I appreciate hearing your firsthand perspective. However, I talk to public sector workers almost daily who see it a different way. I disagree with the idea that competition is the only way to motivate folks to do good things. I guarantee you that if you took competition (i.e., the market) completely out of public goods like education, water, housing, etc., most people would still do good things and perform well because they are, well, human beings. Competition doesn’t get me out of bed in the morning; doing things I’m passionate about, connecting with others, building community, etc. do.