Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Ben Stein: Bureaucrats are Great, so Lay Off
CBS ^ | March 28, 2010 | Ben Stein

Posted on 03/29/2010 9:55:51 AM PDT by Poundstone

There is a basic assumption among many of us conservatives that bothers me. Basically, the assumption is that if a person is a government employee, then he or she is lazy and shiftless, a parasite just eating up tax dollars without doing anything.

"Bureaucrats" is what the sneering expression usually is.

To put it mildly, this is unfair and not even in the ballpark of what's true.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: employees; government
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 last
To: Poundstone

Just because I say Stein’s point of view is idiotic doesn’t mean outstanding Federal employees are uncommon.


41 posted on 03/29/2010 10:45:24 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: muawiyah

“The law actually requires agencies to “budget” and then “transfer” funds in a requisite amount to OPM for investment what amount to t-bills to cover later retirees.”

Sounds like you’ve got your very own Al Gore style “Lock box”....

It gives me no joy to observe that most government benefits are not going to be paid out as expected - it likely includes military retirement benefits, and Social Security, and others.....

I’m just saying that regardless of how little or how much you do as a government employee - you’re going to get equally hosed like everyone else expecting a government benefit over the long-term.

In that way you are just like state and municipal employees, who are very likely to be in the same situation as you.


42 posted on 03/29/2010 10:46:26 AM PDT by RFEngineer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: woweeitsme

Doing nothing or nothing productive. Most government employees (excluding the military) are engaged in activities that are unconstitutional. Even if they were efficient - and they are not and I don’t want them to be - they should be fired.


43 posted on 03/29/2010 10:56:04 AM PDT by achilles2000 (Shouting "fire" in a burning building is doing everyone a favor...whether they like it or not)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone

IF they weren’t protected by unions and were more accountable for performance there would be a lot fewer inept, incompetent bureaucrats.

Meanwhile- there are plenty of outstanding federal, state and county employees- otherwise it would all be much, much worse.


44 posted on 03/29/2010 11:01:17 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat veteran)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Terabitten

1% seems pretty low.


45 posted on 03/29/2010 11:05:16 AM PDT by ColdWater ("The theory of evolution really has no bearing on what I'm trying to accomplish with FR anyway. ")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone
So, why is it every time I see a government employee driving down the road just before quitting time that they're traveling at 15 mph?

I once worked with a bunch of government folks who had a little saying that they thought was rather comical ... "Don't just do something, stand there!"

46 posted on 03/29/2010 11:19:21 AM PDT by The Duke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ColdWater
1% seems pretty low.

Yeah, it does, but that's what the FERS website says:

Understanding Your FERS Retirement

47 posted on 03/29/2010 11:23:50 AM PDT by Terabitten ("Don't retreat. RELOAD!!" -Sarah Palin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Terabitten

California: 40 years at age 63 = 100%. (pg 19)

http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/hrm/docs/CalPERS_55.pdf


48 posted on 03/29/2010 11:36:38 AM PDT by ColdWater ("The theory of evolution really has no bearing on what I'm trying to accomplish with FR anyway. ")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: muawiyah

“the federal pensions are essentially “paid for” by the employees as a group. The law actually requires agencies to “budget” and then “transfer” funds in a requisite amount to OPM for investment what amount to t-bills to cover later retirees. The state and local systems are mostly promises.”

Thanks, muawiyah. Great information!


49 posted on 03/29/2010 11:41:30 AM PDT by Poundstone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: bjc

When you crank in the cops and firemen (public sector workers) that’s going to balloon the sick days taken.


50 posted on 03/29/2010 12:10:04 PM PDT by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Gene Eric
USPS finds it necessary to hire HONEST PEOPLE, and that gets harder and harder in this society.

You can drop a billfold full of money on the floor of a USPS mail sorting facility's floor and it'll be there until it's taken into custody and accounted for.

That does not happen in other places.

You want employees like that you have to hire those without criminal records, who don't use narcotics, etc.

51 posted on 03/29/2010 12:12:34 PM PDT by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: RFEngineer

State and municipal employees aren’t in as good a position. Their boss does not print money.


52 posted on 03/29/2010 12:13:29 PM PDT by muawiyah ("Git Out The Way")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY

My Dad retired at 55 YOA with 35 years of service with the City of Atlanta. He did not make 100% of his pay, but after a few years of COLAs he was making more. When he passed away in his 80’s he was making probably twice or more than his ending pay.

He worked in the Public Works department, streets, sidewalks, sewers, storm sewers, etc. Started as a laborer ended up as a work crew foreman.

BTW When he retired he was getting 13% on his CDs in 1982 and I was paying 16.25% for a mortgage. He would say he missed the days of getting that interest on his CDs and I would say I do NOT miss the 16.25% mortgage rate.

Another point: When I started work in 1973 fresh out of college, I made the same pay as him, $12,000 a year, while he had been working for 20+ years at that point. He said to go to “trade school”, but I ended being the “college boy.”

My son just graduated with his BS and he started work at about a 67% of what I make today. I wish him well, but I am afraid we are all in for some tough times.

When my Dad retired he hard worked outside most of his work years, it took a toll on him. He was not a parasite.


53 posted on 03/29/2010 1:08:03 PM PDT by Crazy Jim (There are known unknowns and then there are unknown unknowns. - Donald Rumsfeld)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone

With experience in government hierarchies I believe govt functions can be divided into two catagories i.e. service/public utility and regulatoy/control over the public.
There are dedicated persons in both groups ;who place societal actions for worthy goals. It is in the regulatory group where there is the most danger of abuse, especially by those persons who have a desire to lay their whims on others. This is not a democrat or republican or whatever trait. It is what government up to the highest levels of appointed,elected, judicial allows people to demonstrate.
As the Founding Fathers were concernd, our Constitution and govenment is highly dependent on the honor and integrity of people, bottom to top,


54 posted on 03/29/2010 1:10:51 PM PDT by noinfringers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY

>>> Mr Stein was referring to some examples of government workers, who are maligned by the term “bureaucrat.” <<<

Mr Stein did not refer to a single bureaucrat in his list. He mistook the definition of the word.


55 posted on 03/29/2010 8:06:09 PM PDT by Pikachu_Dad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-55 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson