I know you are talking about the federal government, but local government is where people see government waste in their daily lives. Moreover, most Americans interact with local government, not the feds. For that reason, let’s take a cue from the early 1900s populist and progressive movements and put our spotlight on local government.
500,000 – that’s how many elected officials there are in America today. My word, that’s one representative for every 670 people. Do you feel represented?
52,080 - that’s how many separate local government agencies are operating in America today.
In the U.S. there are 35,705 municipal/city governments and 3,031 county governments.
There are 97,568 public schools in America, including one room schools. These schools are divided into districts that serve anywhere from four (4) to 45,000 students. There are 12,546 school districts, 571 county-run school systems, and 227 municipal-run school systems - and more than 95,000 elected school board members in America.
Serving on a school board is often an unpaid volunteer position. Some school board members receive compensation in the form of family health insurance policies (an $18,000./year benefit). In the largest school districts, board members are paid $42,570 up to $125,000 a year, plus benefits.
In the U.S., local government also includes 39,262 special districts – all of which are controlled by elected officials. Special districts are created to perform a specific function, or set of functions, including policing, municipal electricity, water, transportation, insect abatement, ditches, healthcare, tourism, soil, public theatres and auditoriums, hospitals, libraries, industry, fire protection, levees, cemeteries, sewage systems, parks, recreation, lighting, waste disposal, railroads, turnpikes, parking, ports, ocean and river fronts and beaches, etc. and so on and on and on. Note: Homeowner associations (HOA) are NOT special districts.
All of these local government agencies are run by elected representatives who have the authority and the power to tax, pass bonds, borrow money, invest taxpayer dollars, employ people, establish and manage pension plans, purchase equipment, buildings, office space, land, and technology and interact with state and federal government on our behalf.
I don’t know about you, but I think 52,080 separate local government agencies suggests something is seriously wrong in local government. How the heck did this happen and why? Did it just happen, or was it by design?
Who would benefit from 52,080 separate local government agencies? The answer is simple; the uber wealthy, the rich and powerful benefit – hugely. As long as local government is a chaotic mess, the uber wealthy are free to focus on the relatively tiny handful of elected officials in the state and federal government (the President, Vice President, Senators, Representatives, governors and state legislators).
Breaking up monopolies and the power of the uber-wealthy, will require the populists and the progressives among us to fix local government.
