tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post11855341923154672..comments2023-06-16T09:13:46.330-05:00Comments on gabbygeezer: Don't Touch Our TreeDick Kladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11793395712483278104noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post-38770146763716347952013-05-15T05:50:14.497-05:002013-05-15T05:50:14.497-05:00I guess it may be just a sign of my age that I sti...I guess it may be just a sign of my age that I still think of the agency as the "U.S. Forest Service" and cannot recollect ever hearing the term "USDA Forest Service." It just proves the point that you make, that when it comes to government agencies, the average citizen cares less about what it's named, than what it does.<br /><br />In my own area of experience, foreign relations, we've had the US Agency for International Development and the US Information Agency going through the constantly revolving door that you describe, as Congress variously decided to meld one or both of them into the Department of State -- usually without much longterm success.<br /><br />For the empire-builders and centralizers, t's worth remembering, too, that if an agency goes rogue, an alias may be a handy thing. I'm sure the Dept. of the Treasury these days is pretty happy that we don't call the IRS the "Department of the Treasury IRS!"Jhawk 23http://www.morning-fog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post-41861923818593415412013-05-14T05:41:58.672-05:002013-05-14T05:41:58.672-05:00New execs feel duty bound to make changes -- any c...New execs feel duty bound to make changes -- any change, for some who truly are lacking in knowledge about the organization they administer. Glad the tree survived.<br /><br />Interesting to note Char Miller is at Pomona College which is one of our several Claremont Colleges and Universities.joaredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09999395062839739698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post-48682088228720656882013-05-11T06:41:43.645-05:002013-05-11T06:41:43.645-05:00Bob . . . As an old (I joined your decade last wee...Bob . . . As an old (I joined your decade last week) Naval Aviation flyboy I just have to give you a hard time about red-tailed aircraft. Perhaps the most famous "Red Tails" were the P-51 Mustangs flown by the Tuskegee Airman during WW-II. Their nickname also was 'Red Tails". They have a very interesting history. They and their restored P-51 has appeared at the annual EAA Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. For more on their history check Tuskegee Airmen in Wikipedia.Ron Lindmarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post-87398761675088631912013-05-10T16:18:28.686-05:002013-05-10T16:18:28.686-05:00I really enjoyed your most recent post. It brough...I really enjoyed your most recent post. It brought back many memories regarding our time in Milwaukee. The Earl Butz comment about four branches of the government had me choking on my morning coffee I laughed so hard.Mike Hathawaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post-46966270864883554562013-05-10T15:11:41.530-05:002013-05-10T15:11:41.530-05:00Shades of a similar issue eons ago when I was stil...Shades of a similar issue eons ago when I was still with the NC Station:<br /><br />Some directive or whatever came along proposing another addition to the Pine Tree Shield -- adding another circle around the shield with the words "Woods, Water, Wildlife" to the one that said "National Forests, Research, State & Private" or some such (I may have the words and the order wrong). I reacted rather strongly and asked my Director permission to write WO directly. (This was one of those periods when WO seemed obsessed with names.) Among other things I tried to point out that emblems are meant for identification not information. Back then, if you saw an airplane with a red tail you knew immediately it was Northwest. Whether I and/or many others prevailed, the change was never made. But recent evidence indicates they never give up.Bob Wraynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post-66168104777242178782013-05-10T12:22:46.023-05:002013-05-10T12:22:46.023-05:00Thanks for the Pine Tree shield blog, Dick.Thanks for the Pine Tree shield blog, Dick.Larry Lassennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post-20564903619797385362013-05-10T12:18:21.321-05:002013-05-10T12:18:21.321-05:00My Gawd, Klade, your FS repertoire is endless. At ...My Gawd, Klade, your FS repertoire is endless. At least I hope so.<br /> <br />To think that I have been contributing to this issue by affiliating people with USDA Forest Service in acknowledging them in my publications. Worse, I ‘m pretty certain that if I resort to “U.S.” some editor will correct me. Writers are powerless when it comes to editors, except for USDA Forest Service ones that I know.Mal Furnissnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post-19177209563694437672013-05-10T11:37:16.708-05:002013-05-10T11:37:16.708-05:00Political appointees are a big part of this nation...Political appointees are a big part of this nation's problems. So many positions that call for experienced, knowledgeable professionals go instead to a friend of a friend of someone's relative who is utterly clueless about the work of the department he or she administers. <br /><br />I've loved the US Forest Service and its pine tree and everything it stands for since I was a little girl. For Pete's sake, Washington, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!PiedTypehttp://piedtype.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30802444.post-60786715312832826482013-05-10T09:31:56.076-05:002013-05-10T09:31:56.076-05:00Civil servants for the most part are the good guys...Civil servants for the most part are the good guys. Political appointees who always want to rearrange things (often for the worse) are generally dopes appointed by presidents who know little or nothing about the agencies they "execute."<br /><br />I worked in an agency under three presidents during my career. Before that I was painfully aware of the stupidity of presidents.<br /> <br />For example, one president did away with the question which ilicited information about the homeless, judging it as too provocative and useless. <br /><br />I could go on and on about the dopy decisions made by both Democrats and Republicans. <br /><br />One that springs to mind occurred during Jimmy Carter's administration when a question that had been on the Census form since 1890 was summarily removed aat the ninth hour causing the Census Bureau to spend more money on a new questionnaire (they were already printed when he assumed office). The new pols needed room for another question, poliitcally expedient at the time. <br /><br /> The removed question asked "place of birth of mother and POB of father. Both were very useful for gauging the success of immigrant generations, which in 1980 were expanding again. <br /><br />The new question asked about ethnicity, a nebulous question at best which produces answers which are neither valid or reliable. Most folks in the USA do not identify with a foreign ancestry, preferring to answer "American." <br /><br />Until 2000 the answer American was not accepted (an order from on high) and "blanked and imputed, or edited (i.e. made up). <br /><br />As for the pine tree. I think it must be the Long Leaf which once covered the East Coast and extended far into the hinterland. I recommend the book 'Long Leaf' if you love this tree. Dianneschmidleysscribblins.wordpress.comhttp://schmidleysscribblins.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com