Guest Column

Let's support those who work for us

By GB LEATHERWOOD
Published September 6, 2007

I suppose there will always be those who believe that all politicians are crooks, all elected officials are incompetent, and all civil service employees are stupid and lazy or they wouldn't be working for government. Administrators are all wasteful and concerned only with lining their own pockets, raising taxes and spending taxpayers' hard-earned dollars. All civil service employees do nothing but sit around drinking coffee and shuffling papers while citizens wait for their services.

I suppose it always will be the case that those with this mindset are the ones with the loudest voices and the energy to spew their venom in the form of vitriolic letters to the editors. It is they who do their best to drum out even the most dedicated, competent and honest administrators.

Why can't those who believe public administration is a worthy profession, that most workers put in a full day's work for the pay they get and look forward to helping those who need their services, get the same attention the rock throwers get? Is it because too many of us secretly believe all government is corrupt, wasteful and inefficient, and that anything government officials say in defense of their actions is self-serving and a cover up?

Or is it just because we know that nothing we say in support of our government will make any difference, so why bother?

Why bother?

Well, for one reason, we demanded the services in the first place. We want good libraries open at reasonable hours staffed by people who know about books, magazines and newspapers. We want safe, clean, attractive parks where we can take our kids or just go for a breath of fresh air now and then. We want sewers to carry away our waste; we want clean water to drink, bathe in and wash our dishes. We demand regulations to protect our property investments. We want clean, safe and smooth streets and roads. If our house or business catches fire, we want trained professionals there in minutes to save us. We don't like getting traffic citations (probably for something we shouldn't have been doing in the first place), but we want criminals detected, caught, prosecuted and taken off the streets.

Someone has to do all these things we expect, and those who are chosen to do them deserve a living wage without continual criticism and accusations of corruption and incompetence.

Are there things that could be done better, faster cheaper? Of course! But lashing out indiscriminately at government in general isn't going to make things better. What we need is calm, rational support for those doing the job and constructive ideas for improvement. "Cut out the fat?" Okay, what fat? "Eliminate the waste?" Okay, what's being wasted? Employees being paid too much? Then how come so many city and county employees can't afford a home here in Hernando County? "Run the government like a business?" Got news for you - government isn't a business!

Let's stop criticizing the folks we've hired to manage our government affairs and work to help them do a better job. Make it possible for them to look forward to coming to work every morning instead of dreading reading the latest attack in the papers.

Let's light that candle instead of just cursing the darkness.

GB Leatherwood is a retiree living in Spring Hill. Guest columnists write their own views on subjects they choose, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.

[Last modified September 5, 2007, 20:45:00]