investigative journalism, and anchors or reporters who refused to do fluff pieces - like cats stuck in trees, water-skiing squirrels, and Darwin-award-winning idiots who would do anything to make themselves into a news story. Being a reporter meant something more noble than a fat paycheck. You did your job because you wanted to get the truth out there. Now? You're mostly smeared or called a tin-foiled-hat-wearing lunatic of you find out - and expose - any kind of government or corporate corruption.
The upside of today's kind of media? Bloggers are a new breed of journalists - ready to hit the streets...err digital webspace... and have helped get a president elected, and a fascist dictatorship out of power.
