Thanks to those invaluable guys at The Taxpayers’ Alliance, we have a clearer idea of how much of our money is spent on quasi-governmental organisations. What is even more shocking is that the UK government does not provide such clear information and as a result, we have to rely on the likes of TA to provide it. I guess it bears out the comment of P.J. O’ Rourke in his wonderful “Parliament of Whores” book, to the effect that one of the key reasons why government and its agencies are so massive is no one can understand the sheer amount of what government does or claims to do.
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Let us all bow to the “voluntary groups” (which, being government funded, are anything but voluntrary) the various commissions and (of course) the “developement agencies” and what not.
On the last type of spending organization the government offered “democratic oversight” of the regional development administrative structures – via regional assemblies (in line with E.U. policy) but people did not and do not want a load of new jobs for politicians.
Almost needless to say getting rid of the “development agencies” and so on, was not offered as an option to the people.
Anything rather than a tax cut.
I think it is particularly impressive that there is no information available about the expenditure or staffing of the Better Regulation Commission
… the latest incarnation of what started out as a Deregulation Task Force. Do you see what they did there?
” the Better Regulation Commission
… the latest incarnation of what started out as a Deregulation Task Force. Do you see what they did there?”
They went native
“Almost needless to say getting rid of the “development agencies” and so on, was not offered as an option to the people.
Anything rather than a tax cut.”
Get over it…government is a “Bureaucracy”…when was the last time you ever saw one say; “our job here is finished, time to go home”?
They can’t-it is the nature of the beast-more money, more people, more control.
was not offered as an option to the people
Actually, creating most of them wasn’t either.
I was recently inspired to an idea that seems relevant here, mandating the disclosure by all charities, public bodies and companies on all advertising, hoardings, letterheads, leaflets etc, the receipt of any government or european funding in the last period. Something like “Visit Britain is exclusively funded by the Government” or “The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre receives regular Government support” etc in small letters at the bottom will do. Oh, and banning lovechips.co.uk from using “.co.uk” rather than “gov.uk”….
Sell it as a way to boost the perception of the Government, or even as a transparency measure – which it is – and they’ll bite, but the purpose would be to expose exactly how often individuals interact with state funded bodies and the unusual types of thing tax money goes on.
If I may put in a plug for the book referenced in the post….
“Parliament of Whores” by P.J. O’Rourke is the best thing I’ve ever read on government.
Also the funniest.
The last time I can remember an admistrator saying that his organization should be abolished (and actually getting it abolished) was the head of the Civil Avation Board back in the 1970’s (was his name Herman Khan?).
Of course, sadly the Federal Aviation Board (or whatever it is called) remains – and causes endless problems (which are blamed on the airlines). And even the demented government air traffic control system (ditto the problems it causes are blamed on the airlines).
Even Canada has a private air trarffic control system.
As for politicians:
Actually some politicians really do want smaller government – I know it is hard to believe but it is true.
But most politicians do not.
The vote on the 305 BILLION farm bill in the United States was a case in point.
Here was a golden chance for Republicans to prove they had changed – that they were not the bunch of wild spending trach who had their backsides kicked in November 2006.
Instead many Republican Senators and Congressmen went along with the Democrats.
True John McCain opposed the 305 billion Dollar bill (as he has such large scale subsidies in the past) – but the Republican party did not really fight it (President Bush opposed the bill in public and winked in private – his veto will be for show only).
The Republicans do not seem to understand that if people want more government spending they will vote Democrat – going along with such spending just means that conservative minded voters will stay home.
The last time I can remember an admistrator saying that his organization should be abolished (and actually getting it abolished) was the head of the Civil Avation Board back in the 1970’s (was his name Herman Khan?).
Of course, sadly the Federal Aviation Board (or whatever it is called) remains – and causes endless problems (which are blamed on the airlines). And even the demented government air traffic control system (ditto the problems it causes are blamed on the airlines).
Even Canada has a private air trarffic control system.
As for politicians:
Actually some politicians really do want smaller government – I know it is hard to believe but it is true.
But most politicians do not.
The vote on the 305 BILLION farm bill in the United States was a case in point.
Here was a golden chance for Republicans to prove they had changed – that they were not the bunch of wild spending trach who had their backsides kicked in November 2006.
Instead many Republican Senators and Congressmen went along with the Democrats.
True John McCain opposed the 305 billion Dollar bill (as he has such large scale subsidies in the past) – but the Republican party did not really fight it (President Bush opposed the bill in public and winked in private – his veto will be for show only).
The Republicans do not seem to understand that if people want more government spending they will vote Democrat – going along with such spending just means that conservative minded voters will stay home.