It seems like these days, government agencies everywhere are setting up their own officially sanctioned booster clubs, popularly known as Friends of Park or Institution. It reinforces the idea that the government is benolevent institution and that it needs public boosters for its mission, especially in the era of cut backs and reduced government spending.

While such motives may come from truly good hearted people who want to do good, government sanctioned friends clubs are truly troublesome institutions. All political power comes from the king, or in the case of the United States and other countries constitutional monarchies, a fictional king known as the state. The people only have power because they rose up and made the king or the state give up their power. The people agreed to allow the government to have some power, to tolerate government but that hardly means they love or embrace the government. It’s something they hold their nose up to and accept as it’s the best option.

Government doesn’t need boosters. What it needs is activists on the outside forcing it to do what is right. Whether it’s citizen groups protesting, sueing or making it uncomfortable for politicians by getting involved politically, government can be held to account. Needed services of the government shouldn’t be provided by volunteers but for by paid professionals funded by tax dollars. Moreover, government doesn’t need boosters, it already has all the powers of the state and the king behind it. What government needs is accountability.