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Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/14/2012 11:25:14 PM   
tazzygirl


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Good idea? Bad? Opinions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apnewsbreak-obama-to-seek-power-to-merge-agencies-first-up-would-be-commerce-trade/2012/01/13/gIQApszdvP_story.html

WASHINGTON — Seeking more power to shrink the government, President Barack Obama on Friday suggested smashing six economic agencies into one, an election-year idea intended to halt bureaucratic nightmares and force Republicans to back him on one of their own favorite issues.

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/14/2012 11:30:48 PM   
Lucylastic


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merging isnt good enough, the EPA D of energy and..whats the other one? Education???
gotta go
mergin is some namby pamby way of making it look good for the election

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/14/2012 11:36:14 PM   
erieangel


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At one time we had a Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare.  Carter took that agency apart and created three separate entities. 

There are six departments/offices/agencies that deal with commerce.  Shouldn't they be rolled into one. 

This plan makes more sense than selling government buildings and then leasing the property, as AZ had done in '09. 

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 1:57:41 AM   
blacksword404


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quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl

Good idea? Bad? Opinions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apnewsbreak-obama-to-seek-power-to-merge-agencies-first-up-would-be-commerce-trade/2012/01/13/gIQApszdvP_story.html

WASHINGTON — Seeking more power to shrink the government, President Barack Obama on Friday suggested smashing six economic agencies into one, an election-year idea intended to halt bureaucratic nightmares and force Republicans to back him on one of their own favorite issues.


It depends. If it goes the way things usually do with government then it will be bad. 1. The six will combine and become one. Becoming one massive entity. 2. It will retain its bureaucracy. 3. It will be likely to be harder and not easier to deal with than the smaller entity. 4. It will spend more money not less.

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 2:27:09 AM   
joether


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quote:

ORIGINAL: blacksword404
quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl
Good idea? Bad? Opinions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apnewsbreak-obama-to-seek-power-to-merge-agencies-first-up-would-be-commerce-trade/2012/01/13/gIQApszdvP_story.html

WASHINGTON — Seeking more power to shrink the government, President Barack Obama on Friday suggested smashing six economic agencies into one, an election-year idea intended to halt bureaucratic nightmares and force Republicans to back him on one of their own favorite issues.


It depends. If it goes the way things usually do with government then it will be bad. 1. The six will combine and become one. Becoming one massive entity. 2. It will retain its bureaucracy. 3. It will be likely to be harder and not easier to deal with than the smaller entity. 4. It will spend more money not less.


And your assumptions are based on a cynical view of goverment as a whole, right?

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 2:31:54 AM   
joether


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quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl
Good idea? Bad? Opinions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apnewsbreak-obama-to-seek-power-to-merge-agencies-first-up-would-be-commerce-trade/2012/01/13/gIQApszdvP_story.html

WASHINGTON — Seeking more power to shrink the government, President Barack Obama on Friday suggested smashing six economic agencies into one, an election-year idea intended to halt bureaucratic nightmares and force Republicans to back him on one of their own favorite issues.


Depends on how its ultimately arranged. Putting these offices under one roof could be both cost saving and easier to get information from. Would help get the different agencies to communicate information faster so that people are operating on 'the same page'. But we all know, that if allowing the President the ability to do something productive for America, the Republicans are automatically against it. Just right now, those same Republicans are trying to find a way to say that without looking like they hate small businesses too during an election year.

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 5:17:55 AM   
Hillwilliam


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My Ironicator is overloading.

Our last Republican president created a whole new agency to make government bigger and our Democratic president is trying to be able to get rid of/consolidate agencies to make government smaller.

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 5:24:24 AM   
DarkSteven


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No.  Bleeping. Way.

The federal government, especially the executive branch, has been steadily usurping power for years.  It's gotten worse under Bush and Obama.  Not that coincidentally, as Congress has become increasingly less relevant, it's morphed from a serious governmental decision-maker into a bunch of weenies concerned only with grandstanding, blocking legislation, and amassing campaign war chests.

Ponder, for one moment, the effect of having an out of control executive branch excused from Congressional oversight.  Although the reasoning this time might be something praiseworthy, the longterm effect of cutting Congress' power will be the increased growth of the executive branch, as well as less reason to force Congress to actually DO and BE something.


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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 5:56:06 AM   
Moonhead


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Combining the FDA and the USDA wouldn't be a bad idea as overlapping areas of interest makes it difficult for either to do their job effectively.


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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 6:27:38 AM   
Hillwilliam


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quote:

ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

No.  Bleeping. Way.

The federal government, especially the executive branch, has been steadily usurping power for years.  It's gotten worse under Bush and Obama.  Not that coincidentally, as Congress has become increasingly less relevant, it's morphed from a serious governmental decision-maker into a bunch of weenies concerned only with grandstanding, blocking legislation, and amassing campaign war chests.

Ponder, for one moment, the effect of having an out of control executive branch excused from Congressional oversight.  Although the reasoning this time might be something praiseworthy, the longterm effect of cutting Congress' power will be the increased growth of the executive branch, as well as less reason to force Congress to actually DO and BE something.


Steve. the way I read it, he isnt exempt from congressional oversight. He would only be guaranteed a yes/no vote on his suggestions within 90 days. Congress would still have the last say but they couldn't delay the vote forever in order to generate spin and then bury it in 500 pages of amendments. they would have to show their true colors and try to justify their decision to their constituents.
Face it, it's gonna be hard for a Republican congressman to justify voting AGAINST smaller government in a high profile situation.

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 8:45:40 AM   
tazzygirl


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DS

Obama asked Congress to give him a kind of reorganization power no president has had since Ronald Reagan. It would guarantee Obama a vote, within 90 days, on any idea he offers to consolidate agencies, provided it saves money and cuts the government.

Congress would keep the final say over any proposal. But fast-track power would give Obama a stronger hand to skip much of the outside lobbying and turf battles and get right to a vote.

“It’s not often that we see real proposals from this administration to make government smaller,” said Rep. Fred Upton, the Michigan Republican who is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “I look forward to reviewing the proposal and hope that it will be the first of many to unravel the red tape.”

Those are three snips from the article.

Seems to me that Obama is asking for the log jams to end. Proposing something even the Republicans cant find a way to say no to, yet still having Congress maintain the final "yes" or "no"

Watching this on the news last night, it was indicated that the Republicans could hardly come right out and decry this measure because its what they have been asking for all along.

Does anyone know what the article is referring too when they say "since Reagan was in office"

lol.. found the answer to my own question...

Presidents held a fast-track reorganizational authority for about 50 years until it ran out during Reagan’s presidency in 1984, the White House argued.

Does the following help any?

Obama wants to merge: the Commerce Department’s core business and trade functions; the Small Business Administration; the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; the Export-Import Bank; the Overseas Private Investment Corporation; and the Trade and Development Agency.

The White House says 1,000 to 2,000 jobs would be cut, but the administration would do so through attrition. The administration says the consolidation would save $3 billion over 10 years by getting rid of duplicative overhead and programs, although it has yet to spell out any plan in detail.


Ah, we come to part of the problem. Seems this will take the wind out of some of Romney's sails.

Romney often says he would try to shrink government by eliminating offices that duplicate functions performed somewhere else, citing as examples more than 80 different workforce training programs.



< Message edited by tazzygirl -- 1/15/2012 8:46:31 AM >


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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 10:24:23 AM   
popeye1250


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quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl

Good idea? Bad? Opinions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apnewsbreak-obama-to-seek-power-to-merge-agencies-first-up-would-be-commerce-trade/2012/01/13/gIQApszdvP_story.html

WASHINGTON — Seeking more power to shrink the government, President Barack Obama on Friday suggested smashing six economic agencies into one, an election-year idea intended to halt bureaucratic nightmares and force Republicans to back him on one of their own favorite issues.


I wonder if he thinks that'll make people vote for him?
In his last year in office isn't that a little like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? (posturing?)
Why didn't he do this in his first year in office?
Why not make some meaningfull cuts? End E.P.A., Energy, Education,Commerce (the one Rick Perry forgot?) cut State by 70%, cut Navy Carrier Battle Groups from 12 down to 6. A couple wings of Air Force planes, two divisions of the Army?
Those cuts could save a trillion every year.
Then, if we could prevent congress from spending that money the debt would go down every year.
What the hell do the Commerce, Education and Energy Depts do anyway besides paperwork and interfering into the lives of American citizens?
It used to be that the schools in the North East were the best in the country, now the Education dept has them all "dumbed down."

< Message edited by popeye1250 -- 1/15/2012 10:27:09 AM >


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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 11:04:50 AM   
DarkSteven


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Wow.  So the only purpose of this bill is to require Congress to actually DO something and respond in 90 days?  Hell, I'd be happy if that proviso was added to ALL legislation the see.

Question - what happens if Congress fails to act within 90 days?  Does the bill bypass Congress and become law?


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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 11:32:48 AM   
Real0ne


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quote:

ORIGINAL: tazzygirl

Good idea? Bad? Opinions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apnewsbreak-obama-to-seek-power-to-merge-agencies-first-up-would-be-commerce-trade/2012/01/13/gIQApszdvP_story.html

WASHINGTON — Seeking more power to shrink the government, President Barack Obama on Friday suggested smashing six economic agencies into one, an election-year idea intended to halt bureaucratic nightmares and force Republicans to back him on one of their own favorite issues.


it most likely will serve to commingle narrowly construed power into one expansive jurisdiction.

there is not other reason for them to do that.

< Message edited by Real0ne -- 1/15/2012 11:33:22 AM >


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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 11:33:13 AM   
tazzygirl


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Not sure about that, DS. We will have to wait and see what the real proposal says.

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 11:35:45 AM   
tazzygirl


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quote:

I wonder if he thinks that'll make people vote for him?
In his last year in office isn't that a little like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? (posturing?)
Why didn't he do this in his first year in office?
Why not make some meaningfull cuts? End E.P.A., Energy, Education,Commerce (the one Rick Perry forgot?) cut State by 70%, cut Navy Carrier Battle Groups from 12 down to 6. A couple wings of Air Force planes, two divisions of the Army?


Cound be because his first two years was about keeping the economy from hitting the toilet and working on the health care law, which he always stated would be his primary concern?

I have often felt the government could use a lot of restructuring.

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Telling me to take Midol wont help your butthurt.
RIP, my demon-child 5-16-11
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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 11:37:56 AM   
Lucylastic


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people see "change" and only think it means to things THEY believe in.
and expect it to be immediate.
Their perceptions are faulty



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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 11:40:34 AM   
Musicmystery


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quote:

cut Navy Carrier Battle Groups from 12 down to 6. A couple wings of Air Force planes, two divisions of the Army?
Those cuts could save a trillion every year.
Then, if we could prevent congress from spending that money the debt would go down every year.


I'm for the reasonable combination of agencies--it will cut overhead and red tape.

I'm also for the elimination of the expensive and silly Department of Homeland Theater and reducing the very bloated military budget as popeye notes above, along with letting the military nix projects/purchases it doesn't even want/need.

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 11:41:38 AM   
tazzygirl


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Everything takes time. Congress is holding up a lot of things. I agree with DS and wish they were forced to say yes or no within a limited period of time. Maybe its time they were forced to do their own jobs instead of giving interviews.

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Telling me to take Midol wont help your butthurt.
RIP, my demon-child 5-16-11
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Dont judge me because I sin differently than you.
If you want it sugar coated, dont ask me what i think! It would violate TOS.

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RE: Obama seeks power to merge agencies - 1/15/2012 11:42:39 AM   
tazzygirl


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It always amazed me how the military said they didnt want certain things, yet were forced to take the money for them anyways.

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Telling me to take Midol wont help your butthurt.
RIP, my demon-child 5-16-11
Duchess of Dissent 1
Dont judge me because I sin differently than you.
If you want it sugar coated, dont ask me what i think! It would violate TOS.

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