another one from Steve L

NIGHT WATCHMAN

Once upon a time the government had a vast

scrap yard in the middle of a desert.

Congress said, "Someone may steal from it at night."

So they created a night watchman position

and hired a person for the job.

Then Congress said, "How does the watchman

do his job without instruction?"

So they created a planning department

and hired two people, one person to write

the instructions, and one person to do time studies.

Then Congress said, "How will we know

the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?"

So they created a Quality Control department

and hired two people. One was to do the studies

and one was to write the reports.

Then Congress said, "How are these people

going to get paid?"

So they created two positions: a time keeper

and a payroll officer then hired two people.

Then Congress said, "Who will be accountable

for all of these people?"

So they created an administrative section

and hired three people, an Administrative Officer,

Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary.

Then Congress said, "We have had this command

in operation for one year and we are $918,000 over

budget, we must cut back."

So they laid-off the night watchman.

NOW slowly, let it sink in.

Quietly, we go like sheep to slaughter.

Does anybody remember the reason given for the

establishment of the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

during the Carter administration?

Anybody?

Anything?

No?

Didn't think so!

Bottom line is, we've spent several hundred billion

dollars in support of an agency, the reason for

which very few people who read this can remember!

Ready??

It was very simple... and at the time, everybody thought it very

appropriate.

The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977,

TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.

Hey, pretty efficient, huh???

AND NOW IT'S 2012 -- 35 YEARS LATER --

AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS "NECESSARY"

DEPARTMENT IS AT $24.2 BILLION A YEAR .

IT HAS 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND

APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES;

AND LOOK AT THE JOB IT HAS DONE!

(THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD

AND SAY, "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?")

34 years ago 30% of our oil consumption was

foreign imports. Today 70% of our oil consumption

is foreign imports.

Ah, yes -- good old Federal bureaucracy.

NOW, WE HAVE TURNED OVER THE BANKING

SYSTEM, HEALTH CARE, AND THE AUTO INDUSTRY

TO THE SAME GOVERNMENT?

Hello!! Anybody Home?

Signed....The Night Watchman