What if they opened a school and nobody enrolled?

Concerned that not enough young people apply for jobs with the Federal Government, many people are discussing the establishment of an undergraduate academy along the lines of the military academies for the purpose of training future public service employees.

What I would like to know is why do they think that establishing a school would solve this problem. There are many excellent colleges and universities with established programs for instructions in the skills required to be a public servant. If these programs are not currently graduating enough qualified students, why would the creation of an additional school accomplish this?

The problem is not with the education establishment. As usual, it is with the federal government. Ask any young person who has thought of working for the government. If you were to graduate and you were offered two jobs, one with the federal government and one with the private sector, both with the same salary, and you were told that you could start work with the private firm in a month, but you would have to wait a year to work for the federal government while they checked your background, which job would you take? The hiring process for those trying to apply for a job with the federal government is in shambles. This is where they need to start working to solve the problem of getting the required number of employees. We definitely do not need to establish a tax-supported public service academy.

"I Am Not Afraid" campaign

Downsize DC has an area on their web site which allows people to compose an email to their U.S. representatives telling them that Congress has overreacted to the events of 9/11.

To quote from the web site:

There is really only one way to win a war on terrorism. Stop being afraid!

Achieving this victory does not require large armies, invasions, illegal spying, torture, detention camps, Kangaroo courts, or multi-billion dollar Congressional appropriations. Neither does it require us to shred the Bill of Rights or the Geneva Conventions. All it requires is a little backbone. And a little common sense.

The minute the first politician proposed the first imposition on the Bill of Rights, or the first call to invade Iraq, or the first request for large new bureaucracies to fight the anemic mosquito, the terrorists won, and we lost.

And they've been winning, and we've been losing, ever since.

Can we stop being afraid?

Can you?

It might do some good to let your Congressional representatives know your opinion in this matter. I would recommend going to this web site and completing the email and sending it in. The web site makes it very easy to do. Just click on the title of this post to go to the site.