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The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General Clark Kent Ervin has two reports out, one on excessive spending by the TSA and another concerning better technology to screen cargo containers for nuclear weapons. The AP story on the latter is here, and Chris Strohm of Govexec.com's piece on the former is here.
I'm not so interested in bashing the TSA for executive bonuses and an expensive awards banquet (though I'm pretty sure I could find a way to get seven sheet cakes for less than $1,850).
And I can't comment yet on the more substantive cargo screening report since the AP is reporting on a leaked copy of the report.
What I can say is that Clark Kent Ervin is a political appointee who is doing the job he was appointed to do. He is working as an independent overseer who issues stinging reports, not for political gain, but because he wants the DHS to work better.
And that's to be applauded.
There's more than one IG in the federal government who acts as if their job is to provide political cover for their department by doing half-assed investigations.
Mr. Ervin has consistently shown that he knows the country is better served by real oversight.
Posted by Ryan Singel at October 14, 2004 10:28 AM