| mySPIN |
 Rewards and punishments
by Tom Campbell
June 10, 2010
North Carolina’s current situation is discouraging. We have current and projected budget deficits unseen since The Great Depression. It is difficult to find an agency or program of government we can describe as excellent or outstanding. Polls affirm that we don’t believe government, at most any level, is working well. Perhaps we need to step away to gain a better perspective. Let’s examine three big picture rewards and punishments that might help make government more effective.
Our elected officials are clearly more interested in legislating than in governing. There is more than a semantic difference between these two words. One definition of the word govern is “to exercise a deciding or determining influence…” During these troubled times our Governor, our legislature and all local officials need to change their focus to actively governing, truly involving themselves in what and how well government is performing. We are not suggesting they insert themselves in day-to-day decisions but that they set very clear goals and demand excellence in outcomes. If agencies, programs or employees are not meeting these goals, elected officials must ensure these outcomes are achieved by elimination, reform or replacement of employees.
If elected officials knew with certainty that it was the voters, not special interests, who were their bosses, if they were really elected according to what they accomplished or how well they managed government most would change or be turned out of office. Elected officials don’t truly understand these rewards and punishments because we routinely elect them year after year without much regard to performance.
Too frequently government is populated with idealists, those looking job safety and security or by people with a goal of gaining experience that can be leveraged into a more lucrative private sector position in a few years. North Carolina doesn’t demand employee excellence with the kinds of incentives or punishments found in the private sector to attract the best and brightest. Those bright souls who do take government jobs quickly run into the wall of bureaucracy, excessive regulations and a general “go along to get along” attitude. Most capable and dedicated public employees will tell you how they could perform better, but too few in authority either ask or attempt to make needed changes.
Citizens like to moan that government doesn’t work, but we are more the problem than either our elected officials or public employees. Our voting record demonstrates we don’t learn the issues or take time to know who is and who isn’t getting the job done. The government we get is the government we demand.
Perhaps we just don’t have sufficient rewards or punishments for doing our jobs, although our ultimate punishment is clearly predicaments like we currently face. But taking a page from our willingness to give incentives to corporations who bring jobs to our state, what would happen if we paid every registered voter fifty dollars as an incentive to vote? Or maybe each person who voted would be given a number and we would hold a drawing for a cash prize, or a cushy government job or even an elected position. Or is it a sufficient reward to have a government that works, with elected officials who do great jobs and public employees who excel?
Would you rather whine or vote? |
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