This is what bugs me about the notion that we need a chief executive for our nation who can run it like a business. NO! Governments do not seek profits. Capitalists do. Let them.
I partly agree - about the profits thing.
But that is ALSO - a big part of the problem. Government does not seek profits - because they're never in any danger of going out of business. They have no competition. How many businesses can survive being continually in the red - all the time?
There's very little incentive to save money. Many people NOT in government are famliar with THIS, and I have seen it many times - if you end the year UNDER budget, you are HIGHLY LIKELY to get LESS in the next fiscal year. I know - I have actually been part of the decision making to SQUANDER the balance of a budget, so we wouldn't get cut. (Part of that was - our projects from year to year have varying budgets - and in one of those - was going to need ALL of that to roll out stuff in the next year).
You can't get rid of bad workers. Especially if they join the union. IF - you are lucky - and we've done this twice - you can negotiate with other areas to pawn off your bad people on other departments.
They don't have plans for continually improving their workforce and upgrading computers and equipment. Where I worked, we tended to use the same MS operating system or office software until the support for it EXPIRED. That I believe, is ten years after they stop making it. Yes, it means we were using MS XP or Windows 7 long after Microsoft had forgotten it. Offices with large CRTs. People with computers failing because of DUST - because they were over 15 years old.
But they DO manage to waste money continually.
Because advancement is hinged almost entirely on seniority - and because for many agencies, the staff hasn't grown in 40 years - and because federal workers tend to remain for life - there's serious disincentive NOT to work harder, do better work, or accomplish your work efficiently. Because you won't get a boost in salary - you won't get promoted - and you won't be rewarded. Ok, yes, been a federal worker for 35+ years, yes I know there have been "on the spot" awards - but because they don't GROW - like a business does - they won't be opening a brand new facility and management isn't appointing YOU to head up the team (something that DID happen to me, in private industry).
IF - IF - it was run like a business - at least on the points I've made -
You could demote, fire or otherwise dismiss workers who aren't doing their job.
You could promote and reward those doing a stellar job (which encourages others to follow suit).
You could reward departments that find ways to operate more efficiently.
You could upgrade and retrain in areas that effect output - instead of insisting on yearly DEI, Affirmative Action and similar "training" that has no effect on the product of your agency.
And so on. Government is wasteful, because there are extremely strong factors that heavily favor waste and punish efficiency.
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