Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Transparency so thick you have to cut it with a knife

Why does the EPA have its own “Office of Homeland Security”?
A unit run by President Barack Obama's political staff inside the Environmental Protection Agency operates illegally as a "rogue law enforcement agency" that has blocked independent investigations by the EPA's inspector general for years, a top investigator told Congress.


The office of about 10 employees is overseen by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy's office, and the inspector general's office is accusing it of impeding its independent investigations into employee misconduct, computer security and external threats, including compelling employees involved in cases to sign non-disclosure agreements.

"Under the heavy cloak of 'national security,' the Office of Homeland Security has repeatedly rebuffed and refused to cooperate with the OIG's ongoing requests for information or cooperation," Sullivan wrote in prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press. "This block unquestionably has hamstrung the Office of Inspector General's ability to carry out its statutory mandate to investigate wrongdoing of EPA employees."
Are these clowns armed, too? If so, why? And what is the linkage between the EPA and “national security”? Is Al-Qaeda secretly draining duck ponds or something?

7 comments:

SwampWoman said...

I think it's to protect the folks that earn $120,000 per year to sit around and watch pron all day.

I will read pinterest all day for $80,000 per year.

SwampWoman said...

Maybe a few hundred thousand of us should express interest in the porn watching job for the $120,000 per year salary.

SwampWoman said...

I just heard on (talk) radio that another EPA "worker" drew his salary and didn't go to work for years!

I think I'll start filling out job applications. Under qualifications, put staying at home and drawing checks. Prior employment, I'll put welfare.

JeffS said...

I know of several Federal agencies that have an "Office of Homeland Security". At the time, it was trendy, naming your Emergency Management function "Office of Homeland Security".

Now, it's just stupid.

Isophorone said...

It is rather surprising that any employee would be downloading porn on a government computer. You would think that such sites were blocked. Oh, well, EPA Information Technology is not exactly up to date, either.

The "Homeland Security" office likely deals with potential threats to water supplies, waste storage facilities, industrial plant security, etc. Such offices proliferated throughout Federal agencies after 9/11.

Paco said...

Isophorone: You're right, it is surprising. Incredibly, though, I know of at least two instances at my own agency where people were caught downloading porn (one, I believe, had already been cautioned at least once). Both ultimately got the sack (one was a graduate of Harvard Law School and a freakin' grandfather, for cryin' out loud).

These incidents occurred probably five years ago or so. I think most agencies are doing a better job blocking such sites these days.

JeffS said...

Site blocking is more prevalent, Paco. For a while, I was blocked (at work) from the Coalition of the Swilling due to a "questionable link". And I can't even visit Paco Enterprises any more.

But it depends on the agency and their IT policies.