Ridge urges public service

Photo by Trevor Rudge

Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge talks with Wilson School Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter '80 Wednesday night in McCosh.

Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge urged students to enter public sector employment, saying it "will be the best prize in your life," in a lecture Wednesday evening in McCosh 10.

Ridge's speech was inspired by a statement made by Theodore Roosevelt: "Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

Ridge reflected on his life's chosen work in public service, which included five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives in addition to two terms as governor and nearly four years as the nation's first Secretary of Homeland Security. President Bush handpicked him to lead the new department in the weeks following the September 11 attacks. Ridge retired from the post in 2005 for personal reasons.

Despite the fulfilling career Ridge said he found in public service, he voiced fears that many young people today do not see public service as a desirable sector to join.

"Young people today are discouraged by the political environment, by its dysfunctional approach to government," he said. "We want to at least make it an alternative again."

Ridge promoted the diverse range of opportunities the public sector provides, discussing everything from science and engineering jobs at the National Institutes of Health to counterterrorism work at the Department of Homeland Security.

He did, however, admit that jobs in the government can be demanding.

"In my career, I've worked with a lot of young people working in the government," he said. "I know that many would like a little extra reward for their work, and that's understandable. [Government jobs] demand long hours and sacrifice. Nobody punches the clock ... it's not a nine-to-five job. But at the same time, these people understand that public service careers matter."

Above all, Ridge praised the sense of purpose and historical significance that characterizes public service careers. "Every generation has faced a defining moment in its youth," Ridge said, listing the American Revolution, Civil War and World War II as examples, "and they have stood up to the challenge every time."

Ridge said he sees the September 11 attacks as a similarly important moment in the nation's history and expressed confidence in the next generation's chances of meeting the associated challenges. "We will win this war," he said.

Ridge ended his speech by taking questions from the audience, one of which addressed whether Ridge sees political polarization as the cause of low interest in public service careers among young people. In his response, Ridge cited the recently-scrapped Dubai port deal as an example of the current administration's problems.

Ridge said he thought senators who attacked the deal backed by Bush were politically clever, but hurt the country in terms of policy.

"Good policy makes good politics, but good politics doesn't always make good policy," he said.

The speech was sponsored by the Wilson School and the Partnership for Public Service.