Most government insiders agree that the bureaucracy runs the government. Politicians make noises and pass laws, but the bureaucracy always wins.

In Fountain Hills the bureaucracy is called “staff” and the tool they use to govern is called the “study.” Want to build a half million-dollar roundabout that nobody wants, a $1 million stop light that’s not needed or a $15 million parking garage, just buy a study that says you need it. With study in hand, we can all ignore common sense and what we know to be true and defer to the “experts.”

But let’s take a company that does studies. Out of 100 studies, how many times do you think the results say, “no, you don’t need the roundabout, light or garage?” My guess, pretty close to zero. If the study finds you do need “it,” you get follow-up studies and happy clients. If the study says you don’t need it, well, no more business from that client.

So, let’s get a study, and when you’re paying to park in an ugly downtown parking garage, you will have the joy of knowing the study said you needed it.