Park Service Management Loyalty Tests Imposed by Bush & Norton
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KTK
The Federal Park Service is staffed almost exclusively by civil service (”G-schedule”) employees - staff members chosen for having appropriate skills and background. There are political-appointee positions that are exempt from civil service rules in every federal organization, usually near the top, but the rank and file through upper management are generally civil service, precisely to prohibit patronage appointments and political influence over the ways government agencies do their jobs. The political staff set broad policy in keeping with the President’s agenda, but the employees are exempt from political loyalty tests and are only expected to do their jobs properly. Naturally, Bush has trampled that tenet of government service, along with so many others.
Park Service employees have now been told they must pass a screening by political appointees, for adherence to Interior Secretary Gail Norton’s personal “philosophy”, and to Bush’s general political agenda, to be eligible for senior management or program-director positions.
The National Park Service has started using a political loyalty test for picking all its top civil service positions, according to an agency directive released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Under the new order, all mid-level managers and above must also be approved by a Bush administration political appointee.
The October 11, 2005 order issued by NPS Director Fran Mainella requires that the selection criteria for all civil service management slots (Government Service grades or GS-13, 14 and 15) include the “ability to lead employees in achieving the …Secretary’s 4Cs and the President’s Management Agenda.” In addition, candidates must be screened by Park Service headquarters and “the Assistant Secretary [of Interior] for Fish, and Wildlife, and Parks,” the number three political appointee in the agency. . . .
The President’s Management Agenda includes controversial policies and proposals such as aggressive use of outsourcing to replace civil servants, reliance on “faith-based initiatives” and rollbacks of civil service rights. Interior Secretary Gale Norton’s “4Cs” is a slogan she uses to express her management approach: “4 Cs: communication, consultation, cooperation, all in the service of conservation.”
“It is outrageous that park superintendents must swear political loyalty to the Bush agenda and parrot hokey mottos in order to earn a promotion,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. “The merit system is supposed to be about ability, not apple polishing.”
The order applies to all hires for park superintendents, assistant superintendents and program managers, such as chief ranger or the head of interpretive or cultural programs. Overall, the policy applies to more than 1,000 mid-level management and supervisory positions in the Park Service.
I had thought that this sort of thing was illegal under civil service rules, but that’s no barrier to this administration. This is just another example of their campaign to politicize every aspect of how the government treats its citizens, and to inject right-wing ideology into public service programs.
The “faith-based initiative” thing only sounds crazy in this context. Already there is a running fight over how Park Service rangers explain the Grand Canyon to visitors, with fundies insisting they should be told it was caused by the Noah’s Ark flood, and that saying it is millions of years old is religious discrimination. There is simply no limit to the insanity these people get into, or how far they will go to indulge it.
How dare they expect the employees of the department to support the goals of the department! Private business would never put up with hiring people who support the goals of the business. The Interior Department should go out of its way to hire Bush-haters and those who will work in opposition to the goals of the department. What is this country coming to?
Comment 10/14/2005
First off, government is not private business. Secondly, businesses are not allowed to hire or fire based on political philosophy. In that case, eBay could legally fire all its Republican workers because Meg Whitman, the CEO of eBay, is a Democrat. Conversely, John Chambers of Cisco Systems could fire all his Democratic workers because he has openly identified himself as a Republican.
Comment 10/14/2005
David, was your post supposed to be a response to my post? I guess you thought it made some kind of sense.
The point is that there is nothing wrong with hiring people to work in a governmental agency who will carry out the policies of the agency. It would make no sense to hire people who oppose what you are trying to accomplish. Do you disagree?
Comment 10/14/2005