The fact that government does not have to make a profit (as in the private sector) – is likely a very rooted reason behind some of the apparent behavior and attitudes that are inherent to government bureaucracies – and despite the logic, government continues to grow without having ‘made a profit’ so to speak. How can that be?
While government agencies, departments, etc.., are operating under budgets which have been granted to them by Congress, there is no actual pressure to make a profit. It must be quite a different environment than that of the private sector where employees are part of a company, a business, which will only continue to exist if profits are made.
Motivations are different between .gov and the private sector. Do you agree?
I do not wish to ‘pick on’ any of you who might happen to work for the government (I’m sure many of you do – given the sheer size of government), while I’m simply asking the question while making my own observation – are motivations and attitudes quite different in government versus the private sector?
As we all know (or should know!), the government gets its money from the private sector – the tax payer. Their paycheck comes on the back of the private sector – their employer. I’ll bet though that the government (generally speaking – the agencies, departments within – and all down the line…) doesn’t view it that way… These agencies are appropriated the money from Congress and it’s as simple as that.
As an employee of a company in the private sector, your paycheck comes from the company itself – which would not have any money except for having made a profit (or at least breaking even in their sales of their widgets or services). While not every employee and worker of every company is motivated to the same extent as another, most of them realize that if their company isn’t successful, that their jobs will be at risk.
Do government bureaucracies concern themselves about profits and efficiencies like the private sector? Probably not so much, if at all. On the other hand there is probably a serious motivation to be sure and ‘spend’ all of their allocations (even if wasteful) in order to put in for the same (or more) amount of appropriations for next years budget.
Remember, I’m speaking generally here, while making a general comparison between .gov and the private sector. I have no doubt there are some within government who are adept and efficient, but still, they don’t have to make a profit. There are different motivations at work, wouldn’t you think?
I bring up the notion because I believe this is partly why our government has grown so enormously huge. The attitudes and motivations are a bit different. Additionally, any new agency or bureaucracy or new department, etc.. will want to self-justify their existence and will also want to grow themselves. This is part of a self-preservation attitude (normal human response), and will want to keep their jobs even if they are non-essential.
They don’t have to turn a profit, but instead must become ‘essential’. This is accomplished through PR marketing themselves, scare tactics, ‘feel-good’ programs, political agendas, etc.. all the while they do not worry about having to be efficient at making a profit or making money. They simply spend money. Spend. There is no making money. Congress keeps shoveling the money to them, so there’s nothing to be concerned about…
Why does Congress keep shoveling them the money? Because they are the money brokers of that system and part of the overall machination of government. Another reason is because more of the voters (the majority) have realized that they can vote themselves benefits by electing the politicians who will do it for them. The fact that we don’t have the money is not a problem, because the government simply borrows it from the Fed (from future generations). Although the reality is that it’s so bad now, that there is no possible way that it will ever be paid off – but that’s another story (and eventual collapse).
If we really took a hard look at the many functions within government as it is today, I wonder how many of them would really be ‘essential’? How big of a government do we really need, and why is it always getting bigger? One reason is they don’t have to make a profit. The money is seemingly ‘free’. The joke is on the private sector in a way. I wonder how many laugh at us?
I would dare say that many of the many, many government bureaucracies have been built upon a web of perceived necessity. Who is it that will even question or challenge the bureaucracies in a serious way and their need to even exist? Certainly not us in the private sector – other than the few voices here and there. Everyone’s too busy doing other things. Who has the time to even begin to investigate it anyway and who would even care if it was revealed? Congress should be doing this, but they’re not. They’re simply spending more. They are willing participants in the same gargantuan bureaucracy! The joke’s on us!
We seem to be on a course which simply cannot be changed. The ship is too big and the current is too strong. It is seemingly inevitable that government will continue to grow and grow – all the while they don’t have to make a profit…
Apologies that I’ve been on a .gov rant during these last several articles. I promise to get back to more stereo-typical preparedness soon 😉
In the mean time, what’s your opinion about the apparent inherent differences between .gov and the private sector as it relates to the situation today?
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“I’ve worked in the private sector. They expect results.”
Ray Stantz Ghostbusters 1984
Outstanding.
I think it’s important to remember the congressmen who know the dire need to cut spending. The folks at heritage.org are tops when it comes to researching gov. spending.
It is not about the Govt making a profit, it is about the Govt aquiring powwer.
The only thing government produces is red paper and a huge sucking sound!
lies, debt, and shortages.
The govt is a fat bloated parasite sucking the life blood out of the tax payers.
A Tick comes to mind…
You mean a tick with Lyme disease.
Government, like cancer, once established, is by its’ very nature most interested in the continuance of itself. If the host survives or dies from being consumed is not a concern.
This mindless self-perpetuation is only controlled by aggressive, intentional action by the host or a third party.
If your government is serving itself, rather than serving you, America, then get involved.
We have more tools available to us now than ever before. Internet, social media, town councils, you name it.
Prepare for the worst; WORK for the best.
After working in the public sector for many years I ended up working for my local govt after being laid off many years ago. I would rather work than be on unemployment even though the job was less than half my regular pay. The department I ran had been organized using index cards as a filing system. I, using my own time, wrote a database program to speed up many of the processes and make things more accurate. Admittedly it was selfish but a good investment in my time because it made my day to day job easier. After 6 months I was pushed out of the job by the town administrator because i, in doing my job to the best of my ability, was making him look bad.
Suffice it to say I eventually exposed him for corruption and got him released, the system I wrote 10 years ago is still being used and has not been upgraded, and I will never work in govt again.
I have family members who are part of the public system and in having conversations with them we can’t believe how many people don’t know where there salary comes from. If only there was a way to show them that they actually don’t create anything that in turn generates revenue. The only way their jobs are funded is through taking money from the public. If they get a raise it comes from us, not from selling more widgets. If you work for the public sector, I believe you must be humble and work just as hard as you would in the private sector knowing that you may or may not see any recognition for your hard work.
Actually my Fed Gov’t workplace does make a lot money in campground fees and timber sales like a retail business. It pays the employees and the supplies needed so the tax payer doesn’t have to foot the whole bill. We are one of the most independent gov’t agencies in the country that reinvests into ourselves. We do not get paid much, and most the salaries in my sector are under the median income.
The trade off for lower income comes with those who love to work in the wilderness, who do give back to the public what they want in wilderness areas, fight wildfires to save people’s homes and lives, and help create private sector jobs.
So does my Gov’t workplace make a profit? I think the public profits on having my gov’t work place. I profit by having a gov’t remote campsite with 3/4 mile sandy shoreline on a pristine lake to spend my summers at for no cost. My cousins have 3/4 mile lakeshore property on the same lake and it costs them $20,000 a year in State taxes.
There are many Fed agencies and jobs that do take from the people and give nothing back to the people. It should profit the people for their services, and the people are supposed to be their boss. Those types act as though they are the boss of the people and people should fear them. I would never work for such an agency.
Excellent article and most of us who visit this website realize that the Federal Government is playing with our money…and they don’t care what we think, and as others have said, its about power and control.
In my opinion we could eliminate 90% to 100% of many Federal Departments and we would not miss them one bit, and be better off for it.
(Wish in one hand, spit in the other and see which one fills up first!)
God Save this Great Republic…PLEASE!