The history books tell us that the Founding Fathers set up a government that was supposed to be “of, by and for the people.”

This was certainly a noble undertaking and worked well for America — up to a point. At that dubious period in history, however, the government ceased to be less about the people and more about itself.

What I mean is that rather than being in place to serve citizens, our various state, local and national bureaucracies have become so powerful, overbearing really, that their main objectives are self-protection rather than what’s best for the people.

This is certainly true of local governments all around our great country, and the condition has not escaped those in control in Mount Airy.

As I write this, our city leaders — not unlike their counterparts elsewhere — are busily participating in a spring budget ritual that will lead to a spending plan being approved for the next fiscal year beginning on July 1.

But is the objective to do what’s best for citizens, or to do what’s best for the bureaucracy? Judging by what has occurred in Mount Airy in previous years, and other communities as well, I would guess that the goal is coming up with every way possible to preserve municipal jobs, departments, programs and projects.

You can bet that all methods will be examined to keep all those things intact, rather than determining items that can be slashed in a tough economic time for us all. As many citizens know, Mount Airy has “met the challenge” too often by increasing property taxes, hiking water and sewer rates and engaging in annexations to expand the tax base. In other words, trying to identify any way to keep the little “empire” and all its loyal followers intact.

I do believe there are mostly good people in our city government who recognize their role as public servants and act accordingly. Yet naturally there are others who see the people as nothing more than pawns in place to preserve the bureaucracy.

Some members of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, for example, are truly committed to doing what’s best for citizens, and constantly battle against utility and tax hikes. But some, on the other hand, almost always tend to vote based on what’s best for the bureaucracy, and that’s sad. Because if the people (and their tax money) didn’t exist, there would be no reason for the bureaucracy to exist, and it would not be able to survive on its own.

No one likes to see anyone lose their jobs. This community suffers when any layoffs occur, whether payrolls come from public or private sources. But to take the position that municipal workers should be IMMUNE from the job reductions that have occurred in local industries and elsewhere ignores reality. What’s more, it makes the welfare of the “servants” more important than those who allow them to be where they are in the first place.

I would hope that Mount Airy officials, as they prepare the budget this spring, keep in mind who they’re really in place to look after. And that certainly shouldn’t be themselves.

Tom Joyce is a staff reporter for The Mount Airy News. He can be reached at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or 719-1924.