- The Bush administration should have learned enough from
Mike Brown's downfall about the consequences of putting political hacks
in critical positions. Yet, only days after Mr. Brown's forced departure
as FEMA director, the administration was asking Congress to approve another
unqualified candidate for an important job.
-
- Julie Myers, 36, is the White House nominee to head Immigration
and Customs Enforcement, but when she appeared before the Senate Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, it quickly became clear that
there's virtually nothing on her résumé that qualifies her
- no significant experience in customs, immigration or hands-on law-enforcement
work. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, was so disturbed that he called on
the administration and Ms. Myers to explain themselves. Her answer was
that she would "seek to work with those who are knowledgeable in this
area, who know more than I do." That list would include about everyone
in the agency.
-
- Ms. Myers has held a number of low- to mid-level management
jobs in the departments of Commerce, Justice and Treasury, but nothing
that adequately prepares her to manage 20,000 ICE employees and a $4 billion
budget. The agency is central to Homeland Security's mission. ICE is responsible
for preventing terrorists from getting into the country and also must intercept
arms and drug smugglers. Ms. Myers currently works as a special assistant
who deals with personnel matters for President Bush. Perhaps she can claim
that the White House hired no terrorist on her watch.
-
- What Ms. Myers definitely can claim is good connections.
Her husband is chief of staff for Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff,
and she is the niece of Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff. She also has worked for former special prosecutor
Ken Starr and helped build the impeachment case against President Clinton
and the prosecution of Susan McDougal, assignments that endear her to the
conservative wing of the Republican Party. As far as credentials go, Ms.
Myers' best offerings are nepotism and political subversion.
-
- The top spot at ICE is no place for on-the-job training.
Incompetence in directing the nation's anti-terrorist defenses could have
disastrous consequences and put lives in jeopardy. The last thing Americans
need is another Brownie.
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- http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion
- /content/opinion/epaper/2005/09/27/a16a
- _myers_edit_0927.html
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