Re: [pct-l] PCT Fees-More

Tom,

This is totally off trail, but I've never noticed that the government was
any less efficient than any other large organization I've had to deal with.
In fact, many aspects of the governement are extremely efficiently done.

For example, Turkey and California use the same building code, but that
recent quake in Turkey was a disaster.  One big reason for that is that the
GOVERNMENT in the US enforces the building codes.

People complain about the post office all the time, but it does a really
good job with a HUGE problem.  When I mail a letter, I expect it to be
delivered within one or two days.  This is unheard of in most of the world
(and better than many company's inter-office mail).

By and large, we don't have to pay off government officials to get things
done... this isn't true in many parts of the world.

I can get in my car and drive nearly anywhere I want to in the US without
worrying much about the roads.

Did you know that the primary way many government publications are available
is over the Internet?  They do this because it is more efficient and saves
big money (you can still call up and order a printed copy if you need one...
in many cases they do print on demand).  This is benchmark stuff.

The list goes on and on.

Sure, government can be inefficient.  ANY large organization tends to be
inefficient.  But I think that the US government (the whole thing, federal,
state, and local) is a victim of its own success... by and large things run
so smoothly that we just take it for granted.  We shouldn't, because the
infrastructure (legal, financial, and physical) that the government provides
is absolutely essential for our economy to work.

-- Jim

PS I have never worked for the government.

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