The Home Land Security Agency - How Will It Work

I think preventing acts of terrorism is generally hit or miss and I don't think it will make much of a difference, and in the short term I think it will make little difference.

How is the Dept. of Homeland security Director changing every 4 or 8 years any different than the changing of the existing Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Veterens Affairs or Dept. of the Treasury?

Fishin all of the Agencies you have mentioned the civilian workers with the exception of mangers are governed by civil service rules and regs and are unionized. This issue of not being able to fire federal workers is bogus, it can be done in 30 days or less by an efficient manager with some intestinal fortitude.

And most of the sub divisions within those Departments are not that closely controlled by the political side. For example at a DOD a major command under Navy would be headed by a Captain or Admiral and they come and go often as you know. But there is always a civilian counterpart of equal GS rank that is able to run the command in absence of the OIC. In civilian Departments such as DOL the Secretary and Assistant Secretaries change often but the SES person is able to run the various agencies with the top post being vacant. The Homeland Department is not going to be set up that way. It will fall directly under the President's command with the Secretary having authority beyond the rest of the Executive Department heads.

The main agencies to be grouped in the Homeland Department have been for years represented by unions the Teamsters, National Treasury Employees Union, the American Federation of Government Employees, and the National Association of Government Employees. Unions in the federal sector or voluntary, i.e., you are able to benefit from a negotiated agreement but do not have to join the union or pay dues ever. The argument against unions in this department was a red herring I believe. Weak management used unions as an excuse for not being able to manage.

For example INS has close to a 100% dues paying. The same for the Border Patrol and ATF. These folks carrying guns and labor relations can be difficult. They are outraged at what is happening to them. These employees are not likely to be beholden to either Tom Ridge of the President as they stand to lose so many benefits.

I agree with fishin' in so far as, do we really want a J. Edgar Hoover kind of domination over a cabinet post? If this is really the answer of protecting us from terrorism, it's going to be ten years before we see how it will work. My crystal ball is cloudy on this one. It's trying to figure out the attitude of this administration whether it becomes a band-aid that doesn't heal the sore.

I think it is an experiment in running a federal department like a corporation but with out the pay and benefits afforded those in the private sector.

I am for the Homeland Security Department on its basis. I do believe that it should be under the FBI. There needs to be a central depository for the information and for the aquisition of same and the FBI has the control and the secrecy means to do this.

However, this whole thing was just a polical move without any punch, and has created the largest Government entity ever - a true move toward Big Brotherism with all the side issues, especially under this administration!

Whether they are unionized or not, the entire agency isn't going to change out with every change of President. Just as with every other agency there will be appointed positions at the top and there ill be senior "career" SES people right there along with them and the rank and file employees will act just like they do in every other agency - if they don't like the people appointed at the top they'll grit their teeth and do what's necessary until the next election.

Management is management. If the people running the show do a poor job the rank and file won't be happy. If they do a good job the rank and file will smile. Being unionized has nothing to do with that one way or another.

How is this the "largest Government entity ever". The DOHS will have 170,000 people. The DoD already has 4 times that number in civilian employees alone. Add in the military (Active, Reserve and Guard) and that grows to more than 10 times. The VA has over 200,000 employees. The Treasury has just under that 170,000 magic number. What's the basis for comparison here?

Largest reorganization in 55 years, yes. Largest entity, no.

Big brother gets bigger, yes. Do I care, not really.

Should I care, probably.

I'm not to concerned about the re-org itself. Every function they'll be doing now was done somewhere before. The NEW powers cause me some concerns though.

If America weren't a country that is very conscious about its liberties I'd be more concerned.

Just a couple of hours ago I heard the new Secretary elect, Tom Ridge, on NPR saying that the first thing he will be doing is consulting with the various unions in setting up the personnel system, duh. What is that all about? Do you think it was only the House and some GOP Senators that wanted the no union clause in the bill during the election period just to keep some conservative voters happy and they had a behind the door smoke filled deal with the federal union guys all the time?

During the same show they had the CEO of Lockheed Martin talking about when those two companies merged and the problems involved. He said (did not catch his name) that it is problematic and that merger was not even close to the size of this one. His best guess was that the Department would not be functional for ten years and that mergers should be swift as the changes adversely affect the workers and production. Now that is a worry since the infighting will be tremendous I would think. He also pointed out that in his opinion the private sector was vastly different in structure and mission.

Just think CDK you will be out of the military and running your own computer/web design/information network.

We find out it will work with duct tape and plastic sheeting!

They are going to have the Coast Guard start in the North of Maine, go down around the tip of Florida to the end of Texas and pick up again at the south of California to the top of Washington stretching and taping plastic sheeting as they go. The Border Patrol will take care of land areas inbetween.

McCarthyism

At the political whems of the head Marketing Manager!