On Sat, 24 May 2008 10:47:02 -0700, "John R. Carroll"
wrote:
snip
You speak of these "Pols" as if they are an alien race that inhabits or
infests government.
I've never understood term limits and chalk them up to the same lazy
thinking that blames the "Pols" for everything.
You are an educator and ought to recognize an apt but lazy pupil when you
see one.
snip
========
My bad...
I should have made it plain that you do not have to be elected
when I use the word "pol."
In too many cases the "pols" indeed become an alien species by
isolation from mainstream society in exactly the same way that
any isolated group does, from the incarcerated to the academic.
To a considerable degree, "term limits" helped by forcing some
circulation in the legislature, and new governors' generally make
new appointments. The major problem now appears to be the
"webes" as in "we be here before you here, and we be here after
you gone," in the bureaucracy. Indeed in many cases senior
individuals in the civil service are more influential than many
individual elected officials, or even considerable blocs of
elected individuals.
This is not to say the "webes" are "evil" or "corrupt"
individuals, although there are a few cases such as Randy "Duke"
Cunningham, that are examples of Lord Acton's observation "power
corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely," after the
corrupting and debasing influences in the "halls of power" have
done their work. However, in the majority of cases, the "webes"
are responding rationally and reasonably to the demands,
expectations, and requirements of *THEIR* environments, which
most unfortunately have significantly diverged over time from the
demands, expectations, and requirements of the "mainstream," i.e.
the people.
I try to never complain or criticize without making at least a
plausible suggestion for improvement or correction. The
complexity of many of the "webe" functions (and simple equity)
indicates that while term limits are not practicable, mandatory
interdepartmental transfer, based on either time or promotion, as
is done in the military (albeit within the same functional areas)
seems to be highly necessary. This is particularly true in the
legislative support staff. Because of existing term limits,
staff for individual legislators is not the problem, but rather
the legislative organizational "infrastructure."
Such transfers are common, even policy, in the private sector for
employees in procrument/financial areas, and almost all of
government involves these areas.
-------------------
Several people have emailed me with observations about the
suggested "Super Prop 13" requirements. One that I should have
thought of is to mandate ratios of police, fire, emts, etc. to
the population of counties, municipalities, etc. to prevent short
changing citizen services, possibly by class of city, i.e. a
requirement that a city of the first class shall employ at least
2.5 but not more than 3.5 full-time law enforcement officers
[working at least 1800 but not more than 2100 hours per year] per
1,000 population. A city of the second class ...
For some national numbers see
http://www.swivel.com/data_sets/spreadsheet/1002383
FWIW SF has 3.1 police per 1k population although annual hrs
worked is unk.
REMEMBER -- WHEN WE DON'T GET WHAT WE WANT -- WE GET WHAT WE
DESERVE…
Unka' George [George McDuffee]
-------------------------------------------
He that will not apply new remedies,
must expect new evils:
for Time is the greatest innovator: and
if Time, of course, alter things to the worse,
and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better,
what shall be the end?
Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman.
Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).