|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
Another Whistleblower -- is Anyone Listening?
The plight of whistleblowers ? those employees who sound the alarm about anything from dangerous conditions in the workplace to missed or ignored intelligence regarding our nation's security ? is a story that seems to grow stronger and with more frequency every day. My guess is that those stories have always been there; I suspect I am just paying closer attention to them now. You see, I joined the "ranks" of whistleblowers more than one year ago when, on December 2, 2003, a major newspaper printed a story in which I confirmed for them what many of us already knew ? we, the members of the United States Park Police, could no longer provide the level of service that citizens and visitors had grown to expect in our parks and on our parkways in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco. The world changed for all of us on September 11, 2001, and the expectations of police agencies across the country grew exponentially overnight. As the Chief of the United States Park Police, an organization responsible for some of America's most valued and recognizable symbols of freedom, I knew it was my duty, as chiefs of police across the country do every day, to inform the community of the realities of the situation. For being candid -- for being "honest" -- while still being supportive of my superiors, I was, without warning, stripped of my law enforcement authority, badge, and firearm, and escorted from the Department of the Interior by armed special agents of another Federal law enforcement entity in December of 2003. Seven months later, the Department of the Interior terminated me. Frighteningly, the issues I brought to light about our citizens' and visitors' safety and security and the future of these American icons have not been addressed -- other than to silence me. In fact, there are fewer United States Park Police Officers today than there were more than one year ago when I was sent home for daring to say that we weren't able to properly meet our commitments with existing resources. Other security concerns I raised internally have also gone un-addressed. Imagine the outcry if I had previously stayed silent and if one of those symbolic monuments or memorials had been destroyed or the loss of life had occurred to someone visiting one of those locations. I did not want to be standing with my superiors among the ruins of one of these icons or in front of a Congressional committee trying to explain why we hadn't asked for help. Despite the serious First Amendment and security implications of my case for each American, there has been no Congressional intervention, no Congressional hearings, no demand of accountability by elected officials for those who took action to silence me and who have ignored all warnings about the perils to which I alerted them. Following my termination and the publicity that accompanied it, it is unlikely that any current Federal employee will be willing to speak up with straightforward, accurate information about the realities of any danger we face. Our legal appeals continue, and some of the administrative charges placed against me have already been thrown out. Through it all, it is becoming clear that Federal employees have little protection for simply telling the truth. My story is told on a website, www.honestchief.com, established in December 2003 and maintained by my husband so that the American people could "witness" the issues in this case. The website has provided transparency to my situation by making key documents available for viewing, including the transcripts of depositions of top officials and their testimony during a key administrative hearing. Suppression of information is spreading ? gag orders, non disclosures agreements, and the government's refusal to turn over documents. In agencies that span Federal service, conscientious public servants are struggling to communicate vital concerns to their true employers ? you, the American public. Is anyone listening? Teresa C. Chambershe plight of whistleblowers ? those employees who sound the alarm about anything from dangerous conditions in the workplace to missed or ignored intelligence regarding our nation's security ? is a story that seems to grow stronger and with more frequency every day. My guess is that those stories have always been there; I suspect I am just paying closer attention to them now. You see, I joined the "ranks" of whistleblowers more than one year ago when, on December 2, 2003, a major newspaper printed a story in which I confirmed for them what many of us already knew ? we, the members of the United States Park Police, could no longer provide the level of service that citizens and visitors had grown to expect in our parks and on our parkways in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco. The world changed for all of us on September 11, 2001, and the expectations of police agencies across the country grew exponentially overnight. As the Chief of the United States Park Police, an organization responsible for some of America's most valued and recognizable symbols of freedom, I knew it was my duty, as chiefs of police across the country do every day, to inform the community of the realities of the situation. For being candid -- for being "honest" -- while still being supportive of my superiors, I was, without warning, stripped of my law enforcement authority, badge, and firearm, and escorted from the Department of the Interior by armed special agents of another Federal law enforcement entity in December of 2003. Seven months later, the Department of the Interior terminated me. Frighteningly, the issues I brought to light about our citizens' and visitors' safety and security and the future of these American icons have not been addressed -- other than to silence me. In fact, there are fewer United States Park Police Officers today than there were more than one year ago when I was sent home for daring to say that we weren't able to properly meet our commitments with existing resources. Other security concerns I raised internally have also gone un-addressed. Imagine the outcry if I had previously stayed silent and if one of those symbolic monuments or memorials had been destroyed or the loss of life had occurred to someone visiting one of those locations. I did not want to be standing with my superiors among the ruins of one of these icons or in front of a Congressional committee trying to explain why we hadn't asked for help. Despite the serious First Amendment and security implications of my case for each American, there has been no Congressional intervention, no Congressional hearings, no demand of accountability by elected officials for those who took action to silence me and who have ignored all warnings about the perils to which I alerted them. Following my termination and the publicity that accompanied it, it is unlikely that any current Federal employee will be willing to speak up with straightforward, accurate information about the realities of any danger we face. Our legal appeals continue, and some of the administrative charges placed against me have already been thrown out. Through it all, it is becoming clear that Federal employees have little protection for simply telling the truth. My story is told on a website, www.honestchief.com, established in December 2003 and maintained by my husband so that the American people could "witness" the issues in this case. The website has provided transparency to my situation by making key documents available for viewing, including the transcripts of depositions of top officials and their testimony during a key administrative hearing. Suppression of information is spreading ? gag orders, non disclosures agreements, and the government's refusal to turn over documents. In agencies that span Federal service, conscientious public servants are struggling to communicate vital concerns to their true employers ? you, the American public. Is anyone listening? Teresa C. Chambers Teresa Chambers devoted nearly 28 years to law enforcement service. Her most recent position was that of Chief of Police of the United States Park Police, headquartered in Washington, D.C. U.S. Park Police employees are responsible for protecting national parks, monuments, and parkways in the Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York City areas. They also provide dignitary protection for the President and other officials as well as a variety of law enforcement functions necessitated in the role as one of only a few uniformed Federal law enforcement agencies. Before being sworn as the Chief of the U.S. Park Police in early 2002, Chambers served as the Chief of Police in Durham, North Carolina. There she was credited with significantly reducing crime while improving morale and retention of employees. Chambers also served more than 21 years in the Prince George's County, Maryland, Police Department, retiring in 1997 at the rank of major in order to accept the job of Chief of Police in Durham. Please visit http://www.honestchief.com to learn more about her current situation.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Is Congress Going to Lay the Groundwork to Include Education with the Steroid Legislation? As of late steroid use in sports has been the topic of conversation by the media. From Jose Conseco appearing on Donnie Deustch's "The Big Idea" which airs on CNBC to Congress looking to pass legislation to regulate steroid use in professional sports. Should the FTC be Allowed to Regulate Franchising? Recently the FTC, Federal Trade Commission put forth a report on franchising. They want to further add to the franchise rule, even though they should be reducing regulation since there is not fraud to speak of. In our country we have identity theft and identity creation costing this country billions of dollars and destroying family credit, chances to own a home and allow them to join the ownership society. We have SPAM costs businesses some 30-57 estimated billions of dollars per year in lost productivity. In the last 24 hours I have received 2336 emails and only 120 were legitimate, the rest was SPAM. As far as Law Enforcement experience at the Federal Trade Commission, I think there is work that needs to be done and I would not call what has been done in franchising regulation enforcement; law enforcement experience. You can call it grandstanding with fancy meetings, press releases, PR events, case filings, but the fact is that the Federal Trade Commission has failed. The FTC failed. My SPAM has gone up 3000% since up started enforcing it? Identity theft has run ramped. On October 28, the FTC announced at a meeting of private investigators that they had filed now 63 cases against SPAM. Guess what it is not working, my SPAM is still increasing? So if filing lawsuits is considered a law enforcement experience, it is not any problems. Similarly the FTC's failure to bring relevant and honest cases against disreputable franchisors show one of two things, either; The Pilgrims and Beacon Hill Mob In 1966, Dr. Carroll Quigley, a professor of history at the Foreign Service School of Georgetown University and an employee of the Tri-Lateral Commission who informed or blew the whistle on them; published a 1311 page book called Tragedy and Hope: A History of the World in Our Time. On page 950 he says: "There does exist, and has existed for a generation, an international Anglophile network which operates, to some extent, in the way the radical Right believes the Communists act. In fact, this network, which we may identify as the Round Table Groups, has no aversion to cooperating with the Communists, or any other groups, and frequently does so. I know of the operations of this network because I have studied it for twenty years and was permitted for two years, in the early 1960's, to examine its papers and secret records. I have no aversion to it or to most of its aims and have, for much of my life, been close to it and to many of its instruments... my chief difference of opinion is that it wishes to remain unknown, and I believe its role in history is significant enough to be known... because the American branch of this organization (sometimes called the "Eastern Establishment") has played a very significant role in the history of the United States in the last generation." Alternative to Land Mines in Middle East With the recent threats from Bin Laden and Al Queda to attack Oil Fields, Pipelines, Facilities, Refiners and Assets of Oil Companies which supply the United States with it's need fuel, such operations will have to upgrade and defend themselves. There are many options from robotics to land mines. Yet many options involve killing trespassers indiscriminately with robotic sentinels: Trade Wars, China and Over Regulation At Home We are seeing some trade wars brewing as American trade deficits mount and the money flows moving to China. We see OPEC manipulating our supply a tad and China's thirst for oil increasing, thus furthering the supply issues. We must keep our trading partners and play on a balanced field to keep peace in the world. When playing fields are tiled feathers get ruffled and history shows the unfortunate possibilities that can ensue. New York Lawyers; Vindictive Government Prosecutors We all know Elliot Spitzer is going to run for governor. We can see he is very vindictive in his endeavors. However have you asked yourself; Since when is it okay for someone who is an Attorneys General to act out the way he does? We are seeing more and more abuse of power. I personally know someone who emulates Elliot Spitzer who is a young up and coming rising star in a Federal Agency, who would in fact go out of their way to falsify documents, make threats, hide their identity, and attack reputable folks on behalf of competitors and for reasons of self gratification and future job titles and kudos? Canning International Terrorists? Literally Well here is a great new product, we first saw this in our study on the Parking Industry at recent trade show. New Bomb Resistant Trashcans, Trashcan Anti-Bomb Receptacles for public safety now available. Increasing Evaporation in Ocean to Defeat Droughts One way to increase evaporation in the ocean might be to use a frequency wave, which can change the molecular bonding or to align water molecules for faster evaporation rates. Such systems have been used in high tech water filtration. There appears to be more evaporation in the ocean in times when the water is more violent in its movement. How To Date Ann Coulter (If You Must) I've decided to go public with my intentions: I will not be asking Ann Coulter for a date. There are some good reasons. The US Government; Under Sarbaines Oxley Sarbaines Oxley was probably the easiest way to destroy free enterprise and it could be the quickest way to losing our government. If Agencies were forced into the same standards as the business community then they would be forced to close their doors. Yet, they attack American business over such things but cannot balance their own books. They attack and file lawsuits against our Nation's greatest assets, our entrepreneurs and business folks. With whose money? With your money, that's whose. This is the worst hypocrisy in the history of our Industrialized Nation. For instance the GAO cannot seem to figure out the chicken scratch that the FTC calls financial documents and budget justification. Freedom on the Internet Throughout all recorded history on our lovely little planet, Earth's human beings have been concerned with a few main ideals. One of these is the idea of freedom. Freedom, what is it? What does it mean to you? To look at it simply and in context of communication, I'd say that it is the right to express oneself within certain moral boundaries. Recently I have discovered that the incredible tool of the Internet is being infected by some of our imperfect human beliefs (a sign of the perfect balance in Nature). Check out a website called 'Reporters Without Borders'. This site is dedicated to both freedom of speech for the masses as well as to the safety of the people who are trying to share true unadulterated stories with the wider community. In the site's Internet section I came across a new article about MSN Spaces, the blogging software from one of America's and the world's biggest companies, Microsoft. Well, it seems that in China they have agreed to have the words 'democracy' and 'Dalai Lama' completely rejected by the system, therefore censoring every on-line journal in China using this software. Looking at the Dalai Lama I don't get a feeling of hostile intent... Famous Filibusters in Political History The filibuster as a political delaying tactic has been a part of the American political process since the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Though it was not used in the early years of the nation, the filibuster has been used hundreds of times since the 1840's. Here are a few of the famous filibusters from our political history. Doorstops and Paperweights Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has come up with what he believes is a brilliant idea. He thinks the FCC should have to the power to hold cable and satellite channels to the same decency standards as over-the-air broadcasters. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Stevens' counterpart in the House, agrees. Each plans to propose bills to that end in his respective house of the U.S. Congress. Many of their colleagues, eager to always be viewed as tough on indecency, are ready to sign on to their proposed legislation. Never mind the fact that the courts have struck down similar legislation in the past. Stevens, doesn't see this as a problem. If he got his wish, Congress would just pass it and then, according to Stevens, "take [the cable and satellite industry] on and let the courts decide." Voters are to Blame for Bad Politics When I was growing up, I actually considered a career in politics. I quickly changed my mind, though, when I discovered that there was way too much politics involved in it. Obviously, that's a play on words, but I get funny looks from people when I tell them that. However, I am completely serious. The politics of running for and holding elective office is influenced too much by the politics of power, influence, and money. But whose fault is it that such a condition exists? I believe voters have no one to blame but themselves. The Fabric of Economic Trust Economy is called the dismal science because it pretends to be one, disguising its uncertainties and shifting fashions with mathematical formulae. Economy describes the aggregate behaviour of humans and, in this restricted sense, it is a branch of psychology. Is Inflation Harmful Q. Should the Government be concerned if the CPI rises to 5% ? We Must Register AIDS Carriers and Homosexual Men It is a law that we register deadly weapons with the authorities. It is a law that if you are a black belt in a Martial Art, that you must register your hands as a deadly weapon in many states. In fact if you are in a fight and hurt someone, you will be charged with aggravated assault because you know how to use your limbs to kill. Well then if you are a homosexual male with a promiscuous displacement as most are by nature, then shouldn't one in that case register their member? This may sound like some sort of funny comment, registering one's sexual organ as a deadly weapon, although if a person with AIDS knowingly has sex with another, that is in fact attempted murder, therefore AIDS Carriers should be registered. These registered names should be on the Internet for all to see in the local area incase they attempt to pick someone up at a bar and so that if someone is to use the online dating methods, the other party can check to see if their potential homosexual date has the virus ahead of any meeting. The Gay Male Agenda for Political Dominance I would like to pose a question. I am unsure if you have noticed what I have with regards to Homosexual males in the United States, but sense they are moving their agenda faster and faster and we are seeing more and more Corporations are catering to this group. Have you too noticed this trend? Are you up on the changes this means for over all society? Bird Flu may kill you and your family We have heard a lot about the coming bird flu pandemic which will be here soon. The Chinese are frantically looking for a cure. It has jumped from birds to pigs and can be transferred to the human respiratory system and kill humans as it jumps species and changes itself as viruses often do. Bird Flu is real, no one made it up to scare you. It has and will continue to kill humans, maybe even you and your entire family. I just read a horrible book, not horrible in the sense of poorly written, but horrible in the information that I would rather not find out. I recommend this book to you if you care about your family; Great Melting Pot Indeed An interesting conversation that I thought I must share with you. Today in a coffee shop in the United States of America the subject matter turned to South of the Border. We discussed the politically hot topic of Illegal Immigration to the US from Mexico. In our discussion we both agreed that all of our ancestors came here from somewhere else. Of course many of us have at least some native Indian in our bloodlines.
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
