Ben Carson wants to expand insider threat monitoring
by digby
He may not know that's what he is proposing, however:
Republican presidential contender Ben Carson said Wednesday that if elected next year he might implement a “covert division” of government workers who spy on their coworkers to improve government efficiency.
The pediatric neurosurgeon-turned-candidate told a crowd of Iowa Republicans he is “thinking very seriously” about adding “a covert division of people who look like the people in this room, who monitor what government people do.”
Carson suggested people would work harder if they suspected their coworkers of monitoring their work. “And we make it possible to fire government people!” he said to loud cheers.
Conservatives often criticize government employees as bureaucrats who live off public money and aren’t accountable to taxpayers. Still, Carson’s suggestion that such workers should spy on each other is the latest in a string of unusual — and often bizarre — ideas he’s floated that win cheers from far-right crowds and raised eyebrows from everyone else.
I have to defend Carson a little bit here. The government is already doing this, although the alleged purpose is for fellow employees to monitor anyone they suspect of being disloyal rather than inept. It could easily be re-tasked.
Here is the brochure they use at the Defense Department:
"It is better to have reported overzealously than never to have reported at all."
Here's the FBI's version. Found it through a simple google search:
If you read the original McClatchy story, you'll see that each federal department --- even the Peace Corps, has implemented this program.
Carson's spokesperson says that he meant to employ a "secret shopper" sort of spy program but this would be much cheaper. (You know how expensive federal contracting can be ...) Of course they'd have to have some whistleblower protections of some sort and that's where it all gets dicey. But hey, no need to reinvent the wheel, amirite?
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