Ridge, Schweiker settling into new jobs

As more and more anthrax cases emerge, Tom Ridge has found himself trying to calm a fearful nation that is facing a very real biological attack for the first time in its history.

More than two weeks after resigning the Pennsylvania governorship to become director of the Office of Homeland Security, Ridge is just beginning to tackle the complexities of his new job.

Ridge has been spending much of his time meeting with fellow cabinet members and other key federal officials, according to White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.

Ridge "has been in close contact with cabinet members," Stanzel said. "He's been meeting frequently to carry out the mission that the president has given him...."

And Ridge has been highly visible in the national media in recent weeks, answering pressing and difficult questions about how the United States is preparing to defend against terrorism at home. Stanzel said that serving as a public face in the war on terrorism is one of the key responsibilities of Ridge's office.

"Part of the role of the Office of Homeland Security is to communicate with the American people to provide them with information," Stanzel said.

But there are still significant questions which remain to be answered about the duties of Ridge's office. Penn Political Science Professor Henry Teune said that Ridge faces a significant challenge in coordinating information exchange between dozens of government agencies.

"He's not in charge yet of anything that we can see," Teune said. "I thought he would have that power of commanding information, but I guess he doesn't."

Jerome Maddox, also a Penn political science professor, said that it will take time to see any work by Ridge and his office, as governmental institutions take time to adjust.

"Remember that institutions change very slowly," Maddox said. "It's going to take a long time for us to see more tangible results."

While Ridge is facing the challenges of constructing a new cabinet-level department from the ground up, his successor to the governorship, Mark Schweiker, also has several pressing state issues to handle. Most immediately, Schweiker must reach a decision on what to do about Philadelphia's debt-ridden public school system.

Edison Schools Inc., a for-profit education company, is set to present Schweiker with a report on Philadelphia's schools on Oct. 29. It is likely that Edison will recommend that at least some of the city's schools be transferred to its control.

According to Maddox, this decision on privatization is the key issue facing Schweiker.

"An important test with him will be how he handles the issue of Philadelphia public schools," Maddox said.

Edison, which was hired by Ridge in August, was originally supposed to present their report on Sept. 29, but Schweiker asked the company to delay it by a month to give him more time to familiarize himself with the issue.

After seeing the report, Schweiker and the city will have one month to reach an agreement. If they do not, the state will automatically assume control of the district.

Gretchen Toner, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, said Schweiker is working hard to formulate a policy.

"We have not been waiting for a final report from Edison," Toner said. "There will be one, but we've been getting information from them and options from them for months."

Toner would not say whether Schweiker's decision would definitely involve privatization, but said that "Governor Schweiker has said from the get-go that privatization is on the table."

Aside from education, Schweiker staff members say the new governor has had a very smooth transition into his new office. According to Schweiker spokesman Kevin Shivers, the new governor's close involvement with state decisions when he was lieutenant governor has aided him in settling into his new office.

"He has managed to hit the ground running, and I think one of the reasons for his success was his involvement in the policy of the previous administration," Shivers said.

But Teune doubts the authority that Schweiker holds in his office, noting that the new governor has repeatedly said he will not seek re-election next year.

"What can he do?" Teune asked. "He's a lame duck."

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