Friday, October 9, 2009

"Dancing with the Czars"

Okay, I think the Obama administration is now up to 40 plus Czars. The rationale for creating “Czar” positions is that such individuals can assist in helping run the government. Done well, this can demonstrate an administration's higher level of interest and dedication to an issue. But this ceases to be true when these "positions" become so commonplace that it’s hard to see where ordinary bureaucracy ends and the extraordinary begins. At over 40, giving the current administration more Czars than Imperial Russia had in its history. We have a Mideast Peace Czar and a Mideast Policy Czar, a Sudan Czar and a Guantanamo Closure Czar. There’s a Green Jobs Czar (oops, no more don't forget Van Jones), here's a good one, Charlie Rangel the Ways and Means Czar.....in trouble for not paying his own taxes, a Pay Czar and an Energy Czar, an Urban Affairs Czar, Technology Czar, and even a Great Lakes Czar. Thankfully, there’s also an Information Czar. As they say, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. The list goes on and on, you have to scratch your head and ask if perhaps we should re-think this approach. Instead of constantly creating new positions to coordinate our government's activities, wouldn't it make more sense to figure out how to let our elected officials figure this stuff out and wouldn't that better for the taxpayer?
I'm not the expert on this, but what is the average salary for these guys? And what if they don't agree with the people who were actually elected to work on all these issues? Who has final word? Good Grief, maybe I can become the Fragrance Czar.......Or better yet, maybe NBC can start a new show...Dancing with the Czars....and David Letterman can host.

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