Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Draining the Swamp: BLM HQ Leaving DC for Colorado
One reason DC is so swampy is that so many federal agencies are located there. A mid-level bureaucrat can move from HUD to State to Agriculture, spreading bureaucratic groupthink and red-tape-induced sclerosis as they go. A great way to break this paper-pushing cartel is to spread agencies around the nation, preferably closer to the citizens they claim to serve.
On Monday, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) announced a positive development on that front. The Bureau of Land Management will relocate its headquarters to Grand Junction, CO.
Today is a historic day for our nation’s public lands, western states, and the people of Colorado. Relocating the Bureau of Land Management to the Western Slope of Colorado will bring the bureau’s decision makers closer to the people they serve and the public lands they manage. The problem with Washington is too many policy makers are far removed from the people they are there to serve. Ninety-nine percent of the land the BLM manages is West of the Mississippi River, and so should be the BLM headquarters. This is a victory for local communities, advocates for public lands, and proponents for a more responsible and accountable federal government.
I wrote about a similar effort last month in the Arizona Republic. When Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue decided to relocate 547 employees from the Beltway to Kansas City, workers protested, standing with their backs to their boss. Just imagine, agricultural regulators were forced to associate with farmers. Eww.
This is a tiny step in the right direction, but most of our federal agencies should be moved out of the Beltway. Leave the departments of State, Defense and Treasury in Washington; those are the only three outlined in the Constitution to begin with. If we aren’t going to consolidate or eliminate the other agencies, at least move them closer to their mission.
The Department of the Interior should be, well, in the interior. As an Arizonan, I’m biased, but relocate it to the Grand Canyon State. After all, the federal government already owns nearly 39% of our state. Gila Bend is nice this time of year.
Shouldn’t Housing and Urban Development focus on a city that needs some help? Downtown Detroit is a perfect fit.
The U.S. News and World Report lists Alabama as the worst state for education. Why doesn’t Betsy DeVos move her thousands of employees to Birmingham? Perhaps they could expand their impact by volunteering for a few hours to tutor in local schools.
Six of America’s wealthiest counties surround Washington, D.C. Not only would these moves save taxpayers millions, they would alleviate income inequality by spreading the government’s borrowed wealth. Why should the perpetual economic boom be limited to our capital?
Thanks to Sen. Gardner, who shepherded this BLM move for years, and congratulations to Grand Junction. This is sure to energize the economy in the less populated, far west of the state. And, hopefully, result in the hiring of many Coloradans who understand land management better than apartment-dwellers in the Beltway.
Published in Environment
I posted about this back in 2011 here at Ricochet:“Sharing” the bureaucracy in DC with the rest of the nation could be a solid start to draining the proverbial swamp.
At least everything’s up to date there.
Yes they are called Military Bases, and the whole “BRAC” process shows you how difficult it is to close them when they no longer have a vital mission in the defense of our country.
52% of Oregon, mostly national forest.
That’s the thing. Many DC types will refuse to move and hopefully those positions won’t be replaced.
Unfortunately, most of them will probably manage to transfer to other departments, again and again as additional departments and agencies are dispersed around the country. Until finally, the Department of Commerce has two million employees.
When Forces Command and US Army Reserve Command moved from Atlanta, Georgia, to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, civilian employees were offered 12 month special bonuses for relocation costs. Some simply retired. Others took the cash, then retired or moved on to other careers in Atlanta.The dead wood was cleared out by the time the year was up, and better talent moved up or moved in. “Always been done that way” and “never happen” went away.
Limits on staffing will restrict stacking and force them to fight amongst themselves over limited seats.
Why did I immediately think of the Hunger Games?
Maybe that’s why I like it.
No, it was the BBQ at the KC Masterpiece restaurant downtown (hope it’s still there) and the filet mignon I had at this fabulous steak place a little outside the city (it’s where we saw Joe Montana).
They gone about as fer as they can go 🤣
I drive on and past land all the time. It really seems to be self-directed, no management required.
So you’re telling me we need a Bureau now to do this, and it has to be located somewhere?
Golly. Land must really need supervision.
Map of Federal Land, Surface and Subsurface-might as well call some states colonies, and I know having to consort with the colonists is not as glamorous as the Beltway. Federal workers will have to make some adjustments, might even have to walk on the land they manage.
Right. And this gets back to my statement about undervaluing lands. Historically, BLM wanted to encourage the development of western lands so it leased surface and mineral rights for cheap for any reason. Arizona lands were virtually given over — acres and acres for developers to build golf courses in the desert. In Colorado, that’s how we ended up with the front range defaced by strip mining — for road base. The lease was so cheap, the miners couldn’t afford not to do it. Whenever the government gets involved it causes horrible market distortions.