Public Accountability and "Brownie"

While in Orlando, Florida last week I read this New York Times headline, "China to execute ex-food czar", for an article by David Barboza. First a personal request to all editors out there before I continue this posting -- PLEASE do your part to stop the wanton use of the word "czar" (or "tsar" if you are old school like me) to cover nearly every key government job function!! Drug Czar, War Czar, etc. The only true use for this word is in context for the monarch of old Russia when the czar had ultimate power not to describe a government job -- no one in their right mind would want a true "czar" serving in modern day government.

That said let the posting continue with an obituary reference to Zheng Xiaoyu, the former Director of China's Food and Drug Administration from 1998 to 2005. Due to a series of tainted food scandals which led to the deaths of several people Mr. Zheng has received a death sentence by China's government for his poor job performance. No that is not a typo -- a death sentence was issued for non-performance on a government job.

Imagine how many people we would have on death row were this a policy in the USA!!!! ;-) All kidding aside this is not a policy I would advocate of course but it does highlight an important difference between our two countries in terms of the job performance expectations we have of our public officials. Former public officials like FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Director Mike "Brownie" Brown should pause to reflect on Mr. Zheng's fate.

Rather than appoint more "czars" and/or risk having more incompetent managers like Brownie appointed to offices let us look for opportunities to eliminate entire agencies and departments in the federal government starting with the US Department of Education. Step One -- eliminate this department and divide its entire budget among the 50 state governments to use via block grants for 1.) science and math education 2.) energy research/science fairs 3.) foreign language study so we can become more of a trading nation. Step Two -- that will be addressed in a future posting as I continue offering ways to re-structure and downsize our government.

Citizens make great nations not tax slaves,

Todd