Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

CA: Air board's shame - It won't review work of discredited scientist
San Diego Union - Tribune ^ | 3/14/09 | Editorial

Posted on 03/14/2009 6:45:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

For years, critics joked that the White House of George W. Bush was encased in a massive bubble that kept out all discomfitting information. Now that Bush has exited, this bubble has found a new home at 1001 I Street in Sacramento, headquarters of the California Air Resources Board.

No matter what is happening with the economy, no matter how reasonable are the pleas from affected businesses, no matter if even the respected Legislative Analyst's Office raises concerns, nothing will deter the air board from its central mission: implementing two very costly regulatory schemes adopted in December.

One would impose unique costs on California by forcing the use of cleaner but much costlier fuels; another would impose unique cost on California by adopting much stricter rules on diesel emissions.

Now it appears the air board's single-mindedness will lead it to defy convention in dealing with an internal scandal related to the diesel rules.

The board admitted this week what this page reported in December: Hien Tran, the lead scientist on the study justifying the rules, did not have a Ph.D. in statistics from the University of California Davis as he claimed.

Board officials said, however, that Tran did provide them a Ph.D. from Thornhill University. But by all appearances, Thornhill is a “distance learning” diploma mill with branches in New York and London.

The board is apparently considering disciplining Tran.

However, it has declined to hire independent experts to examine his work on the diesel study, as scientific ethicists recommend. Not only that, it refuses to subject Tran's work to a fresh internal review.

This is not how a reputable body should behave, especially when it maintains that its decisions are built on a bedrock of scientific integrity.

Instead, it is the behavior of an agency driven by external influences – namely, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's determination to be remembered as an environmental pioneer.

If that requires the California Air Resources Board to rely on the work of a man touting a degree from a diploma mill, so be it. Many adjectives come to mind. We offer one: shameful.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; carb; discredited; shame

1 posted on 03/14/2009 6:45:14 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Another example of why socialism doesn’t work, the government is never wrong no matter how stupid their thinking.


2 posted on 03/14/2009 6:53:05 PM PDT by TYVets
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Is it bad that I think this is really really funny?


3 posted on 03/14/2009 6:55:39 PM PDT by ALPAPilot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Nothing will stand in the way of the Marxist lunatics and their destruction of the economy and businesses.


4 posted on 03/14/2009 6:57:12 PM PDT by headstamp 2 ("Government is a disease masquerading as it's own cure")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

I have and idea for a new tax.

Since the legislature taxes everything produced by the private sector I say we start taxing the output of the legislature. Every law beyond the constitution should have a tax on it paid for by the political party who imposed it. If they fail to continue paying the tax then the law dies. More laws require more taxes to be paid for the law’s supporters. Only supporters of the law can be taxed for the particular law, no exceptions.


5 posted on 03/14/2009 7:09:57 PM PDT by DB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ALPAPilot

Incompetence goes hand in hand with the elites who know what is best for us all.


6 posted on 03/14/2009 7:10:57 PM PDT by DB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: headstamp 2
Many adjectives come to mind.

Deceitful?

Arrogant?

Fraudulent?

Austrian?

Fascist?

7 posted on 03/14/2009 7:11:56 PM PDT by Thommas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

For years, critics joked that the White House of George W. Bush was encased in a massive bubble that kept out all discomfitting information.
__________________
What does Bush have to do with a bunch of CA socialists?


8 posted on 03/14/2009 7:20:58 PM PDT by lp boonie (Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

When it comes to this type os BS, What starts in CA comes here to MA soon after.

I better got buy some KY now before even that petrolium product becomes out of reach.


9 posted on 03/14/2009 7:22:50 PM PDT by mowowie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Sounds like the Terminator is going to leave CA a wasteland. What the Hell is wrong with the voters out there?


10 posted on 03/14/2009 7:27:31 PM PDT by pankot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Thornhill University’s home page (www.thornhilluniv.org) points to the “Walt Disney Family Museum.”


11 posted on 03/14/2009 7:36:24 PM PDT by ruination
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Although I do not have an internet source to cite for this, I have heard that the Air Resources Board has, on numerous occasions, promoted technically unqualified people from the admin ranks to the scientific professional ranks (presumably to fulfill some sort of "fairness" objective.)

A telephone call would be all that is necessary to confirm (or refute) this assertion.

.

12 posted on 03/14/2009 8:07:51 PM PDT by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never...except to convictions of honour and good sense. W. Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Paging Henry Bowman, to the white courtesy phone.


13 posted on 03/15/2009 12:12:40 PM PDT by Darwin Fish (God invented evolution. Man invented religeon.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson