Incompetence

By: Murray Sabrin

Last Monday, we moved to Ft. Lee after living in Leonia for nearly 25 years. The move went smoothly because we hired a firm (Peter Ferraro & Sons) that has experience moving families into our co-op. The four young men were efficient and competent. They did a Herculean task of moving us in less than six hours.

Before we moved, Florence took care of all the address changes online, from the banks, money market funds, brokerage accounts, credit card companies to the Motor Vehicle Commission.

The online form for an address change is easy to complete, even a “caveman could do it.” The other day I received the Address Change Acknowledgement from the MVC with three stickers, one of which is to be placed on the back of my driver’s license. However, there are two errors on the sticker. The correct town and zip code at our new address is Ft. Lee, 07024. The stickers, however, are printed Ford Lee, 07605-1805, which was our zip code in Leonia. I asked Florence to check to see if she entered our new address correctly, and sure enough she did.

Why do I bring this up? If a government agency cannot get something as simple as an address change correct, do we really want them to be in charge of healthcare, education, and all other services that could be better provided in a market economy, where both private and nonprofit organizations are held accountable by consumers and donors?

The evidence, not just the “ideology” of free enterprise, demonstrates that government agencies do a mediocre job, at best, in satisfying taxpayers. But there is a more compelling reason to downsize government. Government uses force to achieve its objectives, that is, government says to the people, “your money or your life.” If you don’t believe me, don’t pay your federal or state income taxes, or local property taxes.

A free and prosperous society requires limited government. As we get closer to July Fourth, remember the Founders’ sacrifices they endured to create a free society for themselves and generations to come. What a legacy they left. Unfortunately, the American people are letting that legacy die, because they have allowed more power to flow into the hands of the shysters, hacks, and incompetents in Washington D. C. and Trenton. In short, we have seen the enemy… and it is us.

Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., is professor of finance in the Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, where he is executive director of the Center for Business and Public Policy.