In spirit, however, it should always be a citizen-centered, always listening and answering directly to the people. More than 80,000 federal employees in managerial positions are scheduled to retire over the next eight years. I propose that half of them not be replaced. Every extra layer of management makes it harder to get things decided. There s always another form to be filled out in a layered bureaucracy, another sign-off from the next level up.
Quality of service becomes an afterthought, and it s never clear who s really accountable.
Credit must go to this Administration for applying Internet technology to government departments and agencies. But even on this front, they lag far behind their counterparts in the private sector and at the state and local level. I will expand the use of the Internet to empower citizens, allowing them to request customized information from Washington when they need it, not just when Washington wants to give it to them. True reform involves not just giving people information, but giving citizens the freedom to act on it. There comes a time when every program must be judged either a success or a failure.