[from occupied ga]

made $164,000 a year and supervised 300 employees and part of the city’s $1 billion budget, Maccarone said.

I'd say this illustrates more than one sort of parasite. What value can the city government possibly add to make it worth a billion a year?

[marktwain]

What value can the city government possibly add to make it worth a billion a year?

Streets, basic sanitation, garbage pickup, police services, etc.

That may not add up to a billion, because there are a lot of "parasitic" stuff added on, but they account for a good chunk.