Moses regarded the human factor and public discussion as obstacles to suppress
Evidence
Moses did not deny there was a human element involved; he knew of its existence all too well—it was constantly interfering with the mathematical perfection of his system, and it must be suppressed. “It is essential,” he said, “to have a definite, almost a mechanical, program of adjustments in order to avoid personal and political pressure.” For some reason, it was hard to make examiners understand this. They were always becoming sympathetic to individuals and talking about the “human factor,” and “an examiner who…always wishes to take the ‘human factor’ into consideration is a dangerous man to associate with such work. The consideration of the ‘human factor’ is entirely a matter of policy for policy-determining bodies in applying salary and grade specifications.” The infusion of people, moreover, was always interfering with the work to be done. Annoyed that his recommendations had to be discussed at public hearings, he noted that because of the time he had to spend at such hearings, “it is difficult to…keep the field work running smoothly and correspondence up to date.” There must, he said, “be some limit to public discussion.” — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 323
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Moses’ power rested on hiding behind popular causes so his ruthless methods stayed invisible. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 1851; Moses believed human personality and judgment could be reduced to exact numbers; Moses endorsed suppressing civil servants who dared to unionize. — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the…, 243 (+2 more)