Partly Cloudy / 64° F
Many federal programs work well
Published 11:45am Monday, March 1, 2010On the Feb. 21 Sunday morning program, “Meet the Press,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty told NBC host David Gregory that when it comes to many Congressionally approved programs, “The answer isn’t to have the federal government take it over. They will goof it up.”
To be sure, Pawlenty is correct that some federal programs aren’t run well. On the other hand, many federal programs operate quite well.
Over the years it has been fashionable, for many people, to bash the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). However, drastic reductions in IRS personnel the past few years have hampered the agency’s ability to seriously address the gap between what is owed and what is collected.
For those who feel it’s all right to cheat on federal income taxes, consider this: Many World War II, Korea, Vietnam and other veterans who risked their lives for you and me live in nursing homes that oftentimes rely on federal assistance. That’s in addition to help needed for severely wounded soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Is it right that people cheat these veterans out of tax dollars which they deserve?
Here locally, I have personally known four employees of the Internal Revenue Service. Each of them performed their jobs well and gave back to their communities.
Larry Scully, a military veteran, was active as a foster parent and teamed with his wife, Marcy, to be part of the Big Brother- Big Sister program in Fergus Falls. His brother-in-law, Bruce Uttermark, served his country in the jungles of Vietnam before beginning work with the IRS. Bruce was a Boy Scout assistant and also served in the Big Brother and Big Sister program.
Two other IRS employees, Norm Newell and Gerald Lewis, gave back to their communities through mentorship in basketball, soccer and other programs.
Norm was the Saturday youth basketball coordinator in Fergus Falls for over 15 years. Now retired from the IRS, he’s currently the assistant girls high school basketball coach, assistant FFHS boys tennis coach and will be the head girls h.s. tennis coach this fall. He’s also president of the Fergus Falls Community Tennis Association and helps with summer youth tennis lessons.
As for the federal postal system, I’ve had nothing but friendly and excellent service over the years. In the past 35 years, I’ve encountered only one snag, and that was a minor one. A letter mistakenly came back from California.
“Customer surveys regularly show veterans are more satisfied with the health services they receive from public servants at the Department of Veterans Affairs than the average American enrolled in a private plan,” says author Steve Kelman. “Public servants also manage the Social Security Administration, making sure that the nation’s elderly receive their benefits, with just 0.6 percent administrative costs for the primary retirement program.”
Kelman said that makes Social Security employees more efficient than most private-sector companies, something the general public probably does not know.
“And, as you know, Medicare is run by public servants at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Annual surveys by the department consistently show that Medicare beneficiaries rate their health plans higher than those covered by private insurers,” he said.
Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry said federal employees in the Washington, D.C., area donated 40,000 pounds of food in the first month of the food drive, known as “Feds Feed Families.”
The Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships connects the federal government to local nonprofit organizations and community leaders. The goal is to serve individuals, families and communities in need.
Yes, we need to hold federal agencies accountable when things go wrong. At the same time, however, let’s give credit where credit is due.
