Homeland Morale

Re “Homeland Agency Is Big at Birth,” Nov. 26: It is incongruous that President Bush, while signing the homeland security bill, is at the same time gutting the Civil Service protections of those federal employees whose agencies will be incorporated into the new Department of Homeland Security. This action will unquestionably have a negative effect on the morale of these employees. As the federal government organizes its fight against terrorism, it’s hard to imagine how undermining the job security of the 170,000 civil servants of the new department will improve the government’s ability to deliver on the promise of protecting us from terrorist attacks.

Richard Craig

Los Angeles