Richard S. Davis’ column (TNT, 7-28) about the importance of carefully scrutinizing government activity was, for a change, very well done.

A functioning society operates best when we can expect good faith on the part of all members. The failure of government to sometimes meet that standard is not surprising when we look at the larger society.

While many businesses are good citizens, the news often makes it clear that big business shows no remorse in not disclosing the truth about its products or their defects. Pitting states or municipalities against each other to leverage the biggest tax breaks is …

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Every department of the federal government is burdened and stifled with fraud, waste, abuse and useless practices. Each has an inspector general who has been unable or unwilling to attack the debilitating malpractices.

In addition to the waste and ineffectiveness of the cabinet functions, there are many bureaucracies which are probably more wasteful than the cabinet departments. The new “czarships” are even more wasteful and useless.

To begin to correct these obvious and growing detrimental practices, I urge all candidates to commit themselves to establish a new cabinet position – secretary for efficiency – to singularly attack and reduce all …

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Two articles on Friday (“Report details costly SR16 error” and “City, EPA agree on $525,000 in penalties”) address wrongdoing by governmental agencies: the state Department of Transportation for the botched job on the Sprague Avenue offramp and the City of Tacoma Waste Management division for emissions from recycled refrigerators over a three-year period.

The former example will cost taxpayers approximately $900,000 in repair funds. The latter will cost not only the $525,000 in fines exacted by Environmental Protection Agency but an “atonement” for the city’s errors in the amount of $300,000 for improvements to reduce air pollution from its operations. …

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Stewardship: The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.

Consider these examples of the opposite:

• Misplacement of an offramp requiring an enormous cost overrun, with no one held accountable

• Building a park below the level of surrounding ground with a drain above the park level, resulting in a park under water several times a year requiring repaving and cleanup after each heavy rain. No one is held accountable.

• Salaries of college coaches that extremely exceed those of academia; irresponsible use of funds and inane planning for the future of our children.

• Special interest …

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