Administration?
Over the years of working for the Yankee government, the organization that has given me the second greatest exasperation – first is the Yankee army – is NASA. Whereas the army bureaucracy is noted for consistently treating the civilian work force as if they had the intelligence of pond scum and had some form of toxic body odor, their management is often better than that of other agencies in all bot one area.
That area is denying responsibility by finding scapegoats to take blame and accept punishment. The recent Walter Reed debacle is one excellent example. In that case, everyone of middle rank who had been associated with the organization got sacked despite the fact that all they were doing was obeying orders and making things the best they could in an environment of inadequate resources and apathy. No one of upper rank was touched and the army skillfully avoided admitting any wrongdoing or negligence. And while there have been changes at Walter Reed, they all seem to be cosmetic and transitory.
But NASA has always been characterized by an execrable management structure. It is entirely too big. Indeed, NASA has the highest management to worker ratio of all federal organizations, which is why they consistently have massive morale problems. Or, at least partly why.
And whereas the army has a deathly fear, phobia even, of any embarrassment, NASA management has a deathly fear of any adverse publicity. It is therefore interesting that I note this morning in the Register [Link] that NASA ha sacked Bill Oefelein and sent him back to regular Naval duties, probably ruining his career thereby.
It may be recalled that Oefelein was the male component of the unfortunate debacle caused by Lisa Nowak. One has to wonder what he has done since there has been no indication in any legal proceedings that he has display improper behavior. One suspects under the circumstances that he has been dismissed because of his association with Nowak and not for any wrong doing.
And we wonder why our space program is in such bad shape? Dick Feynman may be chuckling in his grave.
And I wonder why I had to read this news in an English feed? It surely can’t be because the newspapers in the Yankee republic didn’t want to embarrass the fellow. Perhaps NASA did something to seal their journalistic lips?
