“Reforming” Government

Here’s a fun quiz! What part of government do you want to get rid – no expertise required.

The Trump Administration (through OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, who never met a government agency he likes) is asking for input on how to reform government.  After 30 years in the trenches, I can think of lots of useful reforms. However, I don’t think the most effective way to go about reforming government is to run a popularity contest with questions like “what agency would you like to eliminate.” (Hmmm… I think I know where this thing is going.)

Like a lot of what we see from this administration, it look like they are really trolling for soundbites they can use to rile up the base. See this note at the bottom of the form:

“The United States Government reserves full rights to use, copy, or distribute submissions for its purposes without compensation or approval on the part of the submitter. Because your comment may be made available to the public…

So have yourself some fun! Click the link and offer your ideas – only 4 questions to answer, so it’s super easy…no thought process required. This poll is open through June 12.

Seriously, folks. Let’s stand up for our beleaguered agencies. Reforms can mean things like: adequate funding to achieve mission goals; clear priorities and policy direction; more REAL stakeholder involvement in decision- making processes; less Congressional meddling (Congressional pork almost always makes its way into things like procurement regulations).

https://www.whitehouse.gov/reorganizing-the-executive-branch

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Save EPA has been an all-volunteer group of former EPA officials who became alarmed about the Trump agenda for EPA and joined together to fight it.

With newly-elected President-Elect Biden and VP-Elect Harris coming in January, the need to "save EPA" is much less urgent. This is not to imply all clear skies ahead - there is much re-building to do, there will be negative pressures on the new administration, and we will likely have policy differences in the future. However, we are hopeful that these differences will be discussed rationally, using science as a basis for moving forward, and keeping EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment in the forefront.

And so, we are going back to retirement!  We're keeping our website up at http://saveepaalums.info/ , as a resource for those who want to follow and influence the restoration work. Our report on the Trump record at EPA describes the actions that need to be reversed [saveepaalums.info/Trump+era+report], and our guide to participating in the rulemaking process [http://saveepaalums.info/Resistance+Guide] can help you be part of the solution.

Thank you for your support and commitment during the past 3.5 years.  While the Trump assaults were unending, they were also frequently unsuccessful, and that was due in large part to public outrage.  Keep it up!  Although EPA will be in much better hands with a Biden administration, there is always a need for an informed and engaged public.