Re: [APD] Fish-Related Story

[Jerry Baker <jerry at bakerweb_biz>]

John Lemons wrote:
>>I don't want to argue about whether discontinuing funding the organization
> was right or not... I just hate journalism.
> 
> I used to work for a state agency that collected and accumulated litigation
> sensitive baseline and time series polution data all over the world.  I went
> in with the idea that it was science and as such above the fray.  I left
> with a bad taste in my mouth after seeing the politics, funding battles,
> petty turf wars, disorganization, bull feces, and general egomania.  The
> lofty impression of science and scientists we are taught in school doesn't
> bear out in real life.  Everyone has an agenda, and everyone has a bias.
> Its VERY hard to keep that from tainting the process in some way or another.
> When congress critters get involved, all bets are off.  At that point, its
> all about power.

It's very difficult for people who do not really have a care about the 
power, politics, and ego stuff. I work in a local governmental agency, 
and I never cease to be amazed at what goes on just because of petty 
office politics and people's egos. It reminds me everyday that I am not 
"normal" and I am so grateful beyond words for that. I don't understand 
people at all.

My supervisor is just terrified to even relay a message that an 
instruction wasn't understood from the deputy chief to the chief of our 
division. She was just convinced that the chief would be so upset at her 
for "calling him a buffoon". She also insists on being the person who 
draws the organizational charts when they need to be done. She's 
literally afraid someone will forget to draw her box on it, and POOF! 
her job will be gone. She's a career bureaucrat and her only real 
concern is that her job is safe. I can't tell you the number of times I 
have finished some research into some obscure, but totally empirical 
data, only to have her "adjust" the numbers because my research didn't 
match the numbers she put out in some prior report. She's afraid if her 
numbers were wrong that someone will fire her. I can't report it because 
I am the ONLY person who could be the source of the whistle-blowing.

I know how it goes.

-- 
Jerry Baker
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