Editor, Gazette-Journal: Since 1883, America has depended on a professional civil service hired for skill, not political loyalty. That system helps keep government services steady when presidents and parties change. Recent efforts to weaken job protections for career federal employees threaten that system. Executive Order 14410 would initially move about 8,000 senior career jobs into essentially political partisan appointments. That number will grow. Supporters say this is about accountability. But presidents already appoint Cabinet secretaries and political appointees to set policy and manage agencies. Turning career jobs into political jobs risks replacing experience with loyalty tests. As agencies lose experienced workers, the public waits longer for help. Social Security offices reduce appointments. Veterans wait for care. Air traffic controllers work extra shifts to keep planes moving safely. These are not abstract Washington issues; they affect all of us. Federal employees and re...