Right On, Elon!

Would you pay a gardener hired to seed your lawn who never showed up, and neither did the grass? Would you pay a nanny who didn't pick up your child from daycare and never told you why? Would you pay a doctor who missed your scheduled appointment and didn't respond to your follow-up calls asking what happened? Would you pay a restaurant bill if your server never brought the food and you left hungry? 

The preceding questions may seem silly since the answers are all obviously a resounding, "No!" So why should we pay thousands upon thousands of employees who are supposedly running our government yet can't explain what they do to earn their salaries? Since last week, government employees have been stunned and outraged at being asked to describe the fruits of their labors, for just one week! That's because there are few fruits and likely fewer labors. 

What else can explain the furor expressed by so many towards Elon Musk, the world's most successful businessman who values the concept of work, asking employees (whose salaries are paid by all of us) to explain what they do. 

Wake up and smell the coffee, people: Washington, DC is home to the country's biggest amusement park. If you score a ticket, i.e. a government job, it's a free ride for life. As a graphic designer awarded many government contracts over the 30 years I lived there, I witnessed firsthand the total ennui of so many workers sleep-walking in high-paying positions who did little but attend birthday parties for colleagues, linger over luncheons for retiring bosses and struggle to stay awake during tedious weekly staff meetings where nothing was accomplished but an exchange of gossip.

President Trump has announced that those who don't reply to Musk's request risk being terminated. I say that's a great plan: fire them all and start fresh. If you've ever interacted with any government office in Washington and tried to get something done, you know that things couldn't get any worse.