The Bully and the Little Guy

One day last week I struck up a conversation with a man I cross paths with occasionally. He works as a security guard and although it’s not a great job, he still keeps a great attitude. He told me how he was negotiating with the Internal Revenue Service since his taxes were in arrears. The agent wanted him to commit to $45 a month until it was paid. The man explained that at this time, it was impossible to pay that much. His wife was underemployed and their budget was stretched to the limit.
The IRS person was incredulous that anyone couldn’t afford such a small amount. The guard repeated his situation to the dull agent and again was diminished as either a liar or a loser.
The ironies in that story makes my head spin. For one, the man speaking with the condescending tone works for an organization famous for flushing billions of dollars down a hole. The Federal Government has never been known for spending money wisely. We have all heard of grants for ridiculous projects like treadmills for shrimp, or studies to understand why people smoke marijuana. I once heard of a $700,000 jet engine part being sold at an auction for $50. The buyer had to figure out what he bought.
The security guard, on the other hand, has every dollar accounted for on paper. He knows how much he can spend on which area and what his limit is. If he overspends in one area, he will come up short in another. If he spends too much on groceries, a utility bill won’t get paid. The resources available dictates how much can be spent. Unlike the Government, he doesn’t have a press to print more notes should he run short. Obviously, it’s a lot less money to manage, but it is being handled with care and frugality.
The money that this man will earn in a year is less than a rounding error for one budget for one department.
Another irony is the government gets its’ money from the citizens. It does nothing for it but stick its’ hand out. The guard must go out and earn every dime of his.
I was reminded of this when the gasoline prices spiked a few years ago. The media was all abuzz about the oil companies gouging the public. Oil companies explore, find, drill, refine and get it to the corner filling station for 5% profit or less per gallon. Conversely, depending on the state, government taxes add on forty to fifty cents per gallon. Every gallon, every day. They get fifty cents a gallon for… what? Letting you put it in your tank? Yes, there is gouging going on, but everyone is looking in the wrong direction.
The other paradox is the fact the drone in the cubicle works for the American public, including the security guard. How many of us would like to deliver our boss a good slap down and get away with it, to brutally speak our mind to some issue but we can’t because we want to come to work tomorrow? That’s what the IRS agent did. He has power behind him that allows him to disrespect the citizen that pays him without concern for recourse.
Ronald Reagan’s understanding of this is why he’s the greatest President of our lifetime. He said: “Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.”