So is this State Department employee. I’m soooo glad he wrote this op-ed:
I work for Uncle Sam, and I’m proud of it
He captures exactly the right tone of being proud to serve my country and being tired of being accused of being a lazy sleazeball by politicians of every stripe.
“It demeans you, it demoralizes us, and it is counterproductive to drive away the best and brightest from working for the betterment of this country.”
That statement couldn’t be more true. There was awhile when I, as a Political Science major, dreaded the thought of public service. Now, as I am surrounded by lazy government bureaucrats here in Washington, I’m strongly considering that career path. Why? Because I’ve come to realize I’m not actually surrounded by “lazy government bureaucrats”, but good people doing something they know, or believe with conviction, is making a difference. I would be lying if I said there wasn’t waste that needs to be cut, and is probably harder to cut than in the private sector, but that is far from the fault of 99% of government employees as they work to increase productivity in government, not diminish it.