Return to Article: Cabinet secretaries get White House office space

By Alexis Simendinger National Journal March 21, 2005
  • 8944

    Instead of sitting in some office building, how about the Agency heads actually go out to the field and see first hand what their employees do!!

    In the four years Ridge was Secretary of Homeland Security, he never visited employees in the field. Oh, he would do "home town" meetings in headquarters but never once with employees in the field. It was like there was an invisible force field around Washington D.C. preventing him from leaving D.C., unless it was to suck up with the politicians and get the photo ops. The mayor of L.A. saw Ridge more than the employees did, in fact the DHS employees in Los Angeles, never saw him nor heard him.

    GovExec.com reader Posted March 25, 2005 1:06 PM
  • 8931

    Um, who cares? This deserves a story?

    Alfie Posted March 24, 2005 4:36 PM
  • 8920

    Curious that the MSM and the liberal among us were so rapturous about the long hours in the West Wing by the Clintonites and their sycophants... y'know? The correct way to run a country? (I didn't want to use the term "right" and inflame your sensibilities any worse.)

    I personally could care less about the office's location but it makes sense to me to give them an opportunity to have a specific time that it will be guaranteed available for use. The only problem I see is making it mandatory - not always possible for one with the kind of responsibilities that a Cabinet Secretary enjoys - even when responding to the dictates of the President of the US.

    Skeptical Posted March 23, 2005 12:27 PM
  • 8905

    What a great innovation- letting Cabinet Secretaries work where Andrew Card can keep an eye on them. I have another great innovation-- let's rename the Old Executive Office Building where the Secretaries will be forced to work. How about the Kremlin?

    Everything implemented just keeps centralizing power and endangering our Republic. If the President doesn't like what his Secretary is doing just fire the Secretary. You don't need to lock them in an office in the White House to keep tabs on them.

    GovExec.com reader Posted March 22, 2005 8:43 AM

Post a Comment

To post a comment, you must provide a name and a valid e-mail address. Messages must be limited to 400 words. By using this Service you agree not to post material that is obscene, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable. Although Government Executive does not monitor comments posted to this site (and has no obligation to), it reserves the right to delete, edit, or move any material that it deems to be in violation of this rule.

Cabinet secretaries get White House office space
*
*
*
Vendors Solutions Center