There’s a lot of talk about who is best suited to take Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s spot when she leaves the department. Less commonly discussed at present is what this new secretary should do. Napolitano has done an admirable job during her tenure, but there is always room for improvement. Here is my wishlist for what the next DHS Secretary can and should accomplish.
On Monday night, the Washington Sanitation and Suburban Commission (WSSC) announced that in order to do emergency repair work on a major main, it would be shutting down water service to roughly 150,000 people for a period of several days. Unfortunately, instead of celebrating this as a victory and recognizing how well WSSC handled this situation from top to bottom, there are those who are choosing to find ways to blame the utility for causing public alarm.
It’s fascinating to see the how various news and blogosphere outlets have responded to the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The names being talked about as her successor have been some of the anticipated suspects, as well as a few surprises. Probably the biggest surprise for me is all of the eager talk about the NYPD’s Ray Kelly and former DHS Deputy Secretary Jane Hall Lute.
The Transportation Security Administration recently posted on its website a notice about some of the religious activities the traveling public may see in airports during the current Islamic holy month of Ramadan. This was a well-meaning effort from TSA, but it left me asking – who is making these decisions about communications to the public? There are some big problems with this notice to travelers.
Charles Kenny, a Fellow with the New America Foundation and the Center for Global Development, published an opinion piece in Bloomberg BusinessWeek called, “The Case for Abolishing the DHS.” He makes some powerfully accurate assessments on the return on investment from DHS, but as powerful as those arguments and examples may be, Kenny’s declaration that “closing the DHS is a small government solution that works” is a glass-is- half-empty summation that misses some important metrics.
Due to the Department of Homeland Security’s short history, there have only been three people at the top of DHS leading the charge to protect our great nation. This is a tough position to fill properly. We need a strong and experienced leader in this position and the vital role they play. “Who” is the issue of the moment, and narrowing down my short list is easy. Former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen is at the top.
With outgoing DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano headed back to her one-time home of California, she is essentially trading one massive bureaucracy for another. If ever there was a proving ground for running a multi-tiered behemoth with legions of stakeholders, public accountability, and fringe elements of chaos and accomplishment, it would be DHS. Her resignation, however, comes at an inopportune time, to say the least, as it could raise big challenges given several current factors in Washington.
The departure of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano marks the end of the third era at the Department of Homeland Security. Among the more interesting parts of her tenure were developments in travel facilitation, immigration enforcement and TSA screening methodology.
The following e-mail (forwarded to Security Debrief by a trustworthy source) was sent this morning to a select group of recipients who have a relationship with the Department of Homeland Security and the soon-to-be former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.
Several news agencies are reporting that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has submitted her resignation to President Obama. Her decision to resign comes in advance of an expected nomination to lead the University of California system.
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