The Night Watchman

[downtownv]

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

[DavidS]

"The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977, TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL."

I believe this to be an incorrect statement.

[Bawanna]

Well I found this. I know the 1977 part is correct. Can't believe anything else they say so I can't confirm nor deny the foreign oil thing.

"The Department of Energy has one of the richest and most diverse histories in the Federal Government. Although only in existence since 1977, the Department traces its lineage to the Manhattan Project effort to develop the atomic bomb during World War II and to the various energy-related programs that previously had been dispersed throughout various Federal agencies."

[downtownv]

"The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977, TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL."

I believe this to be an incorrect statement.


Google that:
The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977, TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.

there's a great deal of stuff there....
However the Gist of the story about the Feds, is spot on.

[b4uqzme]

"The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977, TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL."

I believe this to be an incorrect statement.

Why DavidS? If you are going to challenge a post, you should have the courtesy to support your challenge. Same goes for all of us.

[muggsy]

The department of energy was created by Jimmy Carter the second worst president of the United States. Some of you are to young to remember gas lines, being only able to purchase 10 gallons of gas at a time the even odd system for gas purchases, and a national 55 MPH speed limit. The department of energy was created to lessen our dependence on foreign oil.

[b4uqzme]

It's a good story regardless. Strikes at the heart of what's wrong with our budget....WASTE.

[leftysixty]

And I clearly remember that while waiting in line to buy our gas ration, the oil companies and their "government" friends telling us that " WHEN WE VOTED TO ALLOW THE ALASKA PIPELINE TO BE CONSTRUCTED, WE WOULD NEVER NEED TO PURCHASE OIL FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AGAIN".

During the period of gas rationing I had a friend that worked transporting oil/oil products. He said that "everyplace that could store oil products was pumb full". This included, out of service gas stations, rail cars, and semi-truck/trailers.

Shortly after passing the needed legislation we stopped "needing" to ration gasoline/related products.

I am gett'n old and maybe don't 'member so good. But that is history as I recall it.

[DavidS]

Google that:
The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977, TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.

there's a great deal of stuff there....
However the Gist of the story about the Feds, is spot on.

Ok, I googled it. This quote is from the first result listed:


Department of Energy (http://www.energy.gov/)

Quote:


The Department of Energy's overarching mission is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex.



Quote:


The Department of Energy (DOE) has one of the richest and most diverse histories in the Federal Government. Although only in existence for a quarter century, the Department traces its lineage to the Manhattan Project and beyond.



Quote:


October 1, 1977
DOE is activated. Bringing together a score of organizational entities from a dozen departments and agencies, the new department is also given responsibility for the nuclear weapons program.



(For the originator) THINK/RESEARCH BEFORE YOU POST!!!

[b4uqzme]

Source: Energy.gov: "The mission of the Energy Department is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions."

And the DOE was clearly inspired by the volatility of our dependence upon foreign oil. I'm still not sure where you're coming from on this one DavidS. I don't think regurgitating the first few internet results you find qualifies as significant research. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. And even without nit-picking, the story makes a valid point. The left typically uses this distraction technique. The focus of the story is the spiraling waste and stupidity of our bureaucratic state.

http://energy.gov/mission

[DavidS]

I'm still not sure where you're coming from on this one DavidS.

The night watchman story is a good one. It is presented as fiction but humorously alludes to some aspects of our government that seem to be true. I enjoyed it.

The portion of the article following the night watchman story is presented as fact based exclusively on the statement that " The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977, TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL. " and insinuating that the DOE was created solely for this purpose. While it could be argued that lessening our dependence on foreign oil might be one duty of the DOE, it is definitely not the DOE's reason for existence.

Yes, finding articles such such as this one and passing it along makes us conservatives feel good about our position on government bureaucracy. And yes, there is an element of truth in the article. However, presenting or defending a position with misstatements and half-truths is wrong. And so is passing along internet "gossip" without checking authenticity.

That is where I am coming from.

[knkali]

The department of energy was created by Jimmy Carter the second worst president of the United States. Some of you are to young to remember gas lines, being only able to purchase 10 gallons of gas at a time the even odd system for gas purchases, and a national 55 MPH speed limit. The department of energy was created to lessen our dependence on foreign oil.
I remember. Had a Dodge with a 383 that needed feeding constantly

[DavidS]

The department of energy was created by Jimmy Carter the second worst president of the United States. Some of you are to young to remember gas lines, being only able to purchase 10 gallons of gas at a time the even odd system for gas purchases, and a national 55 MPH speed limit. The department of energy was created to lessen our dependence on foreign oil.
Oh, yes. Remember well. And ISTR the 55 mph speed limit existed for much longer than the gas shortage, the government just re-purposed it from fuel economy to driving safety because of some zealous group or groups.

[Bawanna]

I was so proud of Montana when they refused to implement the Federally mandated 55 limit. The Feds said comply or they would cut off all Federal highway funding. Montana said go ahead.

Still many parts of Montana with no speed limit.

[b4uqzme]

The night watchman story is a good one. It is presented as fiction but humorously alludes to some aspects of our government that seem to be true. I enjoyed it.

The portion of the article following the night watchman story is presented as fact based exclusively on the statement that " The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977, TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL. " and insinuating that the DOE was created solely for this purpose. While it could be argued that lessening our dependence on foreign oil might be one duty of the DOE, it is definitely not the DOE's reason for existence.

Yes, finding articles such such as this one and passing it along makes us conservatives feel good about our position on government bureaucracy. And yes, there is an element of truth in the article. However, presenting or defending a position with misstatements and half-truths is wrong. And so is passing along internet "gossip" without checking authenticity.

That is where I am coming from.

Understood. I get that. Yet undermining an entire post based on a single, tiny, point of contention is at least equally wrong and pretty much disrespectful to the OP. Especially when the point of contention is weak and comes unsupported.

But no one was hurt. We're all adults. And I really appreciate the response. Thanks.

[KDaddy]

And see how great they are doing under the Obama administration:
http://www.energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-sources/fossil

Do you trust that?

[DavidS]

Seems many of the news sources trust it - Bloomberg, USA Today, Business Week, etc.

[KDaddy]

News sources will certainly quote it but I'm not sure there's much trust in the government or the media right now. For me, the DoE site looks too much like an Obama commercial touting how much everything has improved in his administration. When you have an un-elected bureaucracy that answers only to a single branch of the government my trust suffers.