The Ethical Optimist

You know, I try very hard to be optimistic. There are some days, however, that I feel as though I’m swimming upstream, against the current!

Take today for example. I sometimes have high hopes in government officials. As an optimist, I feel as though most folks who enter into public service truly have good motives. I’ve watched my own Governor Corzine make some tough choices and try to get NJ back on the fiscal tracks with both hope and trepidation.

I think that he, too, is swimming upstream. It’s hard to move a bureaucracy.

Just today, I received my application for this year’s Homestead Rebate program. It’s a program that returns a portion of a homeowner’s property tax here in NJ. I got a kick out of the cover letter, which stated, “Please carefully review this application and apply for the much-needed relief available through this program.” Signed by Governor Corzine no less. My own state government has acknowledged, in writing, that I’m overburdened and deserving of relief.

Okay, so does it strike anyone else as somewhat ridiculous that they’re probably spending a HUGE amount of money to develop and mail this multi-page application to homeowners throughout the state, staff it for execution, tracking, payments, etc. (wonder what THAT line item is in the budget) to return money they shouldn’t be taking in the first place?

Why not just properly assess and tax me? Instead, your using my tax dollars to staff and execute a program to return my tax dollars? Okay, maybe I’m a simpleton, but this strikes me as ironic at the very least. A total waste of time and money at most.

Why not put that time and money into properly adjusting the system instead of adding another layer to address the root problem?

Like many problems, this is not one of ethics, but of management. In fact, many ethical dilemmas stem from poor management/process issues. I recommend people not get hung up on the outcome, but rather focus on the root of an issue.

Perhaps Governor Corzine could use me as an advisor…