Charles Norwood: “If performance outcomes are what truly counts in government programs, performance outcomes, how well is that government…”

“If performance outcomes are what truly counts in government programs, performance outcomes, how well is that government program doing, my colleagues should know that the relevant indicators suggest that OSHA, under President Bush, is performing better than at any time in the agency's history. Now, if we can spend just a little time looking at the facts, and I hate to confuse anybody with facts, but looking at the facts, we should look at the GAO report. It is saying very clearly that the voluntary compliance strategies are showing very good results. In fact, they are saying this may actually be working because the performance outcomes are better than they have ever been in the history of OSHA. I have a couple of graphs, so you do not have to believe me, and they are put out by the Department of Labor statistics. It is indicating that workplace injuries as of 2002 and workplace fatalities as of 2002 are the lowest; they are the lowest they have ever been in the history of OSHA.”