Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Smokey the Bear is a Republican

Go see this Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility news release from October:

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."

"Presidents come and go but the civil service is designed to serve whoever occupies the swivel chair in the Oval Office," Ruch added. "It is downright creepy that now every museum curator, supervising scientist and chief ranger must be okayed by a high-level political appointee."

Creepy, shit. It's downright North Korean. So is the part about "presidents come and presidents go". Not if Kim Il Bush has anything to say about it!

I wonder if we'll have to sign a Loyalty Oath to go visit our National Parks? Good ploy on their part if we do. I'll never sign one. I'll never see it when they sneak all the trees out and the oil wells and strip mines in, either.

Since Bush wants to privatize the parks, don't be surprised if a pimply-faced underpaid non-professional-looking "Park Ranger" asks "want fries with that?"

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