Saturday, October 29, 2016

Making A Governmental Agency Appear Stupid... at Best!




Will full...
George Will's nationally syndicated column is generally viewed as "leaning somewhat to the right" in theme and content.  Some think his real, major bias is a strong preference for common sense.

One of his most striking opinion piece quotes comes from Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan's thought provoking book: "Secrecy: The American Experience". 

Published by the Yale University Press in 1998,  "Secrecy: The American Experience" was widely acclaimed as ..."the best book of the year - and then some - about law, government, politics, American history, and human nature. .... the book describes the baleful impact on our national life of the ever expanding imposition of government secrecy..."

George Will provides this brutally honest insight from Senator Moynihan: 


"... secrecy makes government stupid by keeping secrets from itself."

Can you think of any federal government agency which might improve its I.Q. by listening to the Senator's advice on being more  open-minded to dialogue and more transparent in its operations? 


Perhaps...






Of course the other great quote from Senator Moynihan in the book was:


"Secrecy is for losers."




That sure sounds familiar!


13 comments:

Anonymous said...


Somehow liberals have been unable to acquire from life what conservatives seem to be endowed with at birth: namely, a healthy skepticism of the powers of government agencies to do good.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan


Anonymous said...

A friend in CUNA's WashingtonDC office told me yesterday that Nussle did not testify at NCUA's budget hearing on Thursday because he left town early to go to the World Series!!! So the $2 million a year we pay him from our dues dollars was used to take himself and his entire family to the World Series. This is MY fault and YOUR fault. We allowed the CUNA board to hire yet another pompous Member of Congress. I'm incredulous that the CUNA board continues to allow our major trade association to implode from a lack of leadership and accountability. Wait, that sounds just like the NCUA.

Unknown said...

Mr. Moynihan served under four Presidents: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford. Willing to bet he would not recognize the Democrat Party today. Doubt Kennedy could get the nomination?

Moynihan's observations seem to stand the test of time.

Jim Blaine said...

Hope folks are spending 5 minutes to re-watch the video clip of NCUA's Congressional hearing on the NCUA budgeting process - just this time last year!!!! - with all its highly arrogant and profoundly insulting testimony. What has changed at the Agency over the last 12/15 months?

The staff and the attitude which led to a redaction of a PWC report on the OTR, transparency, the need for greater dialogue,.... the un-disavowed Agency statement that CU Boards do not represent their members... and the NCUA senior staff statement that the Agency does not need to listen to CU members because they are "an audience that does not exist" are still very much in place in the key leadership positions... look at the group sitting behind the Chair in support of her testimony! All still very much in place...ready to help reform the Agency - right?

So you really think that fundamental change is at hand... because CUs were given the "privilege" of commenting on an already approved 2-year budget?

Mr. Nussle was probably right to take the day off to go watch the Cubs ... its a better investment of his time with a higher likelihood of success!

But, after watching the Indians' pitchers... reform at NCUA has as much chance perhaps as a Cubs Series win... the losing streak at NCUA, much like the Cubs, will be hard to overcome.

Jim Blaine said...

Guess I should note that I'm quite sure that Jim Nussle is not a Cubs fan!!!!

Somehow this Series reminds me of our current Presidential election... two highly unlikely teams, two improbable candidates?

Anonymous said...

That's part of the problem. We continue to empower Nussle to not do his job. So much for accountability. Oh, and go Indians!

Anonymous said...

I bet Berger is a Cubs fan. Ha! But then again he at least showed up for work.

Anonymous said...

Jim, that's the only correlation.
The Indians and Cubs played 162 games plus playoffs with each game being transparent and final. And w instant replay, no ambiguity.
After that there is no comparison.

Nothing has changed the office of general counsel and others at NCUA are very much though, like the rest of the political swamp.
The only thing that changes this is voting with dollar's and feet.

Everything else is whining or that definition of insanity.
I applaud your relentless efforts.

Unknown said...

After yesterday's FBI announcement, one of the candidates need to be tossed out of the game!

Jim Blaine said...

Just another foul ball from the Clinton camp? Still looks like a Weiner...

Anonymous said...

Of note,
Perhaps the one true thing that would have kept trade associations and NCUA "honest" was for more credit unions to change to a savings bank charter, the way HarborOne did.
They'd have been on notice that "something needs to change".

Instead, some of you and others conspired to obstruct the process while NCUA broke congressional intent on rules and regulations in a combined effort.

So you sew, so shall you reap.

Anonymous said...

You want change people? DRAIN THE SWAMP!

Anonymous said...

Agree with "so shall you reap".

Now many credit unions sound like Hilary complaining about FBI and comey.

Your pit bull turned on you?

How's it feel?