[EAS] Government assistance

[Richard Rudman]

Morris was a national broadcast industry treasure as far as I was concerned. I had the good fortune to work with him in the 90's while I was working on the now "de-chartered" EAS National Advisory Committee (NAC). When I became the Chair of that Committee I was smart enough to listen to Morris - a lot. I clearly remember him recounting not only what Ed quoted, but other accurate observations from his long and very distinguished career as a station owner and engineer.

Another old hand, a communications attorney, wise in the ways of the Beltway, asked me back in the early 80's if I knew the exact moment when an elected official from either party starts to go down the wrong road. (He used more colorful language I will skip here.) His name: Julian Freret. Some of you might guess what his connection to some of my activities could be. His name was one of three closely linked to non-broadcast communications. 

Julian told me that moment occurs the first second they decide to run for re-election. Makes sense. Take the unrelenting drive to raise $$ for the next election out of the equation and we might have a system that works slightly better. 

The other "truth" I learned myself: Elected officials come and go. Beltway "entrenched middle management" stays until they collect their pensions. Hard for any one person or persons to get them to change course.  And, as we all know, there are good middle mangers, and then the majority!

Stopping now before Barry says I have taken a thread off a technical topic.

Richard

On Sep 18, 2011, at 7:37 AM, Edwin Bukont wrote:

> When I was the emergency liasion for southern Maryland, the late, great then Maryland Emergency Mgt Liasion Morris Blum, explained government service to me.  I have found him to be spot on. It works like this.