Bdos: Bureaucratic gods

Gods unto themselves! That is the way some Government departments behave. When the taxpayers of this country approach them with legitimate concerns, they treat us like common beggars. They want us to literally go down on our knees and entreat them to get their attention.

Read the rest of it. Governmentitis is the same around the globe; in the Caribbean, it is at its worst. What to do with bureaucrats? Electing them doesn't seem to change them. In fact, elections ensure that the populace will be pandered to and buttered up during the election cycle and largely ignored once it's over and the lucky bureaucrat assumes office. Then, the excuse for indifference becomes "the conscience of the bureaucrat." So, what's the best way of ensuring that bureaucrats are responsive? Here's a modest proposal: every bureaucrat is hired on a one year contract and his case files and their disposition must be a matter of public record. At the end of the year, the bureaucrat may be hired for another year only if thirty-five percent of those he served during the year reccomend the continuation of his services. Yes, there are disadvantages to the process, bureaucratic continuity being one of them. That's fine. What matters is that the gods will know that they are not gods but are slaves serving the at the will and pleasure of the people.