Posted on 01/18/2005 4:53:02 AM PST by billorites
Fascinating stuff. This is a good example of why I visit Freep every day.
Thank you.
I think deceit is implied about the "real" Dr. Laura in the headline too. It's really misleading and ought to be changed.
Otherwise, great article.
Yeah, they had great parties, didn't they? In fact, Laura Crabtree used to bring the Pabst party kegs to those things, back before she got her doctorate. Wasn't that a great campus -- the only one I know with turn-down service and mini-bars in each room!!
One problem for the honest people working for the government (and there are honest people there) is that the management decisions made by these charletons are never reviewed after they are caught.
That means that each and every fellow idiot they promoted remains in place, frequently in a sensitive position, the budget continues to go down, and any regulations they approved continue to harrass the taxpaying public.
It's not enough to catch these guys ~ more has to be done. Denny Hastert and George Bush have to start giving a d*mn*d. A nice executive order that requires a thorough review of crooked careers would be a good start.
Oh, yes, one more item ~ it's frequently the case in the federal government that a job standard will include the phrase "has a college level understanding" of something or other. This has never been enforced, and probably can't be. All it takes is an executive order to state "has graduated with a degree in so-and-so from a school which has accredation recognized by the such and so department". Then, begin removing all the folks who DON'T have such degrees from those jobs.
Indeed it is outrageous.
And, ironically, I suspect that our fellow FReepers who denigrate academicians whose mentorship produced real Ph.D.'s for 'not living in the real world' would agree.
The problem isn't with appointees ~ there are only a few hundred of them anyway. Rather, it's with the federal civil service. Office of Personnel Management has let corrupt practices run away with the place.
I'm not maning anything against the original poster...it is the actual sub-heading at the source. I guess since it is, maybe it shouldn't be changed.
Terrible misleading though. I read the article because of the "Dr. Laura" connection thinking there was something about the real one in it...not.
There is one legitimate trick that some schools do allow. Get two advanced degrees at the same time. I earned a masters in economics at the same time as I earned another in history. Its tricky to find two disciplines where enough course work overlaps but it can be done with the help of a sharp mentor and an assit from the school.
Still it took nearly all of my time over a 5+ year period to accomplish it and I was doing it nearly full time.
Ping
Excellent post!
She had her subordinates "lie" to a Congressional committee reviewing the Clinton email scandal. One of those subordinates was actually more like a voluntary liar than just someone following orders. The USPS later on hired that guy to head up it's computer network operations job in Pittsburgh, PA. I think he's still there.
Dr. Drango
Time to dump Civil Service completely and go back to patronage. It was more honest and competent.
SO9
Paul Sperry was the reporter who got into the shouting match with Clinton during the whitehouse picnic one year. He asked Clinton something about the China connection and Bill started bad mouthing the FBI. It was quite humorous. Sperry is one the best investigative reporters out there.
"Dr." Callahan, during her Independent Counsel deposition:
"You're asking me for the subpoenaed files? Well I, ummm... I don't have them. They're, uhh, umm... they're missing. It was a, umm... a server glitch! Yeah, that's it! That's why all those subpoenaed files were deleted. Huh? What's a server glitch? Well, it's a, ummm... well, it's a technical term, ya' know. Yeah, that's it! It's difficult to explain to people who don't have a Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems. Of course, I have a Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems, so just take my word for it: the files are gone. What do you mean you want me to describe the server glitch? Well, it's a, ummm... it's quite a common problem with servers ya' know. It's a, ummm... when a server automatically deletes all the files marked for subpoena. Yeah, that's it! Ya' know, if you had a Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems, you wouldn't be asking me all these stupid questions."
The original author's sneer at the Dr. Laura of radio fame was surely intentional, and perhaps only partly because of her moral stances: a lot of journalists (whether honest or biased) buy into the physicians' guild attempts to limit the use of Dr. to M.D.'s only.
Actually, a lot of M.D.'s any more aren't worthy of the title, which originally was an academic title indicating attainment at the highest
level (a dissertation worthy of publication as a substantial contribution to human knowledge). Somehow that requirement has not survived for most M.D.'s or J.D's, but only for Ph.D.'s (in all fields), Th.D.'s and the johnny-come lately Ed.D's (though some accredited programs offering these don't seem to have much more rigorous standards for the dissertation than Hamilton 'University' has for all of its 'requirements').
Its not at all hard to figure out. You have to understand that the typical federal supervisor is as ignorant as a high schooler. Honestly. Affirmative action and ignorance. Savages.
Did we send her a bill for that salary she took while being investigated?
Why is it the gov does not sue to get back the money they paid as her salary during that time?
I agree, we don't want to stir up too many suspicions. But we'll always have those great memories of football games against our arch-rivals from Thomas Edison State. The whole football team loved Laura.
Outstanding post. Emailing it to my friend who works in TSA. Thanks.
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