[quote=CDMA ENG][quote=harvey][quote=CDMA ENG]There are just as many scumbags in the private sector as there are in the public[/quote]
You are missing the point.
It’s about accountability.
Are there scumbags that work at IBM? Probably. Like you said, there are scumbags everywhere.
What should be done about scumbags at IBM? That’s up to IBM. It’s a private business, how it is run is a private matter between managers, employees, and shareholders. Unless there are actual criminal laws broken, it’s not a matter of public policy.
Public workers are “the government.” They work for the public: you, me, everyone. The taxpayers are the “shareholders” – we have a right, and civic obligation – to demand accountability. We have a right to question whether the managers are meeting their fiduciary obligations and are efficiently and effectively providing services we pay for.
That’s the very definition of the distinction between “public” and “private.”
I understand that this thread is probably not the most meaningful way to seek accountability from the public-sector (it’s even a bit petty.) But it’s informative in a fun way.[/quote]
Please… Plenty of laws have been broken in the private sector as well…
Best way to commit a crime in this country is to be white… white collared… and the bigger the fraud the less likely you will be convicted.
Makes no difference private or public.
As the Human Torch says… Flame on! And the smarter in the group will ignore this thread as it deserves to be…
CE[/quote]
Totally agree with you, CE.
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Pri,
You really don’t seem to understand the relationship between taxpayers and govt employees. Taxpayers are *consumers,* not shareholders or employers. Government employees are accountable to their employers — the agencies they work for — and the bosses/politicians who oversee them.
Businesses are only accountable to their customers(in the sense that you intend) to the extent that their customers have the right to buy or not buy their products. In the U.S., with the exception of federal taxes, you get to choose which taxes you prefer to pay. Some states have no income tax, some have no sales tax, some have very low property taxes, etc. You can choose to “buy” residency in a state/county/city — and pay the price quoted — or you can choose to move to another state/county/city that has tax laws you find more favorable. It is more of a “free market” than you’d like to admit.
The politicians ARE accountable to the public/voters, but unelected public employees are no more accountable to taxpayers than an employee in a private company is accountable to that company’s customers. Yes, you can get into trouble if you piss off a customer, but the customer is not the employee’s boss/employer.
