Today's Herald-Sun, Durham, NC, part of editorial:

At least on television, public sector employees--from police officers to politicians to school principals--are overwhelmingly portrayed as incompetent or corrupt. The Ford Foundation and the Council for Excellence in Government reported that conclusion in a study they conducted of network television shows.

Judging fron the numbers, we have an awfully low opinion of public servants. In 1975, three of four television episodes portrayed government and the legal system as good. Now, three out of five portray the system, as corrupt.

Perhaps this portrayal is a reflection of a post-Watergate America that is, for good reasons, skeptical of those in power. On the other hand, maybe government really is badly in need of a few more Sgt. Joe Fridays, the fictional "Dragnet" detective who was all business--but who exemplified, to the point of parody, true public service.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), May 08, 1999

Answers

Last year our Sheriff was on 60 minutes plus other well known TV shows. He was on there because he made it so tough for people in jail that when they got out they either were good little boys and girls or left the county. He took away, coffee, cigarettes, cantine, TV and gave them mattresses on the floor. His intentions were to build a tent city with latrines, concertino wire and guard towers. The prisoners in our county that are out on work detail along the roads, wear the old fashioned wide striped uniforns and hats. As a tax payer I luv it. We all knew we had the best sheriff in the nation..................that is until he was arrested recently for stealing $178,000 cash from the dept. Need I say more?

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), May 08, 1999.

I entered the work-force in the early 80's so I can't speak to the '70s. In the last 10 years, though, I have worked closely (on-site) with people at 3 Federal agencies. In general, Federal people (while nice, and well-meaning) are either clueless or self-serving. Exceptions are rare. In general, serving the public (which a public servant should be doing) is an annoyance. The people and the agencies have become largely self-serving.

Our new "United States of Earth" (as one earlier poster called it, I prefer New World Odor) will probably be worse. Too bad the USA Constitution is good for little more than wiping one's rear these days.

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous99.xxx), May 08, 1999.

They've worked hard to earn this reputation. It is the consequence of money and power. As more money has entered the public sector over the years the corruption has grown. It won't get better until the money runs out!!

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), May 08, 1999.

For some of you who have joined the forum recently, here's an earlier thread that speaks to this point. Oh Davy, We Hardly Knew Ye. . .

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), May 08, 1999.

The spoon understands all.........

Are you truly one with the spoon......

It will bend like a reed yet not break.......

Like the spoon, so isn't the albatross.........

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), May 08, 1999.

Wrong!! They are not incompetent or corrupt; they are incompetent AND corrupt.

-- A (A@AisA.com), May 08, 1999.

"In a mature society, "civil servant" is semantically equal to "civil master.""

- Robert A. Heinlein

Spindoc'

-- Spindoctor (spindoc_99_2000@yahoo.com), May 08, 1999.

$178,000 is probably what a "consultant" would have got paid to do half as good a job.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts abosolutely as Hillary said to Billy-Jeff :)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), May 08, 1999.

I recommend Lies My Teacher Told Me : Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen.

The author is a professor of history. The book is a devastating critique of twelve high school history texts now in use. From one review:

"Loewen contends that American history has traditionally been taught in order to inculcate patriotism and other moral qualities rather than to get at the truth."

From another:

" Marred by an embarrassing combination of blind patriotism, mindless optimism, sheer misinformation, and outright lies, these books omit almost all the ambiguity, passion, conflict, and drama from our past."

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), May 10, 1999.