| Show The Salt Lake Tribune CONLMENTARY Sunday September Al7 12 1993 Al Gore Expects to Free Up Bureaucrats to Make Government More Efficient THE WASHINGTON POST improve efficiency in government In the Reagan administration the Grace Commission focused mainly on things its members thought the government should stop doing Gore has picked up some of those unenacted ideas including a proposal for closer screening of Social Security disability recipients That ill bring smiles to the faces of the Reagan administration veterans who lived through the firestorm of murderous publicity that followed a similar proposal in their time But most of Gores proposals go in a very different direction from the Grace Commission The operational changes Gore suggests depend in most instances on congressional approval Prospects there are dubious Gore an alumnus of the House and Senate was unusually blunt in tagging Congress for responsibility for many of the executive branch's problems Excessive reporting requirements and other forms of micromanagement by Congress sap departmental managers initiative the report says Too many agencies "try a lot harder to please congressional appropriations subcommittees than the people they were meant to serve" The response from several committee WASHINGTON — After six months of very hard work examining the operations of the federal bureaucracy Vice President Gore has reached a remarkable conclusion The surest way to cure the public distrust of government he says is to trust the government His "reinventing government" task force more formally known as the National Performance Review said in its report last week that if they were freed from red tape and challenged by capable managers to meet their "customers— demands the careerists in government — those "faceless bureaucrats" — would show a cynical public that Washington works "Our bedrock premise" Gore said in the report he and President Clinton have been busy promoting "is that ineffective government is not the fault of the people in it Our government is full of intelligent people — managers and staff We intend to let our workers pursue excellence" That premise is what sets the Gore report apart from most of the efforts by earlier administrations to trim waste and hard-workin- g E" !David Broder chairmen was predictably chilly and Gore was unable to negotiate advance consideragreement for any ation of his proposals So his report could die from inertia on Capitol Hill Without congressional action Gore consultant David Osborne warned the promised 252000-joreduction in the bureaucracy and $108 billion savings over five years will not be realized Some of the proposals deserve skeptical scrutiny by Congress — and by the president before he issues the executive orders called for in the report But on many issues Gore is dead-rigThe most intriguing and fundamental challenge the report raises is its view of the bureaucracy as the cure for what ails fast-trac- k b ht ernment fraud and waste Today the government Cynics would argue that the reliance on federal workers to shape up the system is the predictable result of a review staffed almost entirely by federal workers Despite the threat of possible layoffs it has been hailed by the federal employee unions which would under Gores plan be given a central role in redesigning the operations of government agencies But the cynics may be wrong Gore is completely in step with today's private sector managers who have come to recognize that even as they "downsize" their firms their greatest asset lies in the unrealized potential of their own workers Gore simply wants the government to emulate these companies by liberating workers from strangling supervision and holding front-lin- e employees accountable for the quality of their product How far removed this idea really is from earlier approaches to improving government's performance is shown most clearly in Gore's radical redefinition of the role of departmental inspectors general These sleuths were brought into the agencies 15 years ago when the Carter administration and Congress were caught up in an earlier wave of criticism of gov Gore report says the 60 inspector general offices employ 15000 federal workers who twice a year submit audit reports to Congress and the agency heads detailing the errors and abuses they have uncovered "At virtually every agency he visited" the report says "the vice president heard federal employees complain that the IGs' basic approach inhibits innovation and The fear of being faulted for violating standard procedures makes cowards of the bureaucracy So in thoroughly modern fashion Gore proposes turning the IGs from dreaded snoops and scolds into "helpers" "Today they audit for strict compliance with rules and regulations" the report says "In the future they should help managers evaluate their management control systems" Gore wants to turn the old joke on its head You can get a laugh anywhere by imitating a bureaucrat saying "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you" Undaunted the Gore commission says to those bureaucrats "We're from the White House and we're here to help risk-takin- you" Palk Forum The Tribime Readers' Opinions : At a i )‘ ti - 1 r----- flat I 77 14t1711 VII - 7- t 0 r 1 i"I ' 1 ' e--4- - ) ‘ s e 7 I ' 0 - ks1 4 psiu 4 0 44 ' - I ' — s j4- - ' - - frez--4i12- 2 1 0' ' 4 4- -- A st''' : '4 i I -"7' - - Large Broods - m LEAD 11t11 r- :- t - 4 I '1 i I -- w — -- -- e t4t" Pif - FINMpirrriotoirol 4katif"41411 a U 1A01 111 At 4 ii iitk Ili 34 t - 1)111 4r WI: ries concerning outrageously 't Welcome Back to Another New Year By Myrne Roe Happy new year Oh yes it is Day after Labor Day has been the first day of the year for me since first grade That's when I put away childish things and became student after union members had marched and politicians had said nice things about people who work for a living Even today though classes take up during the last days of summer school really starts after Labor Day It's the day that the summer fling has officially flung Furthermore after Labor Day bugs are on their way to going away Mowing grass is replaced by raking leaves Chili is tastier than cold cucumber soup Hot tea replaces iced Red brown and orange pushes aside green Football bids adieu to baseball Well that used to be the case until the World Series kept moving closer to Christmas and football started up while it was still hot enough to melt mums Still and all there's a much bigger change of pace temperature e food fashion workload and time choices from Labor Day on than from Dec 31 on The way it is now the new year leads to the same-olsame-olFor months after the Super Bowl it's more wool more "throw another log on" and more flu as we wait for spring Not so if the first Monday in September is when glasses are raised to something new Everything changes after Labor Day picnics ' For example think about Congress From Labor Day on those folks on Capitol Hill work like lei-siz- d body came up with the Jan 1 date What did they know for example about fall fashion? About how it is so NEWSPAPERS KNIGHT-RIDDE- d they can get all the stuff done that wasn't done from the preceding January to now Think of all the organizations that haven't met in the summertime When do they get revved up and ready to go again? In fact when is it that most organizing is done for annual dinners and figschedules? Afuring out ter Labor Day Think of all the projects at work that need attention When does the boss say "OK vacations are over and it is time to get with it"? After Labor Day Think about kids and changes in their sleeping habits When does the alarm go off before the sun comes up so there's time for oatmeal to be consumed lunch car-po- s imperative for the to know if hems are up or down if plaid goes with stripes and if accessorizing leans toward belts or scarfs? (Actually this year's changes for women may be too much to contemplate Honest to Pete are 1970 those platbuying chunky form shoes they can fall off of and slacks in psychedelic purples and oranges that Susan Dey wore in the Partridge Family sitcoms But digress) Maybe getting the calendar changed is a bit ambitious but for me — and I'll bet for a lot of people — the real start of the year is after Labor Day when the car goes in for its beaucoup-mile- s sweatcheckup mothball-scenteers come out from the trunk and traffic slows down to accommodate flashing lights at school crossings When the swimming pools are emptied an extra quilt is added to the bed and the office football pool gears up School buildings gleam Church pews start filling up with congregations back from vacation White shoes go to the back of the closet Leaf rakes are dug out from under beach balls and tennis rackets Spirits perk up and squirrels bustle about storing up food for the winter Now that's the way to begin a year After Labor Day clothes-consciou- ol boxes packed homework twenty-somethin- re- trieved from under the bed? After Labor Day Think about when resolutions are made to get better grades ask for a raise try out for a play read a new book start exercising more and eating less etc It's when cool (but not cold) breezes and shorter (but not real short) days are upon us This is the time when lives take a definite shift when Mother Nature announces "Folks this is it Watch those leaves fall and smell that autumn air" At the first of the year — as it is now — what does she say? "Here we go with the same white landscape for another couple of months Don't expect any real big changes until early April" So how about campaigning for a change in the calendar? It's long overdue The Romans or some Road Work Congratulations to the Floyd and Mar Dee Clark family and a special hats off to The Salt Lake Tribune for publishing such an uplifting story concerning this Taylorsville couple and their 17 children At a time when our planet is bursting at the seams with close to 6 billion people it is really refreshing to hear that some folks are rebellious enough to buck common logic and sensibilities based on religious views and a "love of being pregnant" Although the Clarks' antics seem outlandish almost equally bewildering is the gall of The Tribune for publishing this story on the front page no less! How come we never see stories on Utah couples who have contentedly stopped producing children after having two or three? If we must be subjected to sto- - '1 --' -- 4 1 tit di - - 1 41 ' t 7 4: - 060 — i' 0 4 ad-7- 9iOF s 0 ' A- Vlit 1N-01- Ili i fi - -- d Myrne Roe is an editorial writer for The Wichita (Kh) Eagle large families how about a feature story on Pat Williams and his brood? Though more famous for his role as a longtime NBA general manager in the past decade Williams and his wife have adopted more than 10 children from around the globe including places similar to the streets of Rio de Janeiro or south central Los Angeles providing a stable and loving family life for the unwanted youngsters while not adding to the planet's overpopulation problem Am I a totally naive outsider or does the LDS Church mandate that only a couple's biological offspring are able to provide a place for the "millions of souls waiting for earthly parents"? Come on Tribune these "feel good" feature stories are anachronistic depressing and bad for my Sunday morning digestive tract MARC SUSSKIND Logan Where to Write When submitting letters to the Public Forum please include your full name signature address and daytime telephone I am a attending Union Middle School In the Aug 31 edition of The Salt Lake Tribune there was a story about the than your name will be kept confidential Preference is given to original letters of 300 words or less that are typewritten and permit publication of the writer's true name (Names may be withheld for good reason) All letters are subject to editing Mail to Public Forum The Salt Lake Tribune The money should go to the public school system I am sick and tired of taxes being raised so that we can go to school You shouldn't raise taxes any more because parents can't afford it numbers Information other double-- spaced PO Box 867 Salt Lake City Utah 84110 Staying Home Pays Hurrah for Attorney General Janet Reno! Finally someone is willing to question the priorities of parents Sell the second car and have a walk A less drastic step might be to do some arithmetic: Add up day care expenses the medical expenses that come with having a child in day care formula gas to and from work business attire dual-care- state's $259 million budget plus sur- It would be nice if the surplus was put toward road repair but in 25 years there won't be anyone smart enough to do it They won't be able to afford to go to school So don't waste the excess money Put it to good use to educate the road workers of the future MICHELLE WHITEHEAD Sandy er dry cleaning and pumps every other month gifts for birthdays baptisms and bar mitzvahs and the fact that you are in a higher tax bracket In the other column add long morning baths with lots of splashing walks to the park a picnic on the grass a beach party with Barbie and her friends hugs and kisses all day long and the cost of your baby falling asleep in your arms If your arithmetic is as rusty as mine I'll help you out: Staying at home pays off KARI B STREHL Salt Lake City Desk Work Where are our priorities? Here we have a man Ray Hagen who is head of engineering at the University Medical Center News reports would lead us to believe he has done something very wrong Did he steal from his employer? No Did he do something for personal gain? No He had his men build a desk for him to better help him to overcome a physical handi- cap and work more efficiently The desk will always be a piece of furniture that the medical center owns I never have been employed by the university but I do know the marvelous job this man has done WILLIAM M CARLSON Midvale Character Assassination No Substitute for Facts of Kennedy Case A recent column in The Salt Lake Tribune by Edwin Yoder described conspiracy theorists as "paranoid" "lobotomized" "pseudo-Kenned- y historians" and as possessing "varying degrees of sanity" Unfortunately for Mr Yoder and other apolois not an gists appropriate substitute for a rational analysis of facts nor does it elevate the discussion concerning the murder of our former president If Lee Harvey Oswald indeed shot John F Kennedy and acted alone how does one explain the numerous documented reports of individuals with prior knowledge of the assassination? Two days prior to the assassination Rose Cheramie was admitted to a hospital in Louisiana and stated: "They are going to kill the presi name-callin- g dent in Dallas" Ms Cheramie's amazingly prophetic statement has been verified by congressional inquiry which subpoenaed her medical record and took sworn statements from medical personnel Ms Cheramie worked for a Dallas nightclub owner named Jack Ruby If I therefore logically conclude that Ruby had advance knowledge of the assassination and then killed Oswald to silence him was I "lobotomized"? In 1977 David At lee Philips the former head of the CIA Western Hemisphere Division admitted in a public debate that Oswald never visited the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City one month prior to the assassination contrary to preIndeed vious CIA assertions someone had impersonated Oswald That this embassy visit was a charade was also verified by a subcommittee of the House Select Committee on Assassinations Perhaps Mr Yoder could explain why someone would wish to implicate a lowly book depository clerk as visiting a communist embassy in October 1963 Am I "paranoid" to deduce a trail being laid to Oswald before the crime was To set the record straight Oswald was a voracious reader with a sharp mind as evidenced by his library-borrowin- g record and his school performance which was three grades ahead of his age Mr Yoder calls Oswald a "petty illiterate" Perhaps Mr Yoder would further clarify what in his mind constitutes "pseudo-history- " PAUL D LONGER Salt Lake City Clinton's Reinvention of Federal Government: More S Ymb ol Than Substance ' LOS ANGELES TIMES SYNDICATE Bill Clinton is joining a growing list of modern presidents — Republicans and Democrats — who have announced with great fanfare plans to tame the wild beast of big government So far all have been frustrated and reined in by the beast's size and its protectors in Congress In announcing the plan to "reinvent" government by reducing waste fraud and government girth Vice President Al Gore estimates a $108 billion savings to taxpayers if all recommendations are approved It will only be a savings to taxpayers though if Congress goes along and the money saved is used to fulfill President Clinton's campaign promise for a middle-clas- s tax cut instead of shifting the spending to other programs The administration actually hopes to crowdreirwent itself with the sure-firbloatand nefficient of pleAer attacking and ed government programs by styling : s e itself as the defender of the overtaxed citizen (who ironically has been so recently gouged by higher taxes) Polls show 95 percent of Americans think government wastes too much money But like "toughon-crime" rhetoric promises to reduce spending and shrink the size of government haven't lived up to expectations During the Reagan administration the Grace Commission produced a volume of and government-downsizinrecommendations Sixty-fiv- e percent of those recommendations were implemented but not 65 percent of the savings Conitems gress preserved many cutting instead those whose supporters had little political clout According to the Office of Management and Budget the Grace Commission proposals that were adopted saved $1524 billion between 1986 and 1989 and ba this7 year the estimated savings halle grown to $250 billion cost-cuttin- ed but weren't (estimated Cal Thomas big-tick- et r sav- But if fully implemented those recommendations would have saved $4244 billion over three years Vice President Gore's far less ambitious proposal to save $103 billion is stretched over five years While these savings are obviously achievable they represent only 13 percent of total federal spending over those five years making them more symbolic than substantive Among the Grace Commission recommendations that should have been adopt 0 Expediting disposal of Commodity Credit Corporation inventory by eliminating the de facto veto power that the State and Agriculture departments and Agency for International Development exercise over the humanitarian assistance program ($521 million) 0 Making greater use of direct funds transfer to pay federal benefits and salaries ($344 million) 0 Charging user fees for Federal Home Loan Bank Board borrowings to offset the implicit interest subsidy it receives from the Treasury ($297 million) 0 Removing certain tax exemptions from the farm credit system ($648 million) g environmental quality ($993 million) deposit-electroni- c g g five-yea- ings in parentheses): - 0 Monitoring federal construction project mitigation outlays to enstire they are not excessive and are used solely to offset environmental damage not to improve There's plenty more but the reason these failed to get congressional approval and that at least some of the Gore recommendations won't either is because virtually every dollar spent has a constituency or a congressman or both who want to maintain it Let the cuts take place in someone else's district If the administration says government costs too much is inefficient and wastes money why did the president push through retroactive tax hikes and a higher gasoline tax before he cut wasteful spending? Politically wouldn't it have made more sense to cut the waste before asking the overburdened taxpayers to ante up more for less? The "Gore Commission" is likely to get some of its recommendations approved and some will be achievable by executive order But most people will be forgiven for remaining cautiously cynical |
