Outstanding Public Servants

As soon as 800,000 bureau-rats were furloughed, the tear-jerk factory went on overtime to attract public sympathy for their plight. Nowhere has it been done more effectively than on PBS' News Hour on Friday, in a segment bearing the title above.
 
Presenter Jeffrey Brown found some who had been recognized as having done work above and beyond the call of duty, and implied that critics of government have unfairly demeaned this class of person. One in particular was Kevin Geiss, an Air Force deputy assistant secretary for energy, whose conscientious work is said to have saved one billion dollars a year in fuel costs.
 
Apparently the Air Force guzzles $9B a year in jet fuel to keep its fleet aloft, and Kevin found a way to economize with synthetic- and bio-fuels. Good for him!
 
His contribution of 11% saving pales beside the 100% saving that will follow the evaporation of government, but it helps while we wait. And several times on the web site that encourages government employees to leave their jobs, it says “Nothing on this web site implies that you don't give your employer good value for money.” But it goes on to add “The problem is that he pays you with stolen money, and accomplishes purposes that are destructive.” Somehow, Jeffrey Brown missed that bit.
 
If Mr Geiss were to quit the Air Force, I dare say he would find a pile of lucrative job offers waiting for him from airline companies also eager to spend less on fuel. He could actually contribute to the Productive Sector.