Restoring Competence to Government
U..S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, a bureaucrat ostensibly responsible for helping Americans make the switch to digital TV, admits that, despite the transition having been in the works for years, until just a few months ago, he didn’t understand the differences between digital and analog signals:
“Too many people don’t know the difference between digital and analog. I didn’t even know myself until a few months ago when my brother-in-law explained it to me.”
Good job, brother in law!
How about restoring competence in posting?
— Tony Comstock · Jun 15, 01:20 AM · #
isn’t locke trained as a lawyer? you should renorm you expectations accordingly in terms of how much he is versed in facts.
— razib · Jun 15, 01:35 AM · #
I understand once we had a Secretary of State who spoke Russian, now we have one who can’t even hire a competent translator.
— y81 · Jun 15, 01:38 AM · #
Hey, Peter: In SN2 reactions, is hydroxide a good leaving group? No fair Googling!
— Klug · Jun 15, 02:44 AM · #
“despite the transition having been in the works for years, until just a few months ago, he didn’t understand the differences between digital and analog signals”
Locke may have only learned about analog vs. digital a few months ago, but he’s also only been Commerce Secretary since a few months ago (his nomination was announced at the end of February). So I still feel like I’m in good hands when it comes to, uh, whatever it is the Secretary of Commerce is supposed to be doing for me.
— Charlie · Jun 15, 02:53 AM · #
Seriously? The reason it was postponed was that the previous administration didn’t do a good job preparing. And you are trying to blame a guy that didn’t even have the job until after the change in date had been approved?
— Adam S · Jun 15, 03:09 AM · #
Tony — yeah, it did that to me the other night, too. Should’ve checked it before signing off.
No, I’m not trying to blame the guy for screwing up the transition. But seems like anyone up for the job of commerce secretary ought to be know this stuff.
Klug, that’s right, I don’t know the answer! But unless you know something I don’t, I’m not up for a high ranking position in which it’s my job to know.
— Peter Suderman · Jun 15, 03:44 AM · #
While this is a testament to the a general lack of technical understanding among significant segments of the population, and perhaps older generations.. a few months ago was when he, as putative commerce nominee/hire needed to know about the difference. And he did figure it out then. So that’s good right?
Worst case, he’s got Steve Chu there to help with the whole e&m and waves thing.
— jackal · Jun 15, 04:03 AM · #
Really? You think the position of Commerce Secretary is to be the nation’s foremost signals engineer? I figured it had something to do with, I dunno, commerce.
— Chet · Jun 15, 11:50 PM · #