Government Lies

I took my daughter to the city pool today. Unfortunately, despite publishing that the pools would be open from 1 PM to 8 PM, neither of the two pools within driving distance of our house were open. Locked gates, empty pools, no staff at all. It was obvious that not only did the pool staff not show up, there was no intention of actually opening the pools. I could guess about why that happened, although with the City of Houston it’s not really unusual for the city to make promises it does not even try to keep.

Not that the City of Houston is unique in that arena; local, county, state and national governments often say one thing and do something else. This is one important reason why mature people tend to mistrust government – governments are not often held accountable, and people in government tell a lot of lies to get what they want. Consider how many taxes were initially ‘temporary measures’ that somehow never ended. Consider how many pet projects were ushered in under the claim that they were necessary ‘emergency’ measures. Consider how seldom anyone in power ever accepts, really accepts, their responsibility for the consequences of their decisions.

Never judge government by its promises, only by what it actually does. Because the government lies, and will always lie if that gets it what it wants.