The entrenched bureaucracy in and around Washington DC has enjoyed the privileged life at the expense of the American people. With sweetheart union contracts that negotiate high salaries, excellent working conditions and of course, virtually impossible removal for ineptness, federal employees live in a bubble world far afield from those of the rest of the country. This leads to execution of laws that do not reflect the reality of daily living. They are remiss in taking into account the effect their interpretation of laws has on those under their spell. In order to gain some level of empathy and more importantly, perspective on their actions’ impacts, it’s time to put the bureaucracy closer to those they serve. It’s time to burst the bubble.
Current technology now allows robust remote work. Companies are seeing their employees working from home more often and with little if any loss of productivity. It is no longer necessary for federal employees to be housed in or near DC. In fact, it would be better for federal employees to be located near the areas they serve. For example, those working for the Department of Agriculture should be strewn throughout the farm belt. Department of Transportation employees near vehicle manufacturers, road and bridgebuilding companies etc. Living among those affected by their actions can only lead to better implementation of laws and regulations.
To facilitate the bureaucracy being more aligned with its customers, whole departments should be dispersed throughout the country. Again, the Department of Agriculture should be located in the Midwest. Department of Transportation in Michigan or Ohio. There is no reason for the FBI, national intelligence organizations and many other sub-department entities, to be in DC and should be cast throughout the country; security being just one reason. While DC can still be our capitol, a much-reduced center of power exposure provides for resilience in the event of an attack.
Finally, dispersing the bureaucracy has financial implications. The DC area has never suffered through a recession. Indeed, housing prices continue to climb in the immediate area. Locating many of the functions in other parts of the country reduces the cost of the federal government by purchasing cheaper real estate. Lower cost of living provides the ability to negotiate lower wages and benefits with no loss of quality of life for federal employees. A plus is the increased economic activity the relocation will have on the local economies.
Putting our government closer to the people it is supposed to serve has only positive benefits. It is high time we insist that we disperse the centralized federal bureaucracy.
Current Day Publius 