Helen Thomas: 'National Security' Part Of Bush Plan To Gut Civil Services

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/helenthomas/2453058/detail.html

The Bush administration is evoking "national security" as a powerful weapon to accomplish its twin goals of privatizing thousands of federal jobs and taking a whack at government unions.

The administration's sales pitch is to raise the specter of terrorism and 9-11 -- a surefire way to scare Congress into backing plans to gut the Civil Service system.

Congress passed the Civil Service Act in 1883 to end the spoils system, which based federal employment on nepotism and cronyism.

The bad old days may be returning. I note the lack of competitive bids on some government contracts to rebuild Iraq and the appearance of favoritism in the administration's decisions to award contracts to politically influential companies.

[Cha]

1. Bless Helen's spry Heart!

"It generates federal employees who will mostly vote Democratic ... conversely, smaller government helps the Republicans."

"And if the message hasn't sunk in, the president has more Labor Day good news for them."

"Citing a national emergency, he plans to hold government civilian pay raises to 2 percent instead a 2.7 percent. Also ruled out was a proposed salary hike to make it comparable with the private pay scales in certain geographical areas"

"national security" my :kick:

Don't let them do it! Fight the slimeball bastards!

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Thank God Helen can remember back to 1883!

And I mean that in a respectful manner. Ye who forget the lessons of history, shall be doomed to repeat them.