Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Wed 05/28/2025 View Tue 05/27/2025 View Mon 05/26/2025 View Sun 05/25/2025 View Sat 05/24/2025 View Fri 05/23/2025 View Thu 05/22/2025
2019-12-03 Home Front: Politix
Moving federal agencies to the heartland would get struggling states hooked on big government.
[WSJ] As satisfying as it may be to see some of the sanctimonious elitists knocked off their lofty perches and forced to live among the peasants, it is probably better to keep the disease clustered in one place rather than spread it throughout the country where it might take root and grow. The government always grows; it never shrinks. Although I can see some potential benefits such as weakening the D.C. inbred culture and forcing some of the bureaucrats to see how the people live and the impacts their agencies have on the people.

Progressives dream of making the District of Columbia into a state, but now a pair of Republican senators have the same vision reflected through a funhouse mirror. The Helping Infrastructure Restore the Economy Act would effectively transform 10 states into D.C. by moving at least 90% of jobs from 10 executive departments out of Washington and into "economically distressed regions" across the country.

The bill's sponsors, Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, would send the Agriculture and Education departments to their respective states. Eight other federal departments and most nondepartment agencies would also be dispersed throughout the land, often to places intended to suit their functions - for example, the Transportation Department would be sent to Michigan to be near the auto industry.

Continued from Page 4
Posted by Besoeker 2019-12-03 06:58|| || Front Page|| [11142 views ]  Top

#1 Distributed systems make good sense. What doesn't make good sense is the absurd inefficiency, duplication and waste we have now. The "diplomats" and "national security officials" whining at the shits how hearings gave anyone actually paying attention a master class in where to cut.
Posted by M. Murcek 2019-12-03 07:13||   2019-12-03 07:13|| Front Page Top

#2 Given that is what pols have done forever (since WWII) with military bases why do you think this piece is appearing now? The Swamp is getting itchy.

Watch the fun when the old Base Closure time comes around. Move those department and agencies out the the DC circus and them states will be very very reluctant to send them back.

BTW, my state is a NIMBY state. Everything others don't want in theirs, they send here. Store nuclear waste? Why not. Provide the Air Force with bases to practice supersonic training? Why not. Practice IRBM intercepts? Why not.
Posted by Procopius2k 2019-12-03 07:21||   2019-12-03 07:21|| Front Page Top

#3 Are there sufficient wagons and teams ?
Posted by Besoeker 2019-12-03 07:45||   2019-12-03 07:45|| Front Page Top

#4 The real problem is the near complete inability to terminate the employment of Federal workers. Fix that and this shit won't be necessary. If Republicans really had this 'visceral desire for revenge', moving the shells around the table becomes unnecessary.
Posted by Raj 2019-12-03 08:36||   2019-12-03 08:36|| Front Page Top

#5 I can recall a time (perhaps it's that way still) when American Federation of Government Employees grievances were oftentimes settled via monetary awards (some large - some small) as opposed to costly litigation.

An entire agency budget could be devastated by such 'un-programmed' cash award(s).

At least some agency 'end of year' annual bonuses were calculated on funds remaining at the end of the fiscal year. Can anyone see the built-in incentive for .... early pay-offs and settlements ?

Nice work, if you can get it.
Posted by Besoeker 2019-12-03 08:48||   2019-12-03 08:48|| Front Page Top

#6 There should be no government unions. All government employees should be subject to USMCJ and have to compete for jobs and promotions via actual merit. Firing should take less than 2 hours. Failure to meet goals should be met with massive fines, pay cuts and other incentives.
Posted by Silentbrick 2019-12-03 10:10||   2019-12-03 10:10|| Front Page Top

#7  All government employees should be subject to USMCJ

And a rigorous PFT. Annual at least. ☺
Posted by Dron66046 2019-12-03 10:22||   2019-12-03 10:22|| Front Page Top

#8 Term limit all government officials elected or not. Sunset all laws.
Posted by M. Murcek 2019-12-03 11:05||   2019-12-03 11:05|| Front Page Top

#9 
Posted by Mullah Richard 2019-12-03 14:25||   2019-12-03 14:25|| Front Page Top

#10 ...like the post offices that linger on in disuse in the internet age.

My small business did 60K worth of business with our small, "unused" two-person local post office last year. And that's just us. So.. FU WSG.

BTW, my state is a NIMBY state. Everything others don't want in theirs, they send here. Store nuclear waste? Why not. Provide the Air Force with bases to practice supersonic training? Why not. Practice IRBM intercepts? Why not.

Hello fellow Nevadan!
Posted by Secret Master 2019-12-03 21:41||   2019-12-03 21:41|| Front Page Top

14:34 Frank G
14:28 Melancholic
14:27 NoMoreBS
14:14 swksvolFF
14:12 swksvolFF
13:54 mossomo
13:51 mossomo
13:50 NoMoreBS
13:50 Abu Uluque
13:44 Abu Uluque
13:41 NoMoreBS
13:39 Abu Uluque
13:36 mossomo
13:36 swksvolFF
13:32 mossomo
13:26 Frank G
13:12 Regular joe
13:12 mossomo
13:11 swksvolFF
13:08 Abu Uluque
13:00 swksvolFF
12:59 Regular joe
12:55 Skidmark
12:53 Skidmark









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com