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For Immediate Release
Remarks by Governor Tom Ridge, Homeland Security - Designate in a Town Hall Meeting for Future Employees of the Department of Homeland Security
[ ... ]
I'm sure that those good people working in INS offices day after
day after day, they're doing a good job, they're trying to
monitor people coming in, monitor their conduct while they're here,
seeing if they leave town. But you never thought of yourself as
part of a homeland security operation. Certainly, the people at FEMA
running out, trying to respond to tornadoes and hurricanes and the
like, never saw themselves as part, necessarily, of a homeland
security operation to defeat terrorists.
You know, I think the folks at the borders over the years have had
an inkling that not only dealing with drugs and illegal -- other
illegal contraband and illegal immigration, but there might be some
terrorist that might filter through. But nobody, really, I think, on
a day to day basis said, I'm wearing a uniform of public service.
It's not the Department of Defense, but my mission is to help secure my
country in my country. That's pretty heady stuff.
So it's not just about building a new department, it's about
taking on this mission. And we calculated, I think, if you take a
look at the number of people that come across the borders, cargos into
the ports, ships into the ports, planes that land, there's an
excess of a billion transactions that all of us have to monitor
and watch annually. Think about that: a billion-plus, and we've got
to be right every day. I think there is no greater unifying element
that we are working together, we can fulfill this mission. (Applause.)
[ ... ]
Q I'm from the Immigration Service.
GOVERNOR RIDGE: Yes, ma'am.
Q I think the DHS provides an opportunity for us to do
our mission much more effectively. And my question is, is there a
means or a way for agency employees to present ideas for change and
improvement to DHS and the people who will be involved in handling the
reorganization? Thank you.
GOVERNOR RIDGE: Absolutely. One of the things I've discovered
in public service, but also interacting with the private sector and
others, is when you ask the men and women who are involved --
whether it's in government or in a factory or elsewhere, how they
might be able to do more or better with the resources they have, or
what recommendations they might have so that they can do a better job
-- because people go to work every day, you want to go a good job.
Everybody goes to work trying to do a good job. I believe that.
I believe everybody here, when you go into that office, wherever you
go, you say, I'm going to do as best I can -- myself, my country,
and my job and today. That's the mind set that you bring in. Along
the way, you say to yourself, gee, I wish the superintendent or so
and so would rethink about how we get this information, or rethink
about this process, or how we do that.
I'll give you perfect example, when I was Governor of Pennsylvania,
I went into the J. Edgar Thompson works -- steel mill in
Pennsylvania. And in Pennsylvania, the labor and management in steel
mills didn't always get along. The fact of the matter is,
management sat down with these individuals and they changed a lot
of the process on the floor, increased safety, improved productivity,
enhanced profitability, didn't cost anybody a dime. They just listened
to the employees.
We know that you bring a lot of experience and a lot of ideas to
what you do when you go into that office every day trying to do a
good job. Part of our job is, like I said, we're in this mission
together. We will only fulfill this mission if we work closely
together and listen to one another. That doesn't mean we're going
to accept every recommendation. But I tell you, we are all ears.
INS -- you've got a real tough job. A very important job. And
as you know, the legislation really takes INS -- it terminates the
agency, as it presently exists, on January 24th. You're
divided into three sections, the judicial, review, stays of
justice. And there's a citizenship and immigration bureau, and then
there's an enforcement bureau.
As we go about creating this new 21st century department, it will
be very important for us to hear how you think you can do your job
better. And I am sure you have the opportunity to do that.
[ ... ]
END 3:01 P.M. EST
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