I know this is a bit of a rant but the news of the US Federal budget is wearing on me, so here goes.
I would never live in the Washington, D.C. area, our nations capital. Why? It is filled with, G-men, government workers, people feeding off the government and making careers off the Federal government. This includes, analysts, lawyers, silly PhD’s who can not find anything to do with their titles, to consulting firms filled with people who know they are in the Matrix but do not care.
Like it says on W.C Field’s gravestone – ‘On the whole, I would rather be in Philadelphia’
People connected to government are the laziest, boring, lack of creativity people I know. It is depressing. They are living out their lives and going through the motions to wait for their retirement and perks provided to them by the US government and cry if the ninny bottle might be taken from them. I have personally had experience with them and it was not fun, stifling and frustrating at the same time.
There is so much redundancy in government agencies and departments. Overlaps of responsibility and diffusion of responsibility.
What if the metro area separated from the Continental US and became an independent city state which needed their own economy to support themselves, instead of sucking the lifeblood from the US citizens like feudal lords? I think we would see a wave of recovery in the US states, as tax money outflows from people’s pockets stop. In fact the roads in the US could almost be paved with gold if this ever happened. On the other hand, the lost island of D.C. would have trouble fending for themselves and chaos would break out.
Now as humans beings they might be good honest people. However, the type of person that gravitates towards a Federal job is, the signature of someone who does not have the entrepreneurial spirit to strike out on their own and use their imagination.
This almost means a low risk preference, including not doing things like stock trading, living abroad, running our own business or simply living in a unique way, nor learning and trying a second or third career. No sir, these guys have a sweet deal and will ride that gravy train as long as they can. No other employees in the USA get such nice benefit packages. Who pays for it? You do and small businesses whose margins are already squeezed thin.
The professionals in the area are almost caricatures, Khaki wearing men who have Blackberries and iPads from firms like PWC and Accenture, deriving their self worthy from their resume, LinkedIn profile and relative wealth. They are bourgeois and conformist. The women more often than not are quasi feminist American girl libs who you would not want to marry, date or hang out with.
Traffic in the D.C area is horrible, as the industry of big government is an irresistible draw. Homes and lifestyles are over price. Although it is one of the riches places in the nation, it has no industry other than taking the tax money from good people across the USA. I just would not feel right living and working in that type of environment.
If you are there, you are there for a reason, and I just can not agree with that reason. That is big government. For everyone government worker it takes several hard-working American families to support that ‘ward of the state’ called an US Federal worker. Think about it. Add up all the benefits and pay and future benefits that is comes down to the taxes several US families have to pay.
So when I drive up the east coast I prefer to avoid the D.C area and swing through the Appalachian mountains even if it adds two hours to my trip. And goodness I certainly would not want to live in the metro D.C. area including Northern Virgina, which is a Mecca for superficial cookie cutter people who measure each other up based on externals like where you got your MBA or the kind of car you drive. The last things on their mind is to fight for reducing the burden of government.
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