By MARK DEVOLDER
Los Alamos

I feel a certain amount of frustration these days when I observe how the Federal, State, and Municipal governments operate. 

Given the complexity of each entity, it is difficult at times to determine the effectiveness of each level of government as well as the effectiveness of new and/or incumbent political candidates. Therefore, what is needed is some method to measure that effectiveness. 

Up until the 1930’s, big business was a dominant force in America. American Government was becoming increasingly dominant too (for example, America’s Great White Fleet sailed around the world between 1907 and 1909). 

When Herbert Hoover was elected, he organized a team of experts to improve the way America worked.  Unfortunately, World War I (WWI) created an international financial nightmare which resulted in the lengthy Great Depression. Hoover’s well-meaning effort came to nothing. The business community was helpless to deal with the crisis. Then government gradually became the dominant force in America – particularly during and after WWII.  

In recent times when I walk into a voting booth, I am faced with choosing the lesser of two or more “evils”. Credit should be given to the League of Women Voters who provide information on political candidates.  In addition, New Mexico Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission provides meaningful and accurate information about the performance of New Mexico judges and justices to the public for its use regarding the retention of judges.

In contrast, modern business is evaluated by a host of methods:

1) corporate annual reports, 2) information in the Wall Street Journal;

2) The Oracle Institute – What are Business Metrics? 35 Metrics Businesses Need to Track;

3) a more recent metric – Environmental, Social, Governance or ESG; and

4) Wall Street voodoo methods (that is, secret, proprietary, gimmick techniques guaranteed to help you get rich in 24 seconds during bear or bull markets). The information is used to “help” investors and speculators purchase stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments.

When it comes to Federal, State, and Municipal government actions or political candidates, the metrics are somewhat lacking. Who is going to read thousands of pages of the Federal Register (like a textbook with no Table or Contents or Index)? Who is going to review all of the activities of the New Mexico State Legislature or the Los Alamos County Council? Who is going find out about and understand a political candidate’s life history, education, value system, financial/political acumen, and goals? Is the choice made using a one sentence choice about what a candidate thinks (for example, “Every American should get a stimulus check every year from cradle to grave.”) This sounds like pie in the sky to me. Maybe a choice is made based on a photo of the candidate’s family. This kind of information shows up in the form of glossy throw-away flyers a short time before an election. Or maybe a candidate’s last name has fewer letters and is easier to remember (for example, John Doe).           

One can read a newspaper or gather information from the internet about the government or a political candidate. Or maybe someone can listen to and believe what a political pundit says (for example, frightening seniors half to death with a report on the potential loss of their savings). A person can vote along party lines – this may put a competent or incompetent person into office. It is possible to watch debates and determine if a candidate has charisma and/or is entertaining. However, what does this have to do with effectiveness and the ability to spend taxpayer dollars wisely.

Consider the ESG metric for businesses and ask yourself what kind of metrics might apply to a level of government or a political candidate.

As an example, consider the Social part of “S” in ESG:

1. Equal Opportunity;
2. Freedom of Association;
3. Health and Safety;
4. Human Rights;
5. Consumer and Product Responsibility; and
6. Child Labor.

If you do not demand some kind of detailed and lengthy list of metrics to measure the effectiveness of government actions or the effectiveness of political candidates prior to voting, I hope you enjoy driving backwards down the freeway at 70 mph.