Is the DHS Too Big, Too Bureaucratic?

Let's start with some simple facts: the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is a great big agency – the third largest, in fact. It has upwards of 20 components, directorates, and offices; a staff of over 225,000; the budget for fiscal year 2009 was over $40 billion.

Here is a list of the top DHS leaders:

• Secretary, Janet Napolitano
• Deputy Secretary, Jane Holl Lute
• Chief of Staff for Operations, Jan Lesher
• Chief of Staff for Policy, Noah Kroloff
• Executive Secretary, Philip A. McNamara
• General Counsel, Ivan K. Fong 
• Under Secretary, Management, Elaine Duke
• Under Secretary, National Protection & Programs Directorate, Rand Beers
• Assistant Secretary, Office of Cyber Security and Communications, Greg Schaffer
• Assistant Secretary, Office of Intergovernmental Programs, Juliette Kayyem
• Assistant Secretary (acting), Infrastructure Protection, James Snyder
• Under Secretary, Science & Technology, Dr. Tara O'Toole
• Under Secretary (acting), Office of Intelligence & Analysis, Bart Johnson
• Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy, David Heyman
• Assistant Secretary, Office of International Affairs, Alan Bersin
• Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy Development, Arif Alikhan
• Assistant Secretary, Private Sector Office, Douglas Smith
• Assistant Secretary, State and Local Law Enforcement
• Director, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Alejandro Mayorkas
• Commandant, United States Coast Guard, Admiral Thad W. Allen
• Commissioner (acting), United States Customs and Border Protection, Jayson Ahern
• Assistant Secretary, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), John T. Morton 
• Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, W. Craig Fugate
• Director, United States Secret Service, Mark J. Sullivan
• Assistant Secretary/Administrator (acting), Transportation Security Administration, Gale Rossides
• Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (acting), Richard Flowers
• Officer for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties (acting), Stephen Shih
• Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement (acting), Victor M. Manjarrez, Jr.
• Director of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (acting), Chuck Gallaway
• Director, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Connie L. Patrick
• Federal Coordinator, Gulf Coast Rebuilding, Janet Woodka
• Assistant Secretary, Office of Health Affairs/Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Alexander Garza
• Inspector General, Richard L. Skinner
• Assistant Secretary, Office of Legislative Affairs, Chani Wiggins
• Director, Operations Coordination, Rear Admiral John Acton, (USCG Ret)
• Chief Privacy Officer, Mary Ellen Callahan 
• Assistant Secretary, Office of Public Affairs, Sean Smith

What do you think? Is DHS too big? Is it effective? Drop your comment to zaludreport@bnpmedia.com