"Were starting to see why its dangerous to leave so many government positions vacant."

[babylonsister]

Aug. 29 2017 5:21 PM
You’ll Miss the Administrative State When It’s Gone

We’re starting to see why it’s dangerous to leave so many government positions vacant.
By Fred Kaplan



On Tuesday morning, President Trump confirmed what some have long suspected: His failure to fill hundreds of senior and midlevel slots throughout the government isn’t an oversight; it’s deliberate.

It seems that Trump had been watching his favorite morning talk show, Fox and Friends. One of its guests, conservative commentator Laura Ingraham, suddenly aware of government’s vital role in life, started railing at Trump for not having even nominated key officials. From the “horrific pictures” in Houston and the news of “a huge crisis with North Korea,” Ingraham said, “we can conclude a federal government does need staff.” Trump and his aides “have a lot on their hands,” she noted, “but we have to have people in place. If there’s a plan to not staff and cause the ultimate shrinkage of government, then let’s hear about that as well.”

At 8:26 a.m., Trump acknowledged that this indeed was the plan, tweeting: “.@FoxandFriends We are not looking to fill all of those positions. Don’t need many of them – reduce size of government. @IngrahamAngle.”

Failing to fill these posts can’t be justified as an exercise in efficiency; it’s an abdication of diplomacy and a diminution of American power.

And thus Trump proved once again that he has no idea what federal departments and agencies do—or what they need in order to function. He may think that by denuding the government he’s “draining the swamp” (as he said on the campaign trail) or carrying out the “deconstruction of the administrative state” (as Steve Bannon once put it).* But in fact, he’s losing the very people he needs to do his and the country’s business.

Of 591 key personnel positions requiring Senate confirmation, Trump has nominated only 225. (By comparison, by mid-August of his first term, Obama had nominated 425.) Some of these positions probably aren’t so important, but many of them are. For instance, of the six slots for undersecretary of state, he has nominated only one. Of the 22 assistant secretaries of state, he has nominated just three. Across the river, in the Pentagon, he has nominated only two of three undersecretaries of defense (though the one slot unfilled is undersecretary for policy) and just four of 12 assistant secretaries of defense.

more...

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/war_stories/2017/08/it_s_dangerous_to_leave_so_many_government_positions_vacant_we_re_starting.html

[underpants]

1. I'm sure Jared can take care of it

[Eyeball_Kid]

5. Damn! That back channel to Russia would have solved everything!

It's that wicked "fake news" press that thwarted the saving of America! Their nosey asses disrupted a perfect plan: make America the subsidiary of Russia.

[RKP5637]

2. It's just a reality Twitter show to dumb-ass. n/t

[global1]

3. It's Too Bad For Us That Trump Doesn't Have Any More Kids....nt

[marylandblue]

4. He seems not to understand the size and scope of government either

He thinks that by not filling 400 or so positions, he is shrinking government, when really all he is doing is letting 2,000,000 employees operate without clear directions. This is particular problematic for DOD, where he is trying to increase spending and commitments rather than decrease it.

[iluvtennis]

17. Yep, just no understanding of things operate nor the inclination to learn. I DESPISE Trump

[uponit7771]

6. Red Don can just make a call to Putin ... he'll let him know what to do

[NJCher]

7. as the population grows, the gov't has to grow

just to keep up with basic services. There are more people paying taxes, so what's the problem?


Cher

[Politicub]

8. And there's not a damn solution

First, Trump won't fill the open spots. His family is only so big and the people in his crusty Rolodex will have been indicted.

Or when or if Trump gets impeached, Pence will fill the open positions with mouth-breathing alt-right types.

I'm feeling deflated today about the state of American government. About the only hope is we the people get out, in massive numbers, and vote during the midterms.

[Solly Mack]

9. K&R

[Baitball Blogger]

10. I think he's just blowing wind out of his ass to cover up for his own incompetence.

[Ilsa]

11. He went to Jared

to get that stuff done.

Jared is negotiating Middle East Peace, trade deals with China, handling the frisis in Venezuela, etc.

[Scarsdale]

16. Smart kid Jared

could take Ivanka, go to Texas and between those two full of hot air, dry up the water. Ivanka writes books advising how to be a working mother, let her go down to Texas, give classes to the women who have lost EVERYTHING on how to start over, without a rich daddy footing the bills. The tRumps will do what they do best, start a company to rebuild, collect money, then bankrupt the operation. As usual they will walk away, without a care in the world.

[broadcaster90210]

12. But when you realize the sole plan ...

Last edited Wed Aug 30, 2017, 11:52 AM - Edit history (1)

is to destroy the government, it all makes perfect sense.

It is dangerous to approach this war thinking like we think and applying it to them. When we do that we just run around in circles trying to "convince".

There is no convincing. The next bad poll numbers or tragedy will not phase the GOP one iota. Our purpose must be singular ... getting rid of them at every single level of government.

[leftstreet]

19. +1

[not fooled]

21. Yep

Destroying OUR Federal Government is the koch agenda, and they are running the country. dump is just mouthing the ideas they feed him. The heriturd fuckdation was ready and waiting once dump was installed with their "blueprint" for the Federal Government, wherein they go through all the Agencies and identify what--to them--is unnecessary and can be slashed. Google it. And don't forget that on the night of the election dump partied with at least one of the koch brothers.

[broadcaster90210]

22. Spot on.

nt

[Mr.Bill]

13. I honestly think the Trump regime

can't find people willing to work for them. It's not going to look good on a resume.

[gratuitous]

14. Who is this "we," Fred?

What Kaplan is saying is that it's just now penetrated his skull that leaving positions vacant isn't a good policy, and is actually dangerous. Oh, if only we would all listen to Fred Kaplan and his deathless brilliance! Why, nobody* in the history of human thought has come up with this penetrating insight, that without people in position a crisis can become a calamity and then a catastrophe.

*Except, of course, the dirty fucking hippies, but they don't count.

[Scarsdale]

15. tRump is proving

that he is not a very important member of the administration. He is a joke, no good at anything. The gop really got themselves a "winner" this time. He is so puffed up with what HE thins is his own importance, that he fails to understand what a clown everyone else sees him as. Absolutely useless as president.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

18. Further proof that government is not a business

and cannot possibly be run on a business model.

[haveahart]

20. And how does he know what government employees do at all levels? He doesn't even know

what our government does. How does he know after 7 months about who is needed and who isn't?