Relations with OMB

Q: Were you ever frustrated by OMB not having to play by the same rules?

MR. COSTLE: Oh, sure. That makes OMB as tough as nails to deal with. But I have to say that, during my time there, EPA probably had more parity in bargaining than most other administrations have enjoyed.

Q: Because of your allies in OMB?

MR. COSTLE: Initially because of allies, but other things we did helped in the long run. For example, we were the first agency to volunteer for zero budgeting. The staff moaned, but I argued, "Think it through. We look at our base and set up a rational system for establishing priorities. We essentially take away OMB's role. I will be able to say to the President, 'After we have gone through this, are you going to let those little gremlins change and re-rank priorities?'" This is a somewhat over-simplified explanation, but it pretty accurately describes what actually happened. We basically won our battles.

NEXT: Environment and the economy >>

Relations with OMB

Local Navigation