Imagine the impossibility of tracking all the UPS packages without a computer system...
Posted on 03/19/2011 4:17:14 AM PDT by Scanian
Across the country, the interests of organized labor, elected officials and taxpayers are colliding over wages, work rules and the astronomical costs of retiree pensions and health care. As important as these specific issues are to resolve, there is another, more fundamental problem causing so many Americans to lose faith in their government: It is not government unions per se but progressive government itself—long celebrated in Wisconsin, New York and elsewhere—that no longer produces progressive results.
In the early 20th century, the progressives championed a rule-based approach to public-sector management that was a big step forward from the cronyism and corruption of Tammany Hall. Today, however, the very rules that once enhanced accountability, transparency and efficiency now stifle the creativity of public-sector workers and reduce the ability of public investments to create opportunities for citizens—outcomes precisely the opposite of those intended by Progressive Era reformers.
New York City has more than 300,000 employees who work under more than 100 collective-bargaining agreements, along with layers of bureaucratic state civil-service laws. State law mandates that over 1,500 job titles must be filled through competitive written exams, specifically ignoring an employee's actual performance or qualifications. We are even required to administer a civil-service test for the head of our Police Department's counterterrorism unit! (We found a way around it.)
Seniority rules require that layoffs are based on date of hire, not merit. These rules also prevent any significant rewards for outstanding performance and make dismissing bad apples in the Big Apple all but impossible. Even asking employees for their ideas can be against the rules.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
He wouldn't be there unless he hated my cracker-white behind.
The first thing is we need to rethink what governments should be doing. The bulk of government budgets are for entitlement programs. Most of these should be handled by other means. When I was a kid churches ran huge free hospitals. The churches got ruled and regulated out of the business so government could take over and “more fairly and more efficiently” serve the voting poor.
Then, we need to go through government and replace obsolete functions with technology.
And, lastly, lest you think we’ve done away with cronyism; I know an El Salvadoran who went to the DMV with a visa and applied for a driver’s license. Along with the license they registered him to vote (and gave him voter’s ID.) He’s a registered Democrat.
Amen.... great post
A fellow FReeper uses the term “progressivik”. I rather like it....
Our "Progressive" educational system in action.
It takes only a modicum of research to discover how evil "statism with a pretty name" is.
I have an online account with social security and do all my dealings on line.
As a matter of fact, when I began, I took the form completed on line to the SS office and gave it to the woman at the window and bypassed all those waiting in line. She looked it over, nodded and that was it.
Once upon a time, a great many Americans worked in manufacturing. But, with advances in machinery, and off-shoring of industry, the need for industrial labor steadily decreased. Today, only a small percentage of the population works in manufacturing.
Once upon a time, a great many Americans worked in offices providing services. But, with advances in computers, and off-shoring of service work, the need for office labor has steadily decreased. Today, a much smaller percentage of the population works in offices.
Bottomline: We are productive, but where are the jobs?? Can society function when we have goods, and not much need for much of the population to labor?
No, I own my own businesss. It was just an observation.
When they came in, I found that it speeded up some slow workers and slowed down some of the fast ones.
The worst phenomenon I noticed was the “data processing” BS-er who regarded computers as an end in themselves rather than tools and a means to an end.
Bad employees will use computers and computer problems to excuse lack of productivity. And government employess didn’t seem to be made anymore efficient at all.
Just my personal observations. If yours have been different, God bless you!
I usr them (obviously) and enjoy them immensely. I just don’t think they’ve been the boon to the workaday world that some people thought they would be.
Exactly...so let’s call it a “leftist” educational system or something similar because that is exactly what it is.
I would say its use is very significant in that when the Progressives of Wilson’s day were all but vanquished, they changed their ideological name to something else like Liberal or managed to infiltrate their way into both parties knowing they would amass power again to bring their bile back to what many call the mainstream.
Some marched off with orders to the left and others marched off with orders to the right. Now we have this horrible goverment elitist group who are essentially all on the same side and play us against each other with their good cop, bad cop routine over and over again.
By calling them what they really are in no way diminishes today’s labels but only augments them as a way for us to readily identify the Progressives among our ideological center who are chipping away at what being a Conservative really is.
Shall we go through the list? Nixon, Ford, McCain and on and on and on. If we are ever going to rid our society of these wolves in sheeps clothing, we had better start calling them wolves or they will remain in our midst as sheep one by one killing off the flock.
I use them (obviously) and enjoy them immensely. I just don’t think they’ve been the boon to the workaday world that some people thought they would be.
Probably true of a great many inventions. Computers are not the end all, but they sure consume time, with a return on investment if used wisely.
Yes, like "Gay" as opposed to "Homosexual", or "nuance" as opposed to "outright lie" or "civili right" as opposed to "stealing from others so some lazy ass can be supported without doing anything but existing and some weasel can get reelected".
In the end it all boils down to marxism of one flavor or another.
“wisely”
A desperate national shortage of wisdom is at the root of most of our problems, wouldn’t you say?
Nobody possessed of a speck of wisdom would fall for government union propaganda, for instance.
Bottomline: We are productive, but where are the jobs?? Can society function when we have goods, and not much need for much of the population to labor?
An interesting comment on Rush yesterday by a caller that had lived in Saudi Arabia. Claiming I believe rightly that they import much of their “menial” labor, or labor period.
Making for an interesting lack of need for “workers” among the ruling/pontificating class. There is much to be learned and much to be gained by working.
The media tends to have us a service economy in contrast to days of yore, when we produced or made things. I’m not so sure working at McDonalds is the pinnacle of service.
As you indicate things are ever changing, and aren’t likely to slow down anytime soon, we adapt or rot.
...or attach themselves to a democrat party, and yet...
Imagine the impossibility of tracking all the UPS packages without a computer system...
Heritage—Poverty
http://www.heritage.org/research/testimony/understanding-and-reducing-poverty-in-america
New Family Facts Web Site Arms Conservatives
http://links.heritage.org/ct/5577067:8311351262:m:1:207769981:33EE1108F3402A1C048595C786C44F55
VIDEO
http://links.heritage.org/ct/5577065:8311351262:m:1:207769981:33EE1108F3402A1C048595C786C44F55
THAT is an indisputably excellent use for computers.
The conversation started out by citing how computers have added to employee sloth. Especially government employees.
My classic example is the Permitting Dept. The ones I’ve dealt with in Florida were horrible and inefficient BC and remain the same AC. And I don’t notice any fewer employees there either.
It’s still the County Home for the Mentally Ill and Retarded and most others I’ve heard of are the same way. (I don’t doubt there are exceptions but they have to be RARE exceptions)
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