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The last line in the article jumped out at me: “A lot of folks … they’re kind of DIY-ing it until we can get the level of public service that we really need.”

The last line in the article jumped out at me: “A lot of folks … they’re kind of DIY-ing it until we can get the level of public service that we really need.” I am through "A Paradise Built in Hell" right now, and that, combined with having spent 6 years in a (small) town leadership position makes me appreciate the unfortunate consequences of thought like that last line. It feels like leaning hard into capitalist democracy rather than socialist democracy. The idea that things don't get done unless someone gets off their butt, puts a line item in the budget and makes sure someone is getting paid to do it not because they want to but because their compensation is adequate is destined to fail in really unfortunate ways. Part of the book referenced above is all about the failure of the "organized" parts of government in times of crisis. It turns out, most people in community want things to be better, but learning that the "city" or "county" will do it for you if you just pay your taxes kind of neuters the impulse to be a part of your community. Instead of cleaning up the road side, people end up with book clubs or art committees, because someone's getting paid $12/hr to clean up the road for you. It's not a great look, and has disastrous consequences when things go really bad.

jollyllama 3y ago
Yes and what's going on there is that the official is uncomfortable because the failure of government is being exposed by guys like Magnet Man. They're so petty and feckless that they can't cooperate with him, or deputize him in some way.
- secstate 3y ago
  Having been a public official your adjectives for the public official in this case made my hackles go up for a moment, but you're also absolutely right. The hidden assumption in those sorts of statements is that it's all good for volunteers to try to help, but one day "authorized" people will be able to do that work, but only if we are allowed to raise your taxes. Sigh. The problem is, not all bureaucrats are evil, but all bureaucracy begins at neutral and tends towards evil, so there's a sad inevitability involved. And my hackles went up because even I, who consider myself pretty self-aware, ended up in some horrible conversations where I know I preferred the town having authority over something volunteers had historically done. We are all part-nazi, some of us just have more authority.
  - jollyllama 3y ago
    I chalk it up to a desire to increase positions and departments under one's authority, or a fear of being supplanted by self-organizing volunteers, rather than some evil lust for power or dominance. In either case, holding back the civitas. Hence pettiness and fecklessness respectively.

jollyllama 3y ago

Yes and what's going on there is that the official is uncomfortable because the failure of government is being exposed by guys like Magnet Man. They're so petty and feckless that they can't cooperate with him, or deputize him in some way.

secstate 3y ago
Having been a public official your adjectives for the public official in this case made my hackles go up for a moment, but you're also absolutely right. The hidden assumption in those sorts of statements is that it's all good for volunteers to try to help, but one day "authorized" people will be able to do that work, but only if we are allowed to raise your taxes. Sigh. The problem is, not all bureaucrats are evil, but all bureaucracy begins at neutral and tends towards evil, so there's a sad inevitability involved. And my hackles went up because even I, who consider myself pretty self-aware, ended up in some horrible conversations where I know I preferred the town having authority over something volunteers had historically done. We are all part-nazi, some of us just have more authority.
- jollyllama 3y ago
  I chalk it up to a desire to increase positions and departments under one's authority, or a fear of being supplanted by self-organizing volunteers, rather than some evil lust for power or dominance. In either case, holding back the civitas. Hence pettiness and fecklessness respectively.