Jennifer Government

[lifewithoutanet]

Anyone ever read that book?
Not as far away as it seems: NYT: Cities turn to fees to fill budget gaps - The New York Times- msnbc.com

-C.

[BASE1190]

I think at some point more people will wake up and realize that the government has mortgaged their future. The more the state (all levels of government) takes from them, the less they have to lose.

[lifewithoutanet]

That wasn't my point, but I agree. We've got the same mismanagement in government that we have everywhere else.
From the book's synopsis:
Taxation has been abolished, the government has been privatized, and employees take the surname of the company they work for. It's a brave new corporate world, but you don't want to be caught without a platinum credit card—as lowly Merchandising Officer Hack Nike is about to find out. Trapped into building street cred for a new line of $2500 sneakers by shooting customers, Hack attracts the barcode-tattooed eye of the legendary Jennifer Government. A stressed-out single mom, corporate watchdog, and government agent who has to rustle up funding before she's allowed to fight crime, Jennifer Government is holding a closing down sale—and everything must go.

"Rustle up funding" in this case means if you want a crime against you looked into, you better have the money to fund the investigation. I just thought that "accident response fees" drew an erie parallel to the book. It's not amazing work of literature, but it was a fun read.

-C.

[BASE1190]

Do you think competition in business is a good thing? Or do you prefer monopolies and having no choice? The government restricts competition through licenses, regulations, fees, zoning, taxes, subsidies, and many other ways. Many of these laws and regulations are promoted and advanced by industries, businesses, and unions, who wish to limit their competition and gain power. People are using government to favor some, at the expense of others. I am in favor of competition because I know that it will lead to better products and services, better prices, and more efficient uses of resources. Today the police have a monopoly on solving crimes and catching criminals. Without competition they do not need to worry about other individuals taking over market share and putting them out of business. In most cases these police departments are actually rewarded with an increase in funding simply because there is an increase in crime. That is the antithesis of performanced-based pay! When people are paid the same whether they do a marginal job or a great job, then quality will go down, especially when competition is prevented. Contrary to popular beief, there actually does exist a great incentive to voluntarily fund a private police. The most insane point is that the police (and government in general) now get their funding through taxes which are collected through the threat or use of coercion and force. Basically they point guns at everybody in order to get the money to protect the people they're pointing guns at. Behind all of bureaucracy is a gun.