‘The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions’, U.S. Department of Energy Example

“To those who voted for this Administration … ask yourself if this is really what you voted for. I’m willing to bet that, for many of you, the answer is no.” ( Emily Rossi, former DOE employee, below)

Milton Friedman often warned that good intentions are not enough. It is results that matter. Thus the right worldview is crucial.

I was reminded of this upon reading this farewell post by Emily Rossi, (former) Senior Advisor to the U.S. Dept. of Energy. [Note: these links do not work for me–I might have been blocked. Or she went underground.]

Yesterday was my last day as a federal employee with the U.S. Dept. of Energy [after almost three years]. I’ll have news to share soon about what comes next, but for today, I’d like to reflect on my time at the DOE under Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Deputy Secretary Dave Turk, and join the growing chorus of people lifting up the contributions of federal workers.

It was an ideological bunch, thinking that ringing up deficits to save the world with wind, solar, and batteries was on high. She continues:

The dedication I saw at DOE to bettering people’s lives was unmatched. During my tenure, the agency was driven by a bright and optimistic vision for the future; one that reflected the will of communities, that filled critical gaps, and that viewed the challenges before us as a chance to make people’s lives better in tangible ways.

I will forever be grateful to Secretary Granholm for her boundless joy and energy, motivating each of us to give as much as we could in service to our nation; and to her and Deputy Secretary Turk for their tireless work recruiting the next generation of leaders into public service.

Rossi’s description of the spirit at DOE is uplifting until it is realized that this agency was actually squandering scarce resources and penalizing consumers and taxpayers. “Greater speed to the wrong destination …”, as the saying goes.

Rossi then defends her work with a romantic view of government. (Public Choice economics was not her fare as a communications major and a theater major in college [1]).

For as long as I can remember, federal employees have been unfairly targeted in political spaces; framed as undeserving and a weight on the system.

In reality, federal employees are the backbone of critical national security, public health, and social systems that we all rely on. The federal workforce is also disproportionately made up of returned service members — roughly 1 in 3 federal workers are veterans, providing much needed and well earned career opportunities to the brave men and women of our armed services and their families.

She continues:

Ironically, if you were to talk to federal employees about the need for reforms, in my experience they would be the first ones to agree with you. These are people who have given up opportunities in the private sector and instead chosen public service because they want to help make this world a better place. They WANT the government to work better and they don’t want outdated systems and other bureaucratic challenges to stop them from achieving those goals.

These are people who are stopping Ebola outbreaks, fighting to end cancer, securing our nuclear arsenal, preserving our public lands, helping seniors stay safe, feeding hungry kids, rebuilding communities after natural disasters, and so much more. The way that Elon Musk and Donald Trump are targeting and vilifying these public servants is a disgrace.

This is mixing the good with the bad. It neglects the opportunity for private foundations and Civil Society writ large to do the things that really need to be done. It does not have to be a bureaucrat in Washington, DC. And it sure does not have to be wealth transfers from ordinary people to politically endowed rent-seeking corporations.

She ends:

To my colleagues who remain: I see you and I am so proud to have worked alongside you. To those who are leaving or have been forced out, thank you for your service. To those who voted for this Administration, I implore you to look at what they’re doing and the millions of Americans their actions will hurt, and ask yourself if this is really what you voted for. I’m willing to bet that, for many of you, the answer is no. And if that’s the case, please make your voices heard. Show that country always comes before politics. That is what I have seen in my three years at DOE, and that is the future I choose to believe in for all of us.

Thank you for the honor of serving you.

Really? It is naive to believe that federal employees do not want more money and greater departments and find room to slack without profit/loss discipline. Politics is hardly romantic, and the US federal debt clock is a constant reminder of “democracy in deficit.”

I wish Ms. Rossi a better career and life in the private sector–and in a position adding to the national wealth/consumer welfare, rather than redistributing in a zero- or negative-sum game. The US needs millions more net taxpayers in place of net taxreceivers.

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[1] Ms. Rossi is Progressive Left. Her prior job was Director of Digital Media with the Democratic Attorneys General Association and before worked for Senators Jeff Merkley and Claire McCaskill. She received a Masters in communications from Johns Hopkins and a BA in Theater at William & Mary.

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