[Superman]

Indeed, as John says, government will never be run like a business. They are structured differently, for a variety of reasons. John mentions that competition is missing in the public sector and this is largely true. Absence of incentives are often mentioned. That is, the absence of the kinds of incentives present in profit-making organizations.

As I've mentioned before, I've seen public sector workers whose motivation is arguably even more forceful than the job security/wage earnings motivation existant in the private sector. Some public sector workers feel very strongly about the mission they pursue. Safety regulation folks, for example, feel they are saving lives. Many public offices have missions that protect workers, or protect citizens from fraud or other harm.

And often times "accoutability" is mentioned. Well, here I respect the notion but in some ways reject the argument. We are the stakeholders (public agencies don't have stockholders) in those organizations, and the public IS the oversight. Auditor offices exist in the public sector to help ensure agencies are being responsible with your tax dollars. That's another mission that an individual public auditor can feel motivated about. I personally know several folks who work for the Washington State Auditor's Office, and that is what I find. That office practices the UTMOST in professional integrity and they're also not afraid to point at an agency's practices, even from a macro perspective, and call "bull*****."

And yes, talented managers like John describes, Mayor Mike Bloomberg, are sorely needed in public sector organizations. Maybe we should consider what it might take to get this kind of talent where it is clearly needed the most.