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Gross inefficiencies in government Nov. 19, 2011 04:29 PM I can validate John Semmens' Nov. 13 letter, "Non-fiction ways to cut budget." I worked almost 17 years in the aerospace industry as a contract administrator doing business with almost all agencies of the government. I, too, witnessed the waste and gross inefficiencies of capital and manpower. I thought Semmens was very generous that the government could get by with half as many employees. I had it pegged at five people for every job. For all the political rhetoric, I have heard only one politician mention cutting the number of federal employees to help reduce the debt and balance the budget. More federal employees will not lower the high unemployment or help the economy. Thank you, John Semmens, for your letter. I had always thought that I was alone in noticing this gross abuse of taxpayer dollars.
Edmund Cates
Non-fiction ways to cut budget Nov. 12, 2011 05:06 PM Robert Samuelson's attempt to portray government's wasteful spending as a "fairy tale" couldn't be further off the mark ("Left and right need to cut budget fairy tales," Opinions, Tuesday). I spent 30 years working inside government. I was surrounded by waste. Management was mostly indifferent to employee performance. Employees were mostly demoralized and underperforming. On top of this, substantial sums are shoveled out the door via corrupt procurement procedures. Government routinely pays higher prices than private consumers pay. Public policies favor inefficiency, shady deals and crackpot schemes. Employees who try to provide value to taxpayers are stigmatized as "not team players." If government were to efficiently perform existing tasks, we could get by with half as many employees. If unnecessary tasks were eliminated we could get by with one-third as many employees. Office space, supplies, and utilities could be commensurately reduced. The notion that taxpayers must be compelled to pay more to "solve" government's budget crisis is a fraud.
John Semmens
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