This weekend our traffic enforcement

[Raza]

If I lived in an area that had carpool lanes: and one that also opened them up to hybrid vehicles: I would have no choice but to buy an older Insight and swap an ITR engine into it...

Hmm, or throw some Hybrid Synergy Drive badges on a turbo Supra or MR-2 Spyder...

[TheIntrepid]

Hmm, or throw some Hybrid Synergy Drive badges on a turbo Supra or MR-2 Spyder...

My friend has "Hybrid" badging on his Barcelona Red 2007 Camry LE... so he parks in the Hybrid spots and uses the HOV lane.

[Soup DeVille]

My friend has "Hybrid" badging on his Barcelona Red 2007 Camry LE... so he parks in the Hybrid spots and uses the HOV lane.

Brilliant!

I sill like my idea: a 1900 lb 185 HP wolf in sheep's clothing...

[Eye of the Tiger]

Brilliant!

I sill like my idea: a 1900 lb 185 HP wolf in sheep's clothing...

K24-powered Insight?

[Soup DeVille]

K24-powered Insight?

I was thinking B18, but yeah, same idea.

[dazzleman]

It's true that much of the government is inherently wasteful...usually the bigger the government, the more waste there is. That inherent waste not only makes the public cynical but hurts the "worker bees" in government who actually do the nuts and bolts work that serves the public directly. After all, do you think the high muckamucks in their ivory towers do without when the funding gets cut because the public has become cynical with overspending? Nope. It's the actual workers who go without...and have to keep doing the jobs that the public needs without proper resources.

You're right.  But the unions that unions that government employees belong to are a big part of the problem.  Their attitude is to defend the worker right or wrong, and to prevent reward for superior work.  They therefore effectively reward mediocrity and punish exceptional work.  That's one reason why government is less efficient than it should be.  If you work for government, you effectively get treated no better than the worst worker, and that is demoralizing for people who want to excel.  It's also wasteful of the taxpayers' money.

[James Young]

It is a given of conservative and anti-government reactionary dogma such as that represented by Grover Norquist, that the government is wasteful and inefficient.  This is less the result of careful observation than an inherent hatred of government without regard to its form.  No doubt there are instances where public money is wasted or used less effectively than it could be.  However, a critical analysis of comparative effectiveness and efficiency would belie that basic assumption.

Consider, for example, the cost of administering the insurance industry versus the cost of administering the largest insurance scheme, Medicare.  The industry average is 9.1% of premium revenue for private carriers while it is only 2% for Medicare.  Further, consider the costs of administering nationalized healthcare in several foreign nations (France, Great Britain, Canada).  The US spends about 16% of GDP on healthcare costs while Canada spends 9.7% and France spends 9.5%, yet both France and Canada enjoy healthier populations than the US.  To make matters even worse, health insurance industry administrative costs and profits are considered expenditures for healthcare. 

[GoCougs]

GoPubes, don't use the carpool lane. Only jackasses do that.

Time to grow up.

[GoCougs]

From what you've said in the past, I never got the impression that you were a lead-foot.  I got the impression that you're the type of guy who does 10 mph or less over the speed limit.

I agree with you that a ticket every so often is worth it, in order to be able to maintain a reasonable speed.

My entire working life I've never had a commute - I've either worked from home, or lived only a few miles from the office. Now that I'm slogging it out with who knows how many other underlings on some of the worst roads in the nation, the willingess (and really ability) to follow the speed limit evaporates.

[bing_oh]

You're right.  But the unions that unions that government employees belong to are a big part of the problem.  Their attitude is to defend the worker right or wrong, and to prevent reward for superior work.  They therefore effectively reward mediocrity and punish exceptional work.  That's one reason why government is less efficient than it should be.  If you work for government, you effectively get treated no better than the worst worker, and that is demoralizing for people who want to excel.  It's also wasteful of the taxpayers' money.

I know that alot of people are staunchly anti-union, holding the opinion that the union is an outdated creature better left in the time of the industrial revolution and the robber barons. I'm not one of them (interestingly enough, given my conservative political beliefs). Neither am I a person who believes that all workers should be unionized...I believe that workers and companies CAN work well together without the need for union representation.

However, I think it's too far to go to say that unions are a major cause of government inefficiency. Government employment is a place where ass kissing, ass covering, and back stabbing are still very much alive and well. It's also a place where the old addage "it's not who you know, it's who you blow" applies.

Let me give you a personal example...

I once worked for a police department that was nationally accredited. Accreditation in LE essentially means that you have ALOT of policies and procedures (more realistically, it means that there's a policy and/or procedure for everything you do...we always joked that there was a policy on taking a crap including how long you could take, how many sheets of tp, and which direction you were permitted to wipe). Basically, no matter what one of us did on duty, we were virtually guaranteed to be in violation of a policy or procedure. Seems a little asanine, right? Not if you look at it from the city government's standpoint. The city government loved this because, if an officer did something that got the city sued, they could quote some obscure policy or procedure, say that the officer was in violation, and dump all financial liability on the individual officer. Well, as you could probably imagine, it was also very easy for a supervisor to discipline an officer who he didn't like for whatever reason...and that discipline was totally legitimate under the extensive policies and procedures. In this case, the union was invaluable in protecting the individual officer.

Also, remember that government unions don't have the "teeth" that unions in the private sector have. In the vast majority of states, it's illegal for government employees (especially essential employees like public safety) to strike. That means, even with union representation, most government employees are at the mercy of (usually elected) higher government officials.

And, on the topic of higher officials, realize that these are the people who make the financial decisions in government, not the unionized workers. They're the key to government inefficiency and overspending, as they hold the purse strings.

[dazzleman]

My entire working life I've never had a commute - I've either worked from home, or lived only a few miles from the office. Now that I'm slogging it out with who knows how many other underlings on some of the worst roads in the nation, the willingess (and really ability) to follow the speed limit evaporates.

I also find that the more miles I drive, the faster I drive.  If I'm in a period when I'm not driving too much, I'm more mellow about my speed, but when I'm driving a lot, particularly on the highway, I start to push that needle well over to the right.

[dazzleman]

I know that alot of people are staunchly anti-union, holding the opinion that the union is an outdated creature better left in the time of the industrial revolution and the robber barons. I'm not one of them (interestingly enough, given my conservative political beliefs). Neither am I a person who believes that all workers should be unionized...I believe that workers and companies CAN work well together without the need for union representation.

However, I think it's too far to go to say that unions are a major cause of government inefficiency. Government employment is a place where ass kissing, ass covering, and back stabbing are still very much alive and well. It's also a place where the old addage "it's not who you know, it's who you blow" applies.

Let me give you a personal example...

I once worked for a police department that was nationally accredited. Accreditation in LE essentially means that you have ALOT of policies and procedures (more realistically, it means that there's a policy and/or procedure for everything you do...we always joked that there was a policy on taking a crap including how long you could take, how many sheets of tp, and which direction you were permitted to wipe). Basically, no matter what one of us did on duty, we were virtually guaranteed to be in violation of a policy or procedure. Seems a little asanine, right? Not if you look at it from the city government's standpoint. The city government loved this because, if an officer did something that got the city sued, they could quote some obscure policy or procedure, say that the officer was in violation, and dump all financial liability on the individual officer. Well, as you could probably imagine, it was also very easy for a supervisor to discipline an officer who he didn't like for whatever reason...and that discipline was totally legitimate under the extensive policies and procedures. In this case, the union was invaluable in protecting the individual officer.

Also, remember that government unions don't have the "teeth" that unions in the private sector have. In the vast majority of states, it's illegal for government employees (especially essential employees like public safety) to strike. That means, even with union representation, most government employees are at the mercy of (usually elected) higher government officials.

And, on the topic of higher officials, realize that these are the people who make the financial decisions in government, not the unionized workers. They're the key to government inefficiency and overspending, as they hold the purse strings.

But in many places, the unions have effective control over who is elected.  That effectively allows them to make or break their bosses.  I don't think that's a good situation.

[dazzleman]

GoPubes, don't use the carpool lane. Only jackasses do that.

Trep, where did you come up with "GoPubes" from?  I thought you had finished middle school....

[the nameless one]

But in many places, the unions have effective control over who is elected.  That effectively allows them to make or break their bosses.  I don't think that's a good situation.

Bing is talking about law enforcement unions, and your average law enforcement agency nationwide still has something around 30 officers maximum, and many have less than that. You aren't going to influence many election votes with a union representing 30 people.

[TheIntrepid]

Time to grow up.

Grow up? Ha! At least I don't use the carpool lane which is DESIGNATED for commuters who have the decency to share a car to work instead of clogging up the highway. Scratch that, I DO use the carpool lane when I'm alone, but only in my Hybrid car.

[TheIntrepid]

Trep, where did you come up with "GoPubes" from?  I thought you had finished middle school....

I didn't come up with it. I saw it being used somewhere else.

[Champ]

Grow up? Ha! At least I don't use the carpool lane which is DESIGNATED for commuters who have the decency to share a car to work instead of clogging up the highway. Scratch that, I DO use the carpool lane when I'm alone, but only in my Hybrid car.

Do you ever feel bad when you pass a little geo metro who is getting better MPG than you but can't use the carpool lane?

With the new rediculous hybrids coming out, they need to rethink the whole hybrids can use the carpool lane thing.

[Soup DeVille]

Grow up? Ha! At least I don't use the carpool lane which is DESIGNATED for commuters who have the decency to share a car to work instead of clogging up the highway. Scratch that, I DO use the carpool lane when I'm alone, but only in my Hybrid car.

Unless somebody is coming up behind him and he's impeding their progress, he's not clogging up anything.

[dazzleman]

I didn't come up with it. I saw it being used somewhere else.

I'm not sure how it applies to GoCougs.  It's a weak rhyme.  The G-Unit name for Lazerous is a lot better, man.

[dazzleman]

Grow up? Ha! At least I don't use the carpool lane which is DESIGNATED for commuters who have the decency to share a car to work instead of clogging up the highway. Scratch that, I DO use the carpool lane when I'm alone, but only in my Hybrid car.

I'll send a letter to the pope nominating your for sainthood, Trep....

[GoCougs]

Grow up? Ha! At least I don't use the carpool lane which is DESIGNATED for commuters who have the decency to share a car to work instead of clogging up the highway. Scratch that, I DO use the carpool lane when I'm alone, but only in my Hybrid car.

Priceless, and sig worthy to boot.

[dazzleman]

Bing is talking about law enforcement unions, and your average law enforcement agency nationwide still has something around 30 officers maximum, and many have less than that. You aren't going to influence many election votes with a union representing 30 people.

Police unions are about the only public employee unions that I find tolerable.

[Soup DeVille]

Bing is talking about law enforcement unions, and your average law enforcement agency nationwide still has something around 30 officers maximum, and many have less than that. You aren't going to influence many election votes with a union representing 30 people.

I don't know what the politics are like around your neck of the woods, but in the heavily unionized and union-sympathetic Detroit area, there's a lot of cross-influence between different trade unions, so while I think your basic assertation may be correct- that 30 people aren't a huge influence- the confluence of other union support can make a big difference too.

[CALL_911]

Grow up? Ha! At least I don't use the carpool lane which is DESIGNATED for commuters who have the decency to share a car to work instead of clogging up the highway. Scratch that, I DO use the carpool lane when I'm alone, but only in my Hybrid car.

[bing_oh]

Bing is talking about law enforcement unions, and your average law enforcement agency nationwide still has something around 30 officers maximum, and many have less than that. You aren't going to influence many election votes with a union representing 30 people.

Absolutely true. And, while you could argue that the FOP (for example) is a nationwide union and, as such wields enormous political power, that would only be partially true. The FOP is a national union and they do have a bit of political weight in the national political arena, but their political power is realistically limited to the extremely large metropolitan PD's (like NYPD). Politics and political power vary greatly when you're talking about small PD's (and, again, Nameless One is correct when he says that the vast majority of police departments in the nation are small...something like 90% of the US's LEO's are employed by agencies with less than 50 officers) and the monsters like NYPD, Chicago PD, and LAPD. In small towns, the union's national political power means next to nothing.

I don't know what the politics are like around your neck of the woods, but in the heavily unionized and union-sympathetic Detroit area, there's a lot of cross-influence between different trade unions, so while I think your basic assertation may be correct- that 30 people aren't a huge influence- the confluence of other union support can make a big difference too.

To my knowledge, the major LE unions (the Fraternal Order of Police and the Police Benevolent Association) don't do much cross-pollenation with other unions. LE unions tend to have very different political bases than most unions, with most LEO's being very politically-conservative while your average labor unions have a strong liberal/Democrat slant.