PAPERWORK REDUCTION
EVER HAD ONE OF “THOSE” DREAMS?
Last night I dreamed that I was working in the California State Department of Paperwork Reduction.
A wonderful place to work that was a model of diversity. We had one of every race, creed, nationality, religion, mental and physical handicap and everything else you can imagine. Even different political parties were represented though it was rumored that the token Republican had not been seen in a while and was possibly in a 24 step recovery program. This is California after all.
We also had employees whose only job was to act as interpreters for employees engaged in conversations in different languages.
The mission of our department is to reduce the excessive use of paper within California to help in the war against Global Climate Change. Three Hundred and Fifty, dedicated to the cause employees occupying four floors of a state office building in Sacramento. Working diligently three, sometimes four days a week depending on holidays, vacations, jury duty, sick leave, comp time etc.
To fulfill our mission our job is to produce a 172 page workbook every year that is to be mailed to every place of business in California. The title of this workbook is: YOUR PLACE IN PAPERWORK REDUCTION.
Within the information packed workbook will be a snap out set of forms (12 pages) which is to be copied and distributed to every employee at each place of business. Each employee is to fill out the 12 page questionnaire, sign it, copy it and then mail back the original to the California State Department of Paperwork Reduction for tabulation and completion of a 1500 page report which is to be distributed annually to all other State Departments.
In addition a copy of the 1500 page tabulated “Final Report” will be sent to each of the businesses within California who participated.
What could possibly go wrong? This is government at work.
Bob Bandy
