6 ms·
Or how about we just end this culture of legislative micro-management, so that we don't have the problem in the first place? From there, we can give the agency
by mumblemumble 5y ago
Or how about we just end this culture of legislative micro-management, so that we don't have the problem in the first place?
From there, we can give the agency the budget to do the job, and let someone who's actually close to the situation decide whether it makes more sense to contract it out or build an in-person team. A bunch of legislators who are well-known to be perpetually too busy conducting fundraising lunches with lobbyists to actually read the text of the bills they're crafting and voting on are never going to be making informed decisions on matters at this level of detail.
- xenophonf 5y agoLegislative oversight of the executive branch is a feature, not a bug. Presidents aren't kings, neither are cabinet members princes. That said, appropriations is no barrier to hiring the necessary talent. There are plenty of well-run private data centers in the federal government, staffed by both federal employees and government contractors.
- Ericson2314 5y agoPolitician micro-management is a real problem in the US, but keep in mind that these restrictions of the bureaucracy are a more second-order effect. They are less about directly giving the politicians more control than keeping the civil service week to the benefit of the contractors, and that outcome continues whether or not the politicians find it worth their time to meddle with any specific project. Also, it's my understanding that the micro-management is more a problem on the state and local level, like NY state politicians such as Cuomo forcing the MTA to take on debt for these stupid stations rather than improve service.