Things Are Not What They Used To Be

The Best and the Brightest

By Joe Renna

The distinction between civil servants, elected officials and political appointees is not made clear in the media. As a result, they are lumped together and the public cynicism is applied equally to all. The reputation of the civil servant is unjustly tarnished by this association. They should be given more credit.

Politicians caught in illicit activities makes for sensational news. News of the government operations is dominated by all the misgivings. The good things that government does is taken for granted. The bulk of which is performed by a work force that is in place based on merit and competence and not personal or political favoritism. The very establishment of the civil service system was in response to a spoil system of government that was so corrupt in the 1800's that it raised cause for dramatic reform.

The elected official operates on a plane that is well above the heads of people's day-to-day concerns. They do an extremely important job as legislatures and administrators that very few people are capable of doing. This is not written to diminish their role of their dedication to public service but to boost that of their employees, the unsung and unappreciated, civil servant.

The scope of government service is ever growing. And this is largely due to public demand. The role of the public servant goes beyond that of a clerk. The government must now recruit and retain highly skilled professionals in every field. The government is involved in technological innovation as well as social services. The government must deliver the services that the private sector doesn't deliver mainly because there is no profit to be made. And when you look closely at government operations, either actively or regulatory, the motivation is the health and safety of the public.

Government is trained and equipped police and fire departments. Government is health care, education, recreation, environment, economy. Government is transportation construction and food. When water comes out of the tap, when a toilet flushes, when refuse is carted, that is also government. Government gives us what we need and what we want. It should not be taken for granted.

There has been a decline in the number of people entering public service. This is in contrast to the government's growth. The emanate danger is a short fall of human resources. Society must return to the understanding that civil service is a noble calling. It must encourage its children to pursue public service. It was once the aspiration of many grade school students. Society should work on bringing back those sentiments.

Change must start from the top. The elected official and his appointees must bring integrity to their position of public trust. In good times the public becomes complacent. Given free reign the powers creeped into murky waters. After years of financial mismanagement and corruption the consequences are starting to hit the fan. Headlines about campaign and administrative irregularities, both illegal and unethical, dominate the headlines. The public perception of government lingers around the old stereotypes that date back to when the spoil system was in bloom.

This perception is not true. Thanks to the civil servants, government does deliver the essentials. The graft is most accessible by the politicians. It just takes a few to take advantage of their power and the whole system is guilty by association. This is not fair to the upstanding officials or the hard working employee.

Contrary to popular belief this could be corrected. The power is in the hands of the people. If you don't like what's been going on, make a change, vote for balanced representation. This will raise the bar of accountability.