Why government doesn't work

[Hawkmoon]

I don't think this is political, just a general observation on wide-spread incompetence. Someone just e-mailed me a safety memo from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Right at the top it starts off with the following:

In 2012, there were 775 total fatalities in construction and of that number, 269 were fatalities.

That's not a typo (at least not on my part) -- that's exactly what was written and promulgated by the State of Connecticut. It's painfully obvious that they don't teach readin' and writin' in school any more.

The obvious question is: If 269 of the 775 fatalities were fatalities, what were the other 506 fatalities?

[Nick1911]

Well, they weren't fatalities.

Obviously, they were fatalities.

[Hawkmoon]

Best I can come up with is that in 2012 some fatalities were more fatal than other fatalities.

[Kingcreek]

My professional license requires 150 hours of continuing education. A minimum of 60 hours of pre approved authorized classroom type catagory 1 hours and up to 90 "soft hours" self study webinar type. I spent almost 20 minutes on the phone after someone from the state called me about my license renewal. I logged 280 type 1 (I took a certification course and taught a seminar) and no type 2 hours. I had to read the law to her and explain (over and over) how cat 1 satisfied the requirement and then some and I didn't bother to list my cat 2 hours. She insisted she could not leave that entry blank or put a zero in it so I told her it was a thousand.
After several seconds of silence she hung up on me. I fully expect an audit.

[Tallpine]

what were the other 506 fatalities?

Only mostly dead ?   

[HankB]

I don't think this is political, just a general observation on wide-spread incompetence . . .

You see it every day, from street signs, to newspapers, to the TV news . . . more and more, our entitlement/self-esteem/diversity culture seems to be steering us towards the world dramatized in the movie Idiocracy.

Well, they weren't fatalities.

Obviously, they were fatalities.

I wonder where they buried the survivors . . . 

[MillCreek]

Best I can come up with is that in 2012 some fatalities were more fatal than other fatalities.

Or perhaps they were not dead yet.  Cue the Monty Python 'bring out your dead' sketch.

[Perd Hapley]

We should ask Whoopi Goldberg about this. Maybe some of them weren't fatality-fatalities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFcI0kAypu8#t=0m10.5s

[Balog]

My professional license requires 150 hours of continuing education. A minimum of 60 hours of pre approved authorized classroom type catagory 1 hours and up to 90 "soft hours" self study webinar type. I spent almost 20 minutes on the phone after someone from the state called me about my license renewal. I logged 280 type 1 (I took a certification course and taught a seminar) and no type 2 hours. I had to read the law to her and explain (over and over) how cat 1 satisfied the requirement and then some and I didn't bother to list my cat 2 hours. She insisted she could not leave that entry blank or put a zero in it so I told her it was a thousand.
After several seconds of silence she hung up on me. I fully expect an audit.

Wow, that's a lot of CEU's. I think it's 24 per three year span here in WA for an 07 electrician's license. May I ask what field you're in?

[erictank]

Only mostly dead ?   

Only until they go through their pockets and look for loose change. THEN they're all-dead.

[fifth_column]

Hopefully this doesn't veer this thread in a political direction. 

In all the .gov positions I've held, as well as the anecdotal evidence from .gov employees I've known, there is what I term the 90/10 method of hiring.  The organization/agency employs 10 people for every one person that is actually effective.  The other nine are place holders.

[MechAg94]

Hopefully this doesn't veer this thread in a political direction. 

In all the .gov positions I've held, as well as the anecdotal evidence from .gov employees I've known, there is what I term the 90/10 method of hiring.  The organization/agency employs 10 people for every one person that is actually effective.  The other nine are place holders.

And there is no incentive to change that on the part of the managers. 

[Scout26]

And there is no incentive to change that on the part of the managers. 

Managers get prmoted based on "headcount" not actually doing their jobs.  See the VA and bonuses for examples.

[HankB]

Here's another example of incompetence - a Korean War memorial in Ohio. Take a look at the picture - anyone (especially vets) see anything wrong with the images?



Here's a link to the story:

https://news.yahoo.com/ohio-towns-korean-war-memorial-under-fire-blunders-134434822.html;_ylt=A0LEVzpMEopTaw4AjrFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzZHNlaW8xBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDQ0NF8x

[Scout26]

Here's another example of incompetence - a Korean War memorial in Ohio. Take a look at the picture - anyone (especially vets) see anything wrong with the images?



Here's a link to the story:

https://news.yahoo.com/ohio-towns-korean-war-memorial-under-fire-blunders-134434822.html;_ylt=A0LEVzpMEopTaw4AjrFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzZHNlaW8xBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDQ0NF8x

Oh dear.  It took me hours.^*

Is the jello you don't like?  Maybe the kangaroo?  No problem, I'll paint him out and make him a disciple !!



The M1 Abrams or the "fritz" helmets the troops in (desert) camo are wearing?   Oh, I know !!!  It's the (early) Vietnam era Helicopter or maybe the jets portrayed (I can't tell what they are but they modern not 1950-ish style).

Anyway it's enough for this:  



^* - My all- time favorite:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9Aj7W3g1qo

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Wasn't it a non government group that approved the memorial? Reviewed it?


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[HankB]

A story on incompetence in action at a publk skuul . . .

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/oddnews/high-school-yearbook-published-with-errors-on-%E2%80%98pretty-much-every-page%E2%80%99-205131041.html