Tuesday is of course garbage day.

In the course of any given year, I am usually presented with at least a dozen ideas on how to make things run more efficiently.  Now I am all for efficiency.  I am all for spending money to become more efficient with a catch or two however.

The first, always look at options.  Indeed there are a whole slew of gadgets out there that can allow people to do things quicker.  The thing with that, is by doing something quicker what do you gain?

Better service to the public is a common refrain.  Okay, as a member of the public I am all for that. Just define how much better and at what cost. 

Also as a member of the public, and it could be I am just plain cheap on this one, based upon my experiences at town hall relative to service you are going to have show me a big time benefit to somehow to justify any increase in cost (as to the service I have found to be very good, and for those of you who will say there is a reason for that, I will add that most people tell me the same thing, with the bulk of the few who complain usually complaining about the fact some issue was not resolved to their satisfaction).

Believe it or not, most efficiency arguments presented usually entail an expenditure. Cutting my wait time for certain things, for me isn't going to cut it.  

First thing you have to look at is new cost vs. present cost. If new cost saves money. No brainer, right. Assuming you can afford the up front money. 

If it will mean more work gets done, well from the sound of that again a no brainer.  Except, how much more work.  The very first question I ask when I hear that reasoning: what isn't getting done now?

We pay people by the hour to work a week for presumably the year.  If there are serious delays in getting things done, well let's talk about it. Getting more work done in my universe means you actually will do more over a given period of time.  It doesn't mean you will get done what you are suppose to get done over the course of your day, week or year sooner.

In the private sector though such reasoning is often thought as beneficial.  Usually for one of two reasons. First because there is a workload that isn't being met. Secondly, and this is cold hearted capitalism at its best, so you can reduce your labor cost.

So show me a workload that isn't being met or show me how I can reduce my labor cost. Even show me the unreasonable delays people have to suffer because you don't have this or that "tool".  Otherwise, spending more on non-salary operation costs doesn't make sense.

Trust me when I tell you that in all the years I having been doing stuff for the town, I don't need the digits on one hand to count the number of suggestions made from the "town" side that will not only increase efficiency but will also reduce labor costs.

With that, I have to go.

Be safe.