Dwain Deets LTE: Protecting the public from information
Letter to Editor, North County Times, published August 3, 2010
nctimes.com/news/opinion/letters
We have a federal agency showing disdain for the Freedom of Information Act. Dr. Patrick Gallagher, Director of National Institute for Standards and Technology, denied a request from structural engineer Ronald Brookman, who sought detailed structural analysis information gathered by NIST when they determined the cause of the World Trade Center Building 7 collapse. Gallagher's stated reason for denial was that releasing it "might jeopardize public safety."
What might jeopardize public safety is "not" allowing professionals in the building industry such as Mr. Brookman to independently study the NIST analysis of the highly anomalous building failure. A 47-story high-rise suddenly collapses straight down into its own footprint — highly anomalous.
President Obama embraced transparency and openness in government on day one of his new administration. Gallagher issued this determination on July 9, 2009, more than five months later — the exact opposite of openness in government. What is the public to make of this?
And where is our Congress? Not one member of Congress has raised a single word of concern. Does Congress no longer have oversight responsibility? Are you OK with the authorities thumbing their noses at you?
Dwain Deets
Encinitas, California
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Oversight?
Is there any type of congressional oversight committee for NIST and/or the Chamber of Commerce that can appealed to?
dtg
Congressional Oversight Committee
When the National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee testified to Congress in 2005, they did so to the Committee on Science and Technology.
You may be interested to know, a member of that team, Professor Glenn P. Corbett, requested that his comments be included in the report of the NCST Advisory Committee dated October 26, 2005.. He titles it, "The Investigation of the World Trade Center Collapse: Findings, Recommendations, and Next Steps." His report says it is to the Committee on Science, but I think it should have been Committee on Science and Technology.
One of the interesting parts, he says, "Overall, I have been disappointed by the lack of aggressiveness that has characterized not only the World Trade Center investigation but the Rhode Island Station Nightclub investigation as well. Instead of a “gumshoe” inquiry that left no stone unturned, I believe the investigations were treated more like research projects in which they waited for information to flow to them. In both investigations, they were reluctant to use the subpoena power given to them under the NCST Act. To some extent, the lack of assertiveness was the likely the result of the legal opinions given to NIST by staff attorneys."
Dwain
Another Excellent Letter
by Dwain. He has more 9/11-related LTEs than anyone else. Hats off to North County Times for publishing them routinely.
Great approach to take on progressives and the Obama administration with Science and Transparency. Expose their own hypocrisy while burning their feet.
Glad to hear your PDA event in Cleveland went well, Dwain, and that you have a friend by way of the California chapter head.
Keep breaking through with Op-Ed News and PDA.
[BTW, I have had 31 LTEs published since 2007-- about 10 of which are 9/11 related. ]
Edit: NATIONAL LTE DAY.
Does anyone like this idea? It could be written/promoted by DRG or AE911. Sample letter fully written. A unified message submitted by thousands could result in many being published by the anniversary. If so, we should get on it!
Excellent
This is an awesome letter Dwain!