At one time, I really wanted to work for the Federal Government, specifically, the U.S. Forest Service. I like forests and thought that would be a great way to protect them. Plus, government pay and retirement are pretty good once you hit a certain GS level. But after multiple failed attempts, I gave it up. And in the aggregate, that was probably a good thing, since there is no way I would be able to navigate the DEI minefield that is developing within federal agencies. Just look at my photo: there is no way to shoehorn me into DEI.
According to Fox News, in the wake of his Thursday announcement that the administration had decreed all federal agencies must create an annual equity action plan, Joe Biden appointed a “counselor for equity” at the Department of Commerce. In classic govspeak, the counselor will “institutionalize equity across all workstreams and advise senior leadership on policy design and implementation strategies that help advance the equity agenda.”
Sounds murky enough.
Related: That DEI Officer Your Company Hired Means Your Employer Has Gone Commie
Ines Hernandez, who was a counselor at an innovation hub at Florida International University, has been given the job. She will work with the DOC Equity (DEIA) Council. What does the DOC Equity (DEIA) Council do? Read the following description very carefully because here at PJ Media, we can’t afford a Government-to-English translation program. The task of the council is to provide:
cross-bureau coordination, policy development, and administrative support for initiatives that: institutionalize equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility across the Department’s programs and operations; support bureaus in creating a positive internal culture and raise program officials’ consciousness of systemic barriers.
By the way, if you were wondering, the “A” for accessibility.
The Department said it was fully on board with DEIA and believes it will continue to be a leading employer of choice by building a diverse workforce and “an equitable, accessible, and safe workplace.” Commerce said that Hernandez brings 20 years of experience in “building cross-sector consensus that led to community and economic development solutions, new policies, and action with demonstrable results.”
The govspeak is strong in this one.
More to the point, the agency said that Hernandez has experience in “navigating intersecting issues, including financial inclusion, small business development, workforce development, affordable housing, climate policy, public health, and equity.” So that was a little closer to the vernacular. Fox noted that these recent moves have come as House Republicans have been trying to find ways to remove the “woke” element from the federal government. Good luck putting that toothpaste back in the tube.
Government language is by nature complicated and verbose. It may be that the government feels that it has a lot of ground to cover in an announcement or document, which is why they stack the word count. I have often wondered if that is done with the intention of making things harder for the public to understand. Or maybe government writers get paid by the word. But one thing is clear: the nebulous descriptions will allow the DEIA Council, and by extension Hernandez, to operate in such a way that they never step outside the scope of their duties. It also continues the process of adding to the strata of government agencies and bureaucrats and allows these groups and their employees and administrators to calcify in government. That, in turn, ensures that leftist policies will endure, no matter who is in the White House or Congress.
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