Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMy Word-1994 ed that successful organizations i Cut services? Ra se taxes? separate top management from operations, so as to allow "top There is another option 1 management to concentrate on decision making and direction." ' Osborne and Gaebler in their read Don Boyett's Oct. 2 book Reinventing Government • column titled: "Want to Limit comment that entrepreneurial Government Spending? Limit 2%+4._._,,, _._1'1 government promotes competition Its Services" ._rte— between service providers. Entre- Don has addressed one method � preneurial government empowers __! -- citizens by pushing control out of to limit our tax liability. He has - the bureaucracy, into the commu- suggested a method to control the 1-7. _i Q nity. gtowth of government and its Y 91YY p"Y-:" need to "get into our :•----�--- ge pocket" He • Entrepreneurial governments is assuming that there are only _-- - - measure the performance of their ' two ways to control government My WoTd agences, focusing not on inputs Spending: reduce services or raise but on outcomes. Entrepreneurial taxes. My belief is that people JOHN F BUSH governments are driven by their want and expect another option. goals — their missions — not by Unfortunately, they do not know their rules and regulations. Entre- bow to get what they want. preneunal government prevents People do not want an inferior problems before they emerge, education, fewer public services, Entrepreneurial government rather than simply offering ser- tbads on which traffic hardly will result m another form of gov- vices afterward. moves, a health-care system that ernment that will allow our gov- Entrepreneurial governments 'operates beyond most people's ernmental agencies to do what put their energies into earning -Comprehension, or more crime. they do best — raising resources money, not simply spending. En- Nor do they want higher taxes. and setting societal priorities trepreneurial governments decen- People want better education,bet- through the democratic process trali,e authority, embracing ter community services, roads on while letting the business commu- ter cipatory management. treprte- which they can move safely and 'nity do what it does best— orga- neurial governments prefer mar- quickly to work and play,commu- nizing the production of goods ket mechanisms to bureaucratic nities that are safe for them and and services , mechanisms. And they focus not then' children, a health-care sys- All governments are involved simply on providing public ser- tem that is functional, accessible with two aspects of responsibility. vices,but on catalyzing all sectors and retains their ability to choose One is working through the proc- —public,private and voluntary— providers and physicians, and a sec,of making policy decisions us- into action to solve their commu- government that listens and re- nfg the democratic process (which mty's problems. sponds to their ever-changing is analogous to steering a boat) We need elected officials who needs. and delivering these mandates of realize the strengths of our de- It is obvious that our current de- the people (which is analogous to mocracy and Appreciate the beau- system of government cannot iro'n'ing a boat). My belief is that ty of our participatory govern- even come close to meeting the government should direct its ef- • ment. We need elected officials demands of the public. Because of forts to steering our boat and less who realize that government can- this, the public has lost faith in toward rowing our boat. not deliver all of the service de- elected officials,the programs that "'1 do not want to give the reader manded by our citizens in an effi- we only hear about during cam- the notion that this is my inven- cient and cost-effective manner. ,paigns, and any hope of seeing lion. Peter Drucker long ago not- We need elected officials who be- positive changes or lower taxes. heve that raising taxes is not al- We don't need less government ways the answer to the public's or more government.We need bet- demand for more and better ser- ter government.We don't have too vices. We need elected officials 'much government or too little who welcome new ways of think- government. We have the wrong mg.We need elected officials who kind of government. We need en- will focus our government's ener- trepreneunal government. gies on "steering" rather than 9q/0 / rowing." 1� You see, Don, there is another choice. John F. Bush is manor of Winter Springs.