President-elect Barack Obama has picked Nancy Killefer to serve as the federal government’s chief performance officer (CPO), a newly created post designed to help improve government efficiency and reform budget practices.  That sounds familiar for some reason.

Obama said Killefer is “uniquely qualified” to serve as the nation’s first CPO, calling her “an expert in streamlining processes and wringing out inefficiencies so that taxpayers and consumers get more for their money.”  Huh?

To illustrate her strong desire to enact reforms, Obama said that when she was offered the opportunity to serve in the Clinton administration, Killefer said “If you’re willing to embrace significant change, then you’re looking at the right person. But if you just want to keep the trains running on time, don’t ask me to do this job.”

Wait just a damn minute!  Why is Obama creating a job that is already being done?  Why is he creating yet another massive bureaucracy?  Why not let the GAO do the job it was created to do?

The GAO was established as the General Accounting Office by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 (Pub.L. 67-13, 42 Stat. 20, June 10, 1921). This Act required the head of GAO to “investigate, at the seat of government or elsewhere, all matters relating to the receipt, disbursement, and application of public funds, and shall make to the President…and to Congress…reports (and) recommendations looking to greater economy or efficiency in public expenditures” (Sec. 312(a), 42 Stat. 25).

Does anyone really know what the hell is going on?  This is just absurd.  To think that earmarks and inefficient programs can be eliminated is foolish.  All it is doing is creating another payroll for the taxpayers to fund—wait is that not an inefficient use of funds?  Maybe her first action should be to dissolve the position of CPO.  The move would be efficient, would streamline government and save us money.  She would be doing everything the position calls for.

Just a thought.