Inefficient Federal Government

Issue

The federal government is terribly inefficient. If it was a private company it would have been out of business years ago because its customers would have gone away. Unfortunately, we, as customers of the federal government, don’t have the option of going away.....it’s the only game in town. While the federal government does some things well, such as deliver a letter from one side of the country to another for only 39 cents, and topple a dictator in a matter of weeks, many of its departments and processes are antiquated and inefficient.

Old computer systems: The computer systems that the federal government employs are antiquated and don’t communicate with each other, or other departments, efficiently. The FBI has systems that are so old that they can’t even integrate them into the main computer system. An FBI agent with a credible lead can’t readily communicate to another agent about that particular lead. Why doesn’t the FBI and our federal government, which are responsible for protecting us from domestic and foreign threats, have the best computer systems in the world?

Passports: Why does it take up to six weeks to get your passport updated so you can travel outside the country? Shouldn’t this be much more efficient?

Internal Revenue Service: Why does it take so long for the IRS to respond to a question that a taxpayer may ask?

And on and on…

We believe that the inefficient federal government is a threat to American Exceptionalism.

Solution

Purchase and install new systems: The federal government should purchase the newest and best computer equipment and systems that will allow for flexibility and add-ons. The vendors should be kept to a minimum so that all aspects can be integrated easily. It doesn’t mean giving contracts to multiple vendors that have systems that are not compatible, which would be a typical government maneuver.

Pay competitive wages: The federal government must pay competitive wages to computer programmers and system operators in order to be at the highest level of competency.