Another Federal Employee Silenced

[MessiahRp]

I got this letter today and thought I would share it all with you. The Bushies just can't stand truth tellers in their country can they?

"PLEASE take a look at http://www.honestchief.com and see what is being done to a career employee for telling the truth -- another victim in a series of Federal employees who have been silenced. A political appointee has silenced a nationally recognized law enforcement leader and is in the process of firing her for admitting to the press (without criticizing the Administration) that times were tight and resources were stretched. Now, Democratic leaders and others (including Face the Nation this past Sunday, March 28) are weaving this story into a larger story of similar situations.

The targeted Federal employee is the police chief responsible for the safety and security of some of our nation's most symbolic monuments and memorials, including the Statue of Liberty, the area around and at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Washington Monument, the area around the White House, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and others. While issues impacting her organization abound and while we all know that these monuments and memorials are among potential targets for terrorists, she is being paid to sit at home rather than work with her team to address critical needs to ensure your safety and the future of these icons. She VERY MUCH needs YOUR help!

By the way, the "she" is me. I want nothing more than to return to my position and continue serving my country and you, the American people. Please lend your thoughts, your ideas, and your actions to help reverse this travesty. I am available to answer any questions that you might have after you read the facts from actual documents posted on the website, a labor of love created and maintained by my husband without input from me.

Thanks for your interest and for any assistance or intervention you choose to and are able to provide.

Teresa C. Chambers
[e-mail]
http://www.honestchief.com"

[mkultra]

1. thanks

I have to offer your my deepest sympathies on your circumstances and my highest thanks for doing the right thing.

[MessiahRp]

4. I'm sure Theresa will be interested to hear that

:)

The letter was sent from her to me, so it's not my situation. Although it is all of America's situation if we don't get the proper protection in place in our National Parks.

Rp

[outinforce]

2. The Other Side of The Coin

As is the case with most stories, this one, too, has two sides.

As Ms. Chamders correctly points out in her letter, she "is the police chief responsible for the safety and security of some of our nation's most symbolic monuments and memorials, including the Statue of Liberty, the area around and at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Washington Monument, the area around the White House, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and others.

What she neglects to mention is that there was a test of the effectiveness of her department to protect the monuments and memorials here in DC from acts of terrorism.

If you have been to DC recently, then you may know that one of the monuments in town that is most difficult for a tourist to get into is the Washington Monument. Unlike any of the other monuments or museums, people wanting to go up to the top of the Washington Monument must first get a ticket with a particular time stamped on it.

Then they must show up at the appointed time. People are lined up against a wall and taken, on by one, into a romm where they walk through a very sensitive metal detector.

The impression I was left with when I last went to the top of the Washington Monument was that that monument, unlike the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, or any of the Smithsonain Museums, was vulnerable to terrorist attack.

And yet.

And yet in a test, a package -- a backpack, I think, was left at the base of the Washington Monument -- leaning against the monument. THe test was conducted to see how long it would take the Park Police who have jurisdicition over the Washington Monument -- the Park Police over whom Chief Chambers is Chief -- to detect that there was a potential bomb leaning against the base of the Washington Monument.

As I recall, during the test there were a couple of tourists who called to the attention of the Park Police that they saw a package at the base of the Monument.

Nothing was done.

The police failed to even notice that there was a backpack-sized package at the base of the Washington Monument.

I think the package was finally retrieved by the agency (and I'm not sure which agency it was) that conducted the test after it had lain at the base of the Monument for more than 24 hours.

Feel secure?

[MessiahRp]

3. Actually

and her site seems to confirm this point further, her main complaints was that there was not enough staffed officers to fully protect the parks/monuments correctly and because of the lack of resources she felt that the job she was appointed to do could not be done the way it was supposed to be.

I don't see anything contradictory in her statements in the situation you addressed. If she is dramatically understaffed it could reach further, they could be dramatically undertrained, who knows how bad our parks protection system is. The heads of the Department spent all the money that was needed for staffing/training, etc. to fly all over the world on our tax dollars.

Instead of singling out the one person who wanted the proper protectins for her department for the better of the country, we should realize it was the other department officials who were negligent.

She should be reinstated and given the resources she requires.

Rp

[outinforce]

5. Are You Seriously Suggesting...

Are you seriously suggesting that the failure of the Park Police to protect what is arguably the most vulnerable (and likely, after the Pentagon, White House, and Capitol) most targeted-for-destruction building in Washington is a result of inadequate resources being given to the Park Police?

It is not the job of the Park Police to protect the Pentagon.

It is not the job of the Park Police to protect the White House.

It is not the job of the Park Police to protect the Capitol.

It IS the job of the Park Police to protect the Washington Monument and visitors to it.

If they are unable to carry out THIS mission, it shows, to me at least, a failure at the top to deploy the resources she had adequately.