| Comment Number: | OL-10506397 |
| Received: | 3/11/2005 2:45:17 PM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
RE: FR/Vol 70 -- 2/14/05 -- Pg. 7553 ("Relationship to the Department of Homeland Security") The background for this document states that in developing these proposed Regulations, the authors adopted "many of the concepts and approaches and even much of the specific language set forth of the DHS (Deparment of Home Security) regulations". ---- Unless I am very much mistaken, many of the concepts and practices advocated and put into effect by the DoD during that past few years have recently come under severe scrutiny and criticism by the nation's citizenry and the Press. I can see reappearing in these proposed regulations, certain attitudes which are now coming under nationwide criticism. There seems to be an attempt here to give the DoD greater, entrenched power to manipulate the civilian workforce in ways that are an affront to the typical American's sense of fairness and propriety. That is, it seems the DoD wants to hire into its civilian workforce whomever they want, to fire workers for any causes they think appropriate, and to reassign DoD civilian workers to wherever in the world it pleases the DoD to send them. According to this document, this would all be done in the name of national defense, national security and the DoD's "mission". It is as though someone expects this nation to remain on a "war footing" for many years to come. Folks, this is an attitude that is sheer madness. Somebody needs to "pull the chain" of the "Nazis" who wrote these proposed Regulations. My fear is that someone is aiming to transfigure the DoD workforce into some kind of para-military organization, replete with such catch-phrases as the "Department of Homeland ("Fatherland"?, "Motherland"?) Security, and "Home Rule" ( ---- and what's with the word "rule", anyway? I thought the U.S. was a nation "governed" by representatives, not "ruled", as by an Emperor? ---- But I digress...). Suffice it to say that on the one hand, on-job performance is a worthy factor to consider in determining a DoD worker's pay. On the other hand, these proposed Regulations go far beyond the area of workers' pay, and propose to invest the DoD -- and especially the Secretary -- with plenipotentiary powers over the lives of DoD workers. This is a concept that is completely antithetical to the rights and freedoms of the people of the United States. These Regulations have some fine objectives, but hidden amongst them are some inappropriate concepts that need to be rooted out by a veritable "posse" of Regulatory "Sheriff's Deputies".