List of proposed changes

nj.com ^ | 6/6/02

[knak]

Mineta was consulted in advance, said spokesman Chet Lunner. There are 36,000 people in the Coast Guard, which rescues boaters in addition to patrolling ports and offshore platforms and tracking smugglers and drugs.

[agrandis]

So, would you agree with a statement such as, "Total security is worth the total loss of liberty?" Many people, especially in Europe and Canada, do hold that view.

[Starwind]

I don't have TV, so what I know I gleaned from the live speech thread, and the above proposed changes which make up the new department.

In all, it was an excellent move both in appearance and substance. A solid structural change to the government that hopefully will have lasting positive effects with the downstream potential for smaller, cost-effective government while protecting our citizenry and borders. It fits my definition of 'conservative' and 'constitutional' and was very "Reaganesque" as Regan_man put it on another thread.

As with corporate M&A and reorg's, this will be difficult and time consuming to implement, but if Bush et al bear down on it, it is achievable and worth doing. I would like to see him set a goal of having the management structure in place by 2004 (congress willing), and the human and physical infrastructure chnages completed by 2008 (assuming he is relected).

If Bush keeps this up, he'll make a believer out of me.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

So, would you agree with a statement such as, "Total security is worth the total loss of liberty?"

Obviously not. And not even the most extreme on this thread have suggested that we are being faced with this choice.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

The Coast Guard was surprise, but logical. This is a better reorganization than I anticipated and perhaps it will make a big difference in policy as well. Ridge is certainly on the line now, for the leadership of this department will be critical, especially early on. Ridge must produce. Good marks to Bush for this effort, but it will take a lot of hard work, pretty fast too.

[PatrickHenry]

living is a better thing than dying.

If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
- Winston Churchill

[wku man]

Five branches? Army, Navy Air Force, Marines, Coasties, and ___________?

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[bluefish]

And not even the most extreme on this thread have suggested that we are being faced with this choice.

I don't know. Some on this thread will tell you there is a plan underway to revive Hitler, Mao or Lenin if Bush were to turn to them, smile and say "Hello, how are you today?"

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"Five branches?
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coasties"

You just named the 5 different branches.

[mlibertarianj]

Agreed, imagine this annoucement in 2016:ATTENTION COMRADE CITIZENS, THE OFFICE OF MOTHERLAND SECURITY UNDER THE GODDESS BLESSED LEADERSHIP OF HER WORSHIP GAIA/HILLARIUS/PRIMUS, HAS ANNOUNCE STEPS TO ELIMINATE THE FINAL VESTIGES OF THE PATRIARCHICAL VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY, BY EVACUATING ALL GUN OWNERS, PRO LIFERS, TALK SHOW LISTENERS,FREEPERS, ETC. ETC. TO THE REDUCATION CENTERS/HAPPY CAMPS!!! COMRADES, ESPECIALLY THE CHILL'UN MUST REPORT ALL UNPATRIOTIC ACTS TO MOTHERLAND SECURITY!!!! HAIL GAIA! HAIL HILLARUS PRIMUS!!!

SIGNED:

Mary Frances Berry

MOTHER SUPIERIOR OF MOTHERLAND SECURITY

[brewcrew]

What is the alternative?

I guess we'll see. Most reorganizations I've lived through, be they governmental or corporate, have done nothing but create the illusion of progress. I'm not saying this one will fail. I'm only saying that based on my personal experience, statistically it doesn't have much of a chance of success.

[Maedhros]

While congress is sitting around doing Abbot and Costello impersonations of Who's on first, Bush puts a action plan on table.

quote of the day, imho

[Michael Barnes]

A question for the thread;
What is to prevent this new "re-org" and (assuming) larger "security" department from NOT turning out like another BATF? I believe 100% that Bush is doing this to help the country. What is to stop presidents that follow from not gutting and molesting this new orginization such as how Clinton did our current agancies?

Serious replies only. I was on the road when most of this came down the pike, so I'm a bit out of the pocket right now and trying to catch up..

[VRWC_minion]

My concerns are about what happens when a tyrant like Mrs. Clinton gains control of such an agency.

Nothing restrained her husband. Whether this was reorganized or nothing would restrain her either.

[don-o]

Nothing to see here, folks.

Just move along.

[upchuck]

So, we're gonna take a little from here, a little from there, a little from over there, etc.

Seems to me this should just about be self-funding.

And I agree, at least 5000 jobs cut due to job overlap. Wonder when this will be announced? Probably not until congress passes the legislation authorizing this new deparment.

I hope he gets someone other than Ridge to run this. Every time I've heard Ridge speak he sounds like he's in a daze. The Peter Principle at work perhaps?

[IronJack]

I find two things interesting about this. One, that there are so many Emergency Response Teams under such a variety of cabinet departments. And two, that the Coast Guard is an arm of the Transportation Dept. I always thought Coast Guard was DOD.

[RightWhale]

A question back, and anybody else who has the word.

The new department is divided into 4 subdepartments. Coast Guard is one. I didn't catch what the others will be.

[mlibertarianj]

Another good example is the RICO Act, a weapon first used against the Mob, only to be used against the pro-life movement by the Clintons. I do like this proposal to give an automatic elimination, every five years. Also I would like to see strong Constitutional protections, so a future version of a J. Edgar Hoover(whether a Right or a Left wing example) doesn't go after people, with views that threaten the ruling classes. One more thing, to the person who stated that living is a better thing than dying, as a response to a legitimate post, that sounds just like what the peaceniks in the 80's said about President Reagan's proposal to increase the nuclear deterrent. Remeber "BETTER RED THAN DEAD?"