NC State of Business

As we come into this Fourth of July weekend and celebrate our Independence, let's think about two things: first, what Independence meant in 1776 and means today; and second, whether our government of, by, and for the people is really giving us our money's worth.

Independence in 1776 meant risking everything -- the signers of the Declaration pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor -- for the chance to gain freedom from what, to any observer, was a fairly benevolent government. The Crown and Parliament did exact taxes, yes, but the colonies enjoyed a great deal of autonomy and the colonial standard of living was in general higher than in London. Nevertheless, the "Sons of Liberty" distrusted the distant government and fought to go their own way. Loyalists, on the other hand, thought it was treasonous to question the authority of the King, let alone to engage in open rebellion.

What does that mean for us today? We still see flickers of the fires of dissatisfaction, and they flare up no matter whose Administration is governing at a given time. The Sons of Liberty shared many traits with some of our citizens today: a desire to succeed or fail based on their own merits and efforts, and a deep distrust that a national capital would act in their best interests. We're not to the point of open rebellion, thankfully; however, I don't like the tone of a lot of the rhetoric I hear.

The idea of government acting in the citizens' best interest is part of the question of whether our government is giving us our money's worth. What does it mean for government to act in our best interest?*

I think government acts in our best interest when it does what we need it to do (which, like a parent or employer, may not be exactly what we want it to do). But how does government take those actions efficiently and effectively?

For instance, when's the last time you got really outstanding customer service at a government office -- whether it was City Hall, or the county courthouse, or the DMV? When did they delight you by answering your question or taking care of your issue quickly, without a lot of runaround, and with unfailing politeness? To ask it another way, when was the last time you, as a taxpayer, felt as if you got your tax money's worth when you dealt with a government office?

The good news is that some government offices are trying hard to improve. We've been able to help several government offices in North Carolina to eliminate inefficiencies and improve services, and it's just as exciting as helping a manufacturer speed up their exchange-of-die or helping a hospital improve the patient flow through their Emergency Room. In some ways, helping a government office improve is even better, because ideally every dollar they save is a dollar that won't have to be collected in taxes.

Just as we're always looking for manufacturers and service industries that need our help to become more productive and more profitable, we're also looking for government offices that we can help to become more efficient and more effective. If you know of an office that could use our help, let us know! -- and let them know, too.

___
*Yes, you're right, I do work for the University. Yes, that means I do work for the government. Yes, life is full of irony.