tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743530438680774250.post8860944292105929731..comments2023-11-02T05:04:59.172-04:00Comments on Third Base Politics: Is Strickland's shadow government already in place?Nick (aka Bytor)http://www.blogger.com/profile/15826772166599084105noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7743530438680774250.post-70073540460340481152010-11-18T15:55:55.802-05:002010-11-18T15:55:55.802-05:00The issue here is the size of the standing governm...The issue here is the size of the standing government and the depth to which appointees descend in the various agencies<br /><br />In otherwords if Kasich can fire Strickland's appointees and replace them with his own, but he cannot otherwise alter the nature of the work force, he will always face a threat of embarrassing leaks.<br /><br />For example, look at how the standing Federal government treated George W Bush. Mr Bush could only winnow out the very top layers of these agencies, leaving career civil servants in place. If those folks don't approve of Mr Bush's policies they are in a perfect position to thwart them via inaction, leaks, slow downs, bureaucratic shuffling and the like. the infamous NEA stands as a paradigm of civil service insouciance.<br /><br />The perogatives of the electorate are therefore diminished. We don't get the government we voted for. Instead we get the best compromise between the folks we elected and the unaccountable, unfireable civil servants whose lips are firmly wrapped around the public nipple.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com