When Government Does Too Much, It Doesn't Do a Very Good Job

When government has too much to do, it doesn't do a very good job.  You see, things get prioritized, and some things will always fall to the bottom of the list.  If there is no incentive to make things better, things won't get done.  Does that make sense?  It happens in our homes.  Some tasks fall to the bottom of the list and we don't feel like doing them.  In an organization, have you ever wanted to get something done, and gave up because there were too many roadblocks?  Did you find the people saying, "This place could be so much better if they only did . . . .  "this."?  Sometimes when we ask the right people we find out that things can easily get done, but in some instances, too much bureaucratic red tape, and in some cases silly laws and regulations prevent good things from getting done.  

Incentive is a wonderful thing.  When you had to do your chores as a child, did you get on them right away, or did you leave them for your mother or father to do?  What if your mother and father told you, that it was your job?  Sure it may have been your job, but what if they gave you incentive to do that job better?

From private companies to government, incentive works.  The pursuit of happiness in this country is based on freedom.  When you pay fewer taxes you are freer.  If I am forced to pay for a public park or services that I do not know I am funding, I may or may not use them.  If nobody cares, that place might languish.  The people who do want it to be a nice place, a safe place for themselves and their children will suffer because government is getting in the way of  making it better.  Sometimes things just need to get done.  A field full of trash will remain a field full of trash when everyone pays taxes on the field, but no one really cares whether there is trash there or not.  What if there were an incentive to clean it up, to make it better, to make it a place that people could use for activities?  Why not?  What if they sold things there?  What if they rented out space for organizations to use on particular days of the year, then used the funds to improve the site?  When the right owner or worker gets behind something, then it will succeed and prosper. 

This article from John Stossel explains these thoughts nicely:

http://townhall.com/columnists/JohnStossel/2010/12/01/making_parks_decent_again