Public vs private

["Jim Wallis" <wallis@mail.wsu.edu>]

> government generally
> does MORE than necessary on any given project (road, swimming pool,
> outhouse, whatever) if given the opportunity.  It does what IT wants
> to do. 
The quality of the government project is proportional to the activity
of the citizens in directing the actions of their government agency. 

> The private sector, on the other hand, does what is demanded of it.
> If it (a store, a contractor, a school, etc.) doesn't, it dies.  
> 
> The private sector is inherently unselfish:  it must sacrifice
> whatever it desires to build/sell in favor of what people want.
> Guvmint doesn't.  So, in this case, we'll be getting more pool than
> we want or need.
It is heartening to hear that every private enterprise
does exactly what it's clientele desires.  That way, nobody ever
complains about the service they receive at a store, the work done for
them by a contractor, or the quality of their health care. The
clientele clearly wants its water poisoned, its forests plundered, its
air fouled, and its poor mistreated. 
And the private sector is "inherently unselfish" because no manager 
is motivated to maximize profit in the short run to improve his or 
her standing with the company.

Good public policy is defined by a long-term view. What passes for 
good business management often chooses short term gain over any 
other value.

Jim Wallis