Meaning What You Say

A frequent criticism leveled at bosses at all levels of a company or organization is that they say things they don’t mean or they won’t stand behind. It creates an atmosphere of cynicism for every statement made by the boss.

In the 2008 presidential election, one of the things Obama and McCain seemed to agree on was their disdain for earmarks included in big spending bills. Historically, tucked away in these bills are thousands of measures designed to provide federal money to members of Congress’ local pet projects. Labeled as wasteful spending by both Obama and McCain, Obama spoke as bluntly as McCain on the subject: “We can no longer accept a process that doles out earmarks based on a member of Congress’ seniority, rather than the merit of the project.”

Enter the omnibus spending bill presently before Congress and needed to finance the federal government through September. It’s loaded with over 9,000 earmarks, including money to help gang members remove tattoos, money for the Polynesian Voyaging Society in Honolulu, and money for a rodeo museum in South Dakota. It’s arguable that some of the earmarks are stimulative in nature but only to a particular locality — at a time when federal dollars need to be judiciously used to help our desperate economy everywhere in the country. The White House’s explanation that the President doesn’t intend to oppose these earmarks because this “is last year’s business” is disingenuous.

I keep looking for change. I keep hoping for change. But when the ultimate boss in America ignores a pledge he made as our economy continues to plunge toward oblivion — particularly when he’s been so critical of CEOs and other executives for their wasteful spending — the stage is set for cynicism, not change or hope. Don’t try this at work.

1. 

   E. says:

   March 5, 2009 at 9:48 pm

   Well said on on the money. Pun intended. Keep up the good work John! E.