How do you cut the red tape out of government? Use common sense, panelists say

“Common sense is anathema to the way in which we operate,” Kettl said. “People don’t care about which agency is in charge of what. They want the problem solved.” If people weren’t referred from office to office to fill out various forms to do something simple, people’s trust in government would improve, Kettl said. “People are looking for government to work better. The challenge is to figure out how we go about doing it,” he said.