The not-so-Secret Service

[jblum315]

Apparently Julia Pierson, who headed the Secret Service until her resignation yesterday, worked as a Disney character during high school and she thought (and said) that the Secret Service ought to be more like Disney. Friendlier, more approachable.
WTF?

[Patty55]

Apparently Julia Pierson, who headed the Secret Service until her resignation yesterday, worked as a Disney character during high school and she thought (and said) that the Secret Service ought to be more like Disney. Friendlier, more approachable.
WTF?

HUH? I guess it is a small world after all.

[redwitch]

You just can't fix stupid.

(Patty said it all.)

[Bizdoc]

Dumbest thing ever done was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security with more senior level political appointees as managers than any other department. Look at the problems in Secret Service (ex Treasury), ICE (ex-State and Treasury).

Know what the difference between Homeland Security and the Girl Scouts is? The Girl Scouts have responsible adult leadership.

[billjay23]

this is what one gets when they DO NOT hire the very best person for the job.
When it is a political.....POLITICAL.....appointment it does not matter one bit whether a person is qualified or not.

Just look at the people who have passed through the last 6 years and who they were, the jbs they had and their past experience. Not a one was qualified for the job.

Also every infraction by a high ranking member of the Obama team is always....ALWAYS.....followed by him making a statement the next day about the confidence he has in the individual.

This is what we get when politics rules the methodology. We are not getting the best people as the country deserves.

Maybe we the people will learn a lesson. Maybe in the next election we will actually look at a person's qualifications.........IT STARTS AND ENDS AT THE TOP.

Please get your facts right! The resignation and what came before it aside, she was not a political appointment -- She had thirty (that's 30) years in the Secret Service, rising through the ranks to the top job. She was in this job for less than two years.

[BarryRX]

this is what one gets when they DO NOT hire the very best person for the job.
When it is a political.....POLITICAL.....appointment it does not matter one bit whether a person is qualified or not.

Just look at the people who have passed through the last 6 years and who they were, the jbs they had and their past experience. Not a one was qualified for the job.

Also every infraction by a high ranking member of the Obama team is always....ALWAYS.....followed by him making a statement the next day about the confidence he has in the individual.

This is what we get when politics rules the methodology. We are not getting the best people as the country deserves.

Maybe we the people will learn a lesson. Maybe in the next election we will actually look at a person's qualifications.........IT STARTS AND ENDS AT THE TOP.

I did just what you suggested. I looked at the last 6 directors of the Secret Service. I read their resumes and found all of them to be supremely qualified. For anyone else interested, here are the last 6 Directors and the years they became Director:
Eljay Bowron 1993
Lewis Merletti 1997
Brian Stafford 1999
W. Ralph Bashan 2003
Mark Sullivan 2006
Julia Pierson 2013
The first 3 were appointed by Pres. Clinton, the next 2 by Pres. G.W. Bush, and the last one by Pres. Obama.
Please tell me which ones you think were unqualified and your reasons for thinking that.

[Bavarian]

I think it is similar to a sports team, if they don't do well, you fire the Manager. She did not help here case with her Congressional testimony either.

[Rags123]

I think the attached link does a good job in pointing out much of the problems with this organization, and I think this one brief note sort of spells out the current problem with the director.

"“I respect Pierson’s service, but she hasn’t been on a protective mission in two decades,” said one supervisor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “She doesn’t know anything about security planning in a post-9/11 world.”

Pierson failed to provide fresh start for Secret Service that administration wanted - The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pierson-failed-to-provide-fresh-start-for-secret-service-that-administration-wanted/2014/10/01/51a642a2-49a8-11e4-891d-713f052086a0_story.html)

And for those that worry consistently about politics (I never understood how it was still POLITICS once you were elected, but) here is one time both parties seemed to agree....

"Lawmakers were also annoyed by the administration’s budget request for this year for an agency that has claimed to be chronically underfunded.

Homeland Security requested $1.49 billion in operating funds for the Secret Service, a $60 million dip from last fiscal year. But even spending-conscious Republicans said that was too much. So Congress instead agreed to a rare increase over the administration’s request, giving the agency $1.53 billion. "

[billethkid]

Please get your facts right! The resignation and what came before it aside, she was not a political appointment -- She had thirty (that's 30) years in the Secret Service, rising through the ranks to the top job. She was in this job for less than two years.

and your point is.....longevity = qualification?
Not in the real world.

My point was/is she was not qualified to manage the comlexity of the job. The proof is overwhelming.

[dbussone]

Back in the day, when I was in college, I went to see Hubert Humphrey speak. I was there early to see if I could see him close up. I guess I got a little too close because one of the SS agents gave me a quick well placed elbow in the solar plexus.

I wonder sometimes if that is why I haven't voted for a certain party since?

In all seriousness though I know a number of former high up SS agents. They were really tough guys and extremely upset about what has been going on for the last couple of years.

[graciegirl]

And I am eager to see what Carl from Tampa has to say. Not only because he always has good information, well researched and I tend to agree with his thoughts but because he was in the Secret Service for many years.

Carl???

[janmcn]

This woman's job was finished when she failed to testify to congress that an armed felon was allowed to ride the elevator with the president. This comes under the heading, 'what was she thinking'?

Did she think this would never come out? This fact was never mentioned to the investigative committee in congress or to the White House staff, until just before the story was to be published.

This comes on top of the White House break-in and shots fired at the White House. Ms Pierson had less than a stellar career in her time as director.

[TexaninVA]

Apparently Julia Pierson, who headed the Secret Service until her resignation yesterday, worked as a Disney character during high school and she thought (and said) that the Secret Service ought to be more like Disney. Friendlier, more approachable.
WTF?

Ms Pearson, during her testimony to the Congress, commended the agents for using proper "restraint." When I heard her say this, my first reaction was ....hmmm, sounds like she's an idiot and in over her head

Then I asked what should be an obvious question ... when an intruder penetrates the White House fence and is running towards the building, how come no one dropped the guy with 1 or 2 shots??

[dbussone]

Ms Pearson, during her testimony to the Congress, commended the agents for using proper "restraint." When I heard her say this, my first reaction was ....hmmm, sounds like she's an idiot and in over her head



Then I asked what should be an obvious question ... when an intruder penetrates the White House fence and is running towards the building, how come no one dropped the guy with 1 or 2 shots??


Amen to that! The standard should be 1.

[dbussone]

"Lawmakers were also annoyed by the administration’s budget request for this year for an agency that has claimed to be chronically underfunded."
Perhaps if they were not so busy babysitting all the pols and appointees who consider themselves so important they could do the job required of them. Try moving through DC without being pushed aside by some self-important person with a SS detail.

[Patty55]

I can't help but wonder which Disney character she played.

[TexaninVA]

I can't help but wonder which Disney character she played.

I'm gonna guess Goofy

[mulligan]

Peter Principle Personified

[graciegirl]

Peter Principle Personified

Ain't that just the truth!!!

[Sandtrap328]

Does anyone remember if the Directors of the Secret Service were forced to resign after the attempted killings of Harry Truman, Gerry Ford, George Wallace, Ronald Reagan, or GW Bush? (Yes, I know Wallace was not President but as a candidate, he had Secret Service protection).

Personally, I believe the Secret Service does a good job but too many problems have arisen. Pierson did the right thing by quitting and their internal ranks should be staffed only with the best officers that can be found.

[rubicon]

The Secret Service Agency is being compromised by budget cuts and to exacerbate the situation hampered on their desire to allocate resources to meet their needs and plans such as hiring several more agents. It has caused inflexibility so that he agency can shift quickly enough from investigation duties to protection. and has threatened its role in cybercrime investigations. It has caused serious morale problems wherein they are finding more and more disgruntled workers. In my view this is just one more example of the failed leadership by our government which has been caused by both misdirected ideology and inexperience.

[KayakerNC]

"But shortly after 9/11--11 years ago, in 2003--George W. Bush made the colossal mistake of uprooting the Secret Service from its rightful home in the Department of the Treasury, where it had been since 1865, throwing a proud tradition out the window and dropping it into the hodgepodge mess that was, and still is, the Department of Homeland Security."

How to make President safe again (Opinion) - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/02/opinion/robinson-secret-service-what-went-wrong/)

[outahere]

Then I asked what should be an obvious question ... when an intruder penetrates the White House fence and is running towards the building, how come no one dropped the guy with 1 or 2 shots??

Or why did they not release the security dogs? They would have been all over him long before he got to the door.

I can't help but wonder which Disney character she played.

I'm thinking Dopey.

[MarkinMd]

I think Carl from Tampa could give a great insight.
My opinion is the K-9 should have been released. If the K-9 was not available ,Why not?
Also when the intruder opened the door to enter the White House at that point deadly force should have been used. Not shooting at that point doesn't show restraint , it indicates to me the agent/officer is afraid to do his job. And once he was inside he overpowered an agent, Still no deadly force? Usually that would indicate the officer/agent doesn't have the confidence in the upper ranks to back him up.

[billethkid]

I think Carl from Tampa could give a great insight.
My opinion is the K-9 should have been released. If the K-9 was not available ,Why not?
Also when the intruder opened the door to enter the White House at that point deadly force should have been used. Not shooting at that point doesn't show restraint , it indicates to me the agent/officer is afraid to do his job. And once he was inside he overpowered an agent, Still no deadly force? Usually that would indicate the officer/agent doesn't have the confidence in the upper ranks to back him up.

Excellent assessment!

[rubicon]

Hi kayaker: Are you suggesting that the Department of Treasury is fault free?
They and their associate departments have made one blunder after another and also have exhibited incompetence and political bias.

It is government as a whole I target. It has gotten too big with too many overlapping duties and regulations It is a bureaucratic nightmare that plays footsy with lobbyist and public unions alike. We need to trim down its size and they can start with the Departments of Energy and Education advance to the EPA jump over to the Fed simplify taxes so that we can ditch the IRS at least most of it and clean up the State Department...that would be a good start
Then we might work hard to get a referendum on the ballot to limit terms limits 6 years for both Senate and House then boot them out and have their time served credited toward benefits with whomever employs them. If they own their own business then credit their accounts in kind.

I have no interest in defending GW Bush but before you make such a claim you might search further to see if what Bush intended with Homeland Security was implemented in the manner he proposed. Remember my theme here is government is too big and too bureaucratic. As a manager I dealt with those types and they are inflexible and like a lot of forms and rules Oh how they love rules

Personal Best Regards:

[Rags123]

"But shortly after 9/11--11 years ago, in 2003--George W. Bush made the colossal mistake of uprooting the Secret Service from its rightful home in the Department of the Treasury, where it had been since 1865, throwing a proud tradition out the window and dropping it into the hodgepodge mess that was, and still is, the Department of Homeland Security."

How to make President safe again (Opinion) - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/02/opinion/robinson-secret-service-what-went-wrong/)

The knee jerk reaction to blame President Bush for everything from the plague to the current Ebola situation has become sort of the party line recently.

I suggest that anyone who gets sucked into this stuff, do some research. The Secret Service, after 9/11 and all the investigations done, had to be involved in the new department of Homeland Security or we were risking all the errors made PRIOR to 9/11 and nobody talking to each other. They needed to be there and despite the political haggling that just amazes me concerning such a badly run group now blaming Bush, everyone including the democrats were on board.

[KayakerNC]

I have no interest in defending GW Bush but before you make such a claim you might search further to see if what Bush intended with Homeland Security was implemented in the manner he proposed. Remember my theme here is government is too big and too bureaucratic.

I don't think the quotation was an "attack" on President Bush.
Whatever his intentions were, the outcome has not been good. The Secret Service defense of President Reagan was their finest hour, and I think we all agree that things have gone down hill from there.
Homeland Security has become a bureaucratic empire. Would things be better under Treasury? I don't know, but they certainly were for many years.

[rubicon]

I don't think the quotation was an "attack" on President Bush.
Whatever his intentions were, the outcome has not been good. The Secret Service defense of President Reagan was their finest hour, and I think we all agree that things have gone down hill from there.
Homeland Security has become a bureaucratic empire. Would things be better under Treasury? I don't know, but they certainly were for many years.

kayakerNC: My apology for assuming it was an attack on GW. However given the political attack on GW these past six years it was a conditioned reaction.

Ronald Reagan in my view did an exceptional job. He presented clear objectives and then got out of the way and let his Admin, et al do their jobs. Reagan had it right when he said government is the problem.

[alwann]

It can happen in all management structures, both public and private. If there is no respect from the top, the rank and file gets lax about their mission and role. Although the Secret Service professes to be non-political, you gotta wonder whether there is any truth to the talk on the street that the present administration looks upon the Service as "the help."

[janmcn]

It can happen in all management structures, both public and private. If there is no respect from the top, the rank and file gets lax about their mission and role. Although the Secret Service professes to be non-political, you gotta wonder whether there is any truth to the talk on the street that the present administration looks upon the Service as "the help."


Wow! Where did you hear that "talk on the street"? The president has had nothing but praise for the people that protect him and his family, although there were reports that the first lady was rather upset when she learned there were seven gunshots fired at the living quarters when her youngest daughter and mother were the only ones home.

The upsetting thing about this incident was that the supervisor on duty denied it was gunshots, despite his agent's objections. It wasn't until five days later, when broken glass was found by the housekeeping staff, that they started an investigation. Finally, the perpetrator was found and caught and is now serving a 25 year sentence.

[janmcn]

The night bullets hit the White House ? and the Secret Service didn?t know - Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/white-house-shooting/)

http://time.com/3441753/white-house-shooting-secret-service/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/michelle-obama-furious-at-response-to-2011-white-house-shooting-report/


All the major news agencies covered this 'rumor'.