Let me volunteer so you can enjoy your job

For years the Kadizzles have traveled and met many camp host and other volunteers in the  South West.  The government has come to rely on the volunteers just to make the system work.  The way it works is some retired couple wants to live inexpensively so they volunteer to be a campground host. In return the volunteers work about twenty hours a week and get a free place to stay.  Sometimes solar power is provided, and in some cases propane. 

Generally the system works well, but more and more we notice how much work the volunteers do and how little the paid employees do.  Yesterday The Commander and Kadizzle spent about half a day helping Dave the 81 year old volunteer trim trees.   The forest service provided some pathetic tools and encouragement.  Dave is a hard worker and wants to paint the restrooms and keep himself busy.  Dave is always picking up cigarette butts, and keeping the campground spotless.

Dave noticed one of the toilet seats was broken and told the paid service workers he needed a new one to fix it.  The Forest Service employees said they did not have any.  Which is like a store not having any spare light bulbs.  Dave found a new seat in the storage area and they told him it could not be used because there were no bolts for it.  It would not take a rocket scientist to do what Dave did.  Dave took the bolts off the broken one and used them to install the new one.  Of course the government employees could not figure this out.

The main function of government employees seems to be to drive from point to point.   In the ten years we have been using the parks I do not recall ever seeing a paid employee do anything.  Frequently we do see the rangers exercising the horses.  This means they have to saddle the horses and ride some nice trails along the salt river.  Of course you could not get volunteers to exercise horses by riding nice trails.  Now the nastiest job is cleaning the rest rooms.  Even the volunteers don't want to do that.  Simple solution contract it out.  If you want a government job you need experience contracting out nasty work, or getting volunteers to work.  That seems to be the two main requirements.  There are a lot of good government employees, but there is a lot they can do to improve their image.