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Obama to Tomorrow Introduce New Person for New Job -- Chief Performance Officer
January 06, 2009 4:33 PM
President-elect Obama will be introducing his new Chief Performance Officer (CPO) on Wednesday morning.
This is a new position designed to combat waste and improve efficiency.
During this week, when the President-elect has been talking a great deal about spending hundreds of billions of dollars to get the economy moving again, he has tried to also convey that he will be vigilant about spending the money wisely.
The new Chief Performance Officer, the then-Senator said at a campaign event in Green Bay, Wisc., in September, will report directly to him and head a "SWAT" team "composed of top-performing and highly paid government professionals" to work with agency heads and the White House's Office of Management and Budget to make the government less wasteful and more efficient.
"I am not a Democrat who believes that we can or should defend every government program just because it's there," Obama said at the time. "We will fire government managers who aren't getting results, we will cut funding for programs that are wasting your money, and we will use technology and lessons from the private sector to improve efficiency across every level of government -- because we cannot meet 21st century challenges with a 20th century bureaucracy."
He said his team would "eliminate wasteful redundancy" and "thin the ranks of Washington middle managers, freeing up resources both for deficit reduction and for increasing the number of frontline workers."
-- jpt
January 6, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (15)
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Good idea, but isn't that what the GAO does?
Posted by: Jason | Jan 8, 2009 10:33:09 AM
"Chavez's Socialist paradise is now running on empty as his economy has nearly completely collapsed."
Have you not being paying any attention to what has just happened in the United States under the Bush administration?
The american economic system is in collapse right now; I don't think this is a great time for americans to be bragging about how great their system is and calling down the systems of other countries.
Most of you toads forget Venezuela is a democracy and that Chavez is an elected leader with strong popular support.
Regrettably these are things the United States has become known for the world over - arrogance and double standards.
Posted by: pefros | Jan 8, 2009 12:51:05 AM
Get rid of all government!!
Go back to our Constitution !!
Posted by: spock | Jan 7, 2009 7:47:05 PM
Did anyone notice he delcared anohter gigantic highly paid bloated fat pig federal agency of money suckers to "fix the problem" ?
It seems to me a wise man would ask the current federal employees and endless watchdog groups to submit the already established bloated fat pig list, and then chop away on day one.
A person with integrity would immediately eliminate the bloated fat pig arms of the EXECUTIVE BRANCH of departments that Congress has declared by law to exist.
Not this one, this one creates a group of highly paid con artists to make it look like he is serious - then the word is they "will work with the CBO" - a CONGRESS' department, not of the executive branch - in other words it will be veiwed by those on the hill as an INTRUSION and stealing of power.
So the Obama idiot plot is designed to fail from the start.
At least the idiot illegal alien will have created another overpaid, bloated fat pig fed agency of pencil pushing apologists with a gigantic billion dollar expanse on insuramce, reitrement packages, paid vacations, trips to give talks and spew propaganda for the admin... the endless lie machine needs support you know.
Posted by: Silicondoc | Jan 7, 2009 1:50:09 PM
"Have you not being paying any attention to what has just happened in the United States under the Bush administration?
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. One of the things the United States has become known for the world over - hypocrisy. And arrogance."
----------------------------------
pefros,
as far as hypocrisy goes, and the current economic mess, the is no bigger poster boy than Barney Frank!
Do you not agree ?
Posted by: Mike_C | Jan 7, 2009 11:11:09 AM
Lol- you are riding to the defense of Chavez's honor. No Bouquets for Kim Yong-Il while you are at it?
Posted by: BertieW | Jan 6, 2009 11:26:34 PM
"Chavez's Socialist paradise is now running on empty as his economy has nearly completely collapsed."
Have you not being paying any attention to what has just happened in the United States under the Bush administration?
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. One of the things the United States has become known for the world over - hypocrisy. And arrogance.
Posted by: pefros | Jan 6, 2009 7:12:03 PM
I hope it does work. It seems a bit at odds with his plans to grow the government and the deficit, but the intentions seem to be there.
Now. Who will it be? Podesta?
Posted by: MayBee | Jan 6, 2009 6:22:44 PM
sounds like "scientific Managment" to me
I wonder what the unions will say
Posted by: smith | Jan 6, 2009 6:05:57 PM
One more person the tax payer has to pay.
Posted by: Tina | Jan 6, 2009 5:24:32 PM
Is this not one of the "CHANGES" for those who have been asking for it???????
Posted by: Rita | Jan 6, 2009 4:59:49 PM
LOL, Obama votes present. Government and efficiency words you don't often see paired together.
Like Hugo Chavez, Obama has plenty of appointees to blame for the disasters he causes.
Chavez's Socialist paradise is now running on empty as his economy has nearly completely collapsed. Hey I heard Obama is going to meet up with Chavez and ask for tips on how to do better than he has done.
Posted by: bill-tb | Jan 6, 2009 4:58:36 PM
Well I guess we should be happy it isnt another Czar. But this sounds like it is going to cost money: "composed of top-performing and highly paid government professionals".
"We will fire government managers who aren't getting results"
I dont think you can do that. Maybe you can begin some long costly process but you cant just fire GL Civil Servants.
However I am reminded of this line from the Declaration of Independence:
"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance."
Posted by: BertieW | Jan 6, 2009 4:57:22 PM
He doesn't know what he is doing. This is going to be fun to watch.
Posted by: NC voter | Jan 6, 2009 4:55:32 PM
This is a wonderful idea - if it does not get sidetracked by the "highly paid government professionals." I don't see why members of Congress and their existing staff can't perform this function. But then again, they haven't been doing it. What a tangled MESS!!
Posted by: kadk26 | Jan 6, 2009 4:43:51 PM
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