New at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49212-2002Jul10.html

Excerpt:
The new Homeland Security bill could be a hard sell. Tucked into the administration's 34-page bill that would set up the Department of Homeland Security is a 68-word sentence that has raised alarms among Democrats and unions representing federal workers.

"Notwithstanding" the civil service law, the sentence says, the secretary of homeland security may propose federal rules to establish a personnel management system that is "flexible," "contemporary" and "grounded in the principles of merit and fitness."

Fears that such language could lead to a wholesale revamping of the civil service code have become a major point of contention as Congress debates how to create the department. Though they largely support the concept of merging part or all of 22 federal agencies under one new entity, leading Democrats worry the proposal would threaten rights enjoyed by the proposed department's 170,000 federal employees.

"It's a huge issue for the Democrats because it's a huge issue for working families," said Brendan Daly, a spokesman for House Democratic Whip Nancy Pelosi (Calif.). "Public employees were the first responders on September 11th, and they deserve the security of keeping their civil service positions. This is 170,000 people who don't know if their job is going to be protected."

NASAWatch.INFO's reaction: Folks, when a district attorney is elected, does he fire all the attorneys who didn't support his or her political campaign? NO, and this is the case despite their LACK of career tenure protections. Does (s)he fire all the attorneys who are affiliated with the opposing political party? Again, NO, and this is despite the claims by face-feeding bureaucrats that there would be a political spoils system resulting from a removal of their national debt-increasing career tenures. Finally, isn't competition the American way?

NoUnionOrAnyOtherSponsorship'sAllowed@NASAWatch.INFO