If you've ever thought that some government employees are a bunch of clowns, you may be right. That is, you may actually find a government employee in clown makeup, as a public service.

I received the bimonthly newsletter from my city government today. It's got feel-good news (local man makes good); announcements of major public works (a highway will be rebuilt), and PC nagging (recycle!).

But what caught my waste-watching eyes was the headline "Perk Up Your Parties." What in the world could that be?

Well, it's another episode of "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you." Call it paternalism with a soft-focus face.

Residents are encouraged to invite the "roving recreation crew" from the parks department to "perk up your next neighborhood block party, birthday, graduation or family reunion." This, of course, is to spare you the indignity of having "another backyard barbeque with the neighbors. Same bratwurst. Same jokes. Same 'Mom, we're bored.'"

What happens when you call the "roving recreation crew?" You may find that the "gang has just arrived with ladder golf, bocce ball, a craft project and even a puppet show!"

Oh yes, just what the founding fathers risked their lives for. A unit of government staving off boredom with ... bocce!

When you call the parks department, "the team will rove to your location of choice and bring all the fun and games."

At least there's a charge for the barrel o' laughs.

By the way, this is not a unique case of government involvement in amusements. Around these parts, we have city-run water parks that, while not quite up to the features of a Schlitterbahn, are a far cry from the muni pool, not to mention mini golf, real golf, and gyms.

I suppose we tolerate such things because, well, they're for the children, who wants to wait for the private sector to develop these options, and, well, it's done by people we know in our community and they're nice people, so it can't be that bad can it?

Actually, it can. As my friends at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy remind us, government-owned golf courses (and I'll throw in hockey rinks, party patrols, and a lot of other services) are the least necessary of unnecessary services. Too often, local government gets a pass. Yet in its actions, it undercuts the entrepreneurial spirit of private citizens, makes people more willing to let government overstep its bounds, and engages public employees in a space of life where there is no rationale.