SWCS view

Excerpt

GOVERNOR Carlson was speaking of the pressure on all branches of government—pressure from a frustrated electorate, as well as the pressure of almost paralyzing indebtedness—to make top to bottom changes in the way government does things, and whether, in fact, we should even expect government to do them anymore. And it's not just a U.S. problem—ther governments, including Canada's, are facing the same need to cut back and change operations.

So it should have been no surprise to hear the recommendations of Vice President Gore's Task Force on Reinventing the Federal Government. Nor should it have been a surprise to hear USDA Secretary Mike Espy's recommendations to cut more field offices than his predecessor recommended and to make more sweeping changes in the organization of USDA programs. There will be still more. In the words of one policy analyst, “This is not the change; this is only the transition before the change.”

The Soil and Water Conservation Society has taken a proactive stance with regard to these changes. When the issue was …