# Civil servants with huge egos **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 21, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528 "2003-11-21T16:48:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/1 "2003-11-21T16:48:29Z")
I thought it was a little bit strange, after I first moved to Ohio, when gas pumps were labeled with a tag that read … > [@](#): > > **FRANK RUSSO** > (color photo) > Cuyahoga County Auditor Yup, the stickers have his picture. In other places, there might be a sticker ffrom a local bureau of weights and measures, or Department of Agriculture, or something similar, but not … well, a sticker of a guy. Orange County, Florida, doesn’t have a “Tax Collection Department.” No, it’s **Earl K Wood** Tax Collector, with no “department” or “agency” or other such suffix, because the head tax collector is … well, Earl K. Wood. So, what’s the deal with civil servants that have big egos? Should they do their jobs, or are they entitled to prominently display their name in every possible way? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/2 "2003-11-22T15:59:02Z")
Bumpies. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/3 "2003-11-22T16:07:15Z")
Movies. More of a rant than a poll-moving this to the BBQ Pit. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/4 "2003-11-22T16:12:46Z")
Yeah, and what about real estate salesmens’ business cards? Why do you think a picture of yourself would make me want to list with you? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/5 "2003-11-22T16:51:38Z")
Welcome to the City of Fairfield **Planned By Elmwood!!** ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/6 "2003-11-23T03:53:26Z")
In a refreshing display of the opposite of this phenomenon, the latest governor of Massachusetts did this shortly after taking office… > [@](#): > > …[Romney](http://www.02133.org/issue.cfm?ID=90) also announced that the practice of placing the name of the governor and other state officials on road signs would end under his administration. Romney called the practice “monuments to egos.” IIRC, it saves only about $400,000 every time the office changes hands, but I still like it. FTR, it’s one of the very few things I like about the guy, but IANA Massachusetts Resident. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/7 "2003-11-23T04:11:57Z")
I suspect those are elected position (A little recognition always helps). ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/8 "2003-11-23T06:43:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LilyoftheValley \* > \*\* IIRC, it saves only about $400,000 every time the office changes hands, but I still like it. \*\* Hey, 400k here, 400k there, pretty soon you’re talking about real money! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/9 "2003-11-23T07:20:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by county \* > \*\*I suspect those are elected position (A little recognition always helps). \*\* In the case of gas pumps, at least in Ohio, you would be correct. Gas pumps (as well as all other weights and measures) are sealed by county auditors, an elected position in Ohio. I’m betting it’s been a long time since the OP saw one of these stickers with a picture though. IIRC, this practice was disallowed, since it was thought to provide free advertising and hence an unfair advantage in campaigns. It’s possible that’s just a rule in my neck of the woods, and not statewide though. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/10 "2003-11-23T08:33:57Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Lizard \* > \*\* I’m betting it’s been a long time since the OP saw one of these stickers with a picture though. IIRC, this practice was disallowed_\* I moved to Ohio three weeks ago. The **FRANK RUSSO** stickers with the photo are the only ones I’ve seen around eastern Cuyahoga County. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/11 "2003-11-23T19:56:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*Welcome to the City of Fairfield **Planned By Elmwood!!** \*\* Hehehe … Some of us don’t even put our names on staff reports. On actual plans, I tuck my name in below local elected officials and planning commissioners. In correspondence, I don’t include “AICP” after my name; that’s a bit pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/12 "2003-11-23T20:34:30Z")
AH! Finally, a chance to bitch about RICHARD M. DALEY, MAYOR. Hey, hey, you know who the mayor of Chicago is? Why, it’s RICHARD M. DALEY, MAYOR. I know this because RICHARD M. DALEY, MAYOR has kindly gone to the trouble of having RICHARD M. DALEY, MAYOR inscribed on every available space in Chicago. It’s creepy. It’s Orwellian. RICHARD M. DALEY, MAYOR is watching you! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/13 "2003-11-23T21:45:14Z")
The Bible Authorized by God and **King James** ;j ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/14 "2003-11-24T13:55:30Z")
You want a real Civil Servant with a big ego, instead of pissant elected officials? VunderBob Electronics Engineer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/15 "2003-11-24T13:56:31Z")
WTF? I selected huge for my name…?.. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/16 "2003-11-24T14:26:42Z")
“We’re sorry. The vBulletin software has determined that your attempt at displaying Big!Ego cannot be completed at this time. Please try again when you’ve done something worth shouting about. - the Management” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-servants-with-huge-egos/214528/17 "2003-11-25T04:29:30Z")
Damn. I thought for sure I was going to get to gripe about all the fuckin’ flack I get at the DMV from people who seem to believe it’s part of thier job description to make the process as painful as possible. Oh well, carry on.