With a new administration, many in and around Washington seem to think that the old problems will quickly go away (rarely considering how there will of course be new problems, but we haven't even had the inauguration ball yet, so I will try not to be a complete buzz kill). We might be facing two wars, an economy in freefall, and bailout fatigue, but surely things will get better. There is particularly a lot of optimism when it comes to the kinds of problems that we've witnessed at the Department of the Interior. But today's Washington Post reports that many political appointees at Interior are "burrowing into" senior civil service posts.
The Congressional Research Service provides the best explanation for why burrowing in raises serious concerns:
When the practice occurs, there may be these perceptions (whether valid or not): that an appointee converting to a career position may limit the opportunity for other employees (who were competitively selected for their career positions, following examination of their knowledge, skills, and experience) to be promoted into another career position with greater responsibility and pay; or that the individual who is converted to a career position may seek to undermine the work of the new Administration whose policies may be at odds with those that he or she espoused when serving in the appointed capacity.
Many of the attorneys referenced, and some that are not referenced, will have an impact on royalties (remember who writes the leases). So beyond the fact that POGO knows that royalty collection problems are not a partisan issue--we saw many problems with royalty collections under the Clinton administration--this news raises a lot of concerns about whether an agency that desperately needs major reforms, including ending the Royalty-In-Kind program, will be able to successfully implement the changes needed to ensure that the department collects the money taxpayers deserve for their natural resources.
-- Mandy Smithberger
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