I am writing to express my deep concern over President Trump's appointment of Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb, as the "Chief Design Officer" of the United States. This decision, along with the proposed creation of a National Design Studio, is not just misguided—it's a blatant scam that threatens the integrity of our government services.
The appointment of Gebbia is deeply troubling. His continued financial ties to Airbnb, a company that profits from regulatory loopholes, create an immediate and glaring conflict of interest. This is not about bringing innovation to government; it's about opening the door for corporate interests to reshape federal services to their benefit.
The dismantling of 18F, our existing federal design services office, compounds this issue. We're losing years of accumulated expertise and replacing it with a corporate figure whose experience is primarily in circumventing regulations, not improving public services. This is a clear case of regulatory capture masquerading as innovation.
Gebbia's unrealistic promise to make government services "as satisfying to use as the Apple Store" within three years demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the complexities of federal operations. It's a simplistic, private sector solution to a nuanced public sector challenge that cannot be solved with a one-size-fits-all approach.
The proposed National Design Studio is not a genuine attempt at improving government services. It's a thinly veiled mechanism for funneling taxpayer money and influence to private interests. We've seen this pattern before, where flashy initiatives become vehicles for cronyism and self-dealing.
We need a government that works for its citizens, not for Silicon Valley executives. The integrity of our public services and the responsible use of taxpayer funds are at stake. Please stand against this blatant scam and protect our government from this thinly disguised attempt at corporate takeover of public services.
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