SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

We need to right size our bureaucracies

Aug 8, 2017, 5:03 PM

federal employees...

President Donald Trump (AP)

(AP)

Do you want federal employees to run the country, or do you want the officials we elect to run things? In Washington D.C., they seem to be letting civil servants decide and skirt the law.

RELATED: Why do Republicans win elections, but never change policy?

Now, going rogue and dishonesty are not new in D.C., but it is unusual for news organizations like The Hill to notice it. Some examples The Hill gives are the organized civil disobedience training for staffers, social media accounts that attack the president, slow walking work, and refusing administration orders.

Do Democrats really want this kind of chaos with federal employees?

Matt Mackowiak from The Hill says it’s now not enough to simply resign because you don’t like the direction your agency is headed; now, you have to leave in a highly-public way. Mackowiak is exactly right; these are now launching pads to other jobs.

This is setting a precedent. And the precedent being set is that if people who aren’t elected officials don’t like the president’s agenda, they don’t have to follow it. By doing this, they are rejecting the will of the people.

It seems like these people who aren’t following orders are sending the message to America that they simply don’t care. Presidents should be able to fire staff at these bureaucracies.

As always, please listen to the full audio clip for complete context.

South Sudan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Cecilia Adout Majok Adeng addresses th...

Associated Press

As the UN ponders its next secretary-general, many say it’s well past time for a woman to lead

At a time when the fight for gender equality is facing a backlash, pressure is mounting for the next leader of the United Nations to be the first woman in its more than 80-year history. The contradiction isn’t lost on UN Women, the agency facing an uphill struggle pressing for the rights of women and […]

1 minute ago

This aerial view shows the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., Wedne...

Associated Press

Six Flags Magic Mountain retires X2 roller coaster amid brain injury lawsuits

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Six Flags Magic Mountain is retiring its famous X2 roller coaster amid lawsuits alleging serious brain injury caused by the ride. The Southern California theme park said Tuesday that it is permanently shuttering the ride after nearly 20 years. Six Flags recently settled a wrongful-death lawsuit from the family of a […]

13 minutes ago

This image from video provided by explore.org shows a brown bear known as "Backpack," officially na...

Associated Press

The final showdown of Alaska’s Fat Bear Week comes down to heavyweights Bear 910 and Backpack

After a week of fierce competition, Bear 910 and Backpack have emerged as the final contenders to be named the heftiest bear of Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve. There can only be one winner of Fat Bear Week, and it’s up to the voters to decide Tuesday. The contest, which is in its 12th […]

26 minutes ago

Bellevue speed camera ticket...

Jason Sutich

Drivers can now be ticketed by Bellevue’s 4 new speed cameras

The grace period for the four new speed safety cameras in Bellevue ended, meaning drivers can now be ticketed for any infractions in the newly monitored zones.

28 minutes ago

FILE - The MTA logo is seen on the side of a New York City subway car, April 23, 2020, in New York....

Associated Press

Man dragged to death by NYC subway train after bag snags on door, police say

NEW YORK (AP) — A man was dragged to death by a New York City subway train when a bag he was carrying got stuck in the door during the Monday evening rush hour commute, according to police. Yaw Boahene, 57, had been exiting the train at a Brooklyn subway station around 6 p.m. when […]

58 minutes ago

Associated Press

Woman accused of shooting at Rihanna’s home is mentally fit for trial, judge says

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman accused of spraying bullets at Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s home, hitting a trailer the celebrity couple was inside and a nursery their kids were in, was found mentally competent to stand trial by a judge on Tuesday. Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 36, of Orlando Florida, has pleaded not guilty to […]

1 hour ago

We need to right size our bureaucracies