Letters to the editor

I am deeply concerned about the tactics of the homeland security organization. Maintaining and regaining our individual freedoms now is very important to having them later.

I would work for a proposed Homeland Security Department because I learned while serving in the military that you can do more to improve a government organization as an individual from the inside than you can as an individual on the outside.

Having well-distributed information and effective command and control does not mean we need ultimate centralized control. Strong checks and balances are more important than peak efficiency. Empowered individuals are more effective than government controls. Look at the effectiveness of private news organizations compared to government warning systems.

Name withheld by request

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I am concerned that a provision to eliminate union rights in the proposed Homeland Security Department will lead to "I don't like your face" firings, with the worker having no rights.

Federal workers have done an excellent job with basic rights guaranteed. Why doesn't this president trust us? It seems to me that many unionized police and firemen died during Sept. 11 doing their job. Many other union workers rescued others, rebuilt the Pentagon, developed new security procedures, etc.

There is no guarantee that throwing multiple agencies into one huge agency will improve coordination and information sharing. It will lead to massive expenditures of time, effort and money figuring out how to merge them and relocate all of the parts into a single agency. Most of the money will not contribute to improved security at all.

Name withheld by request