To the editor:
I was disappointed not to hear from the Journal-World before it ran two recent stories about me and my agency ("Former Lawrence lawyer lays down the dress code" on Sept. 8 and "Special counsel cancels whistle-blower's ceremony" on Sept. 12).
Even the Washington Post thought the dress code story "the silliest in a line of controversies." I found the original story amusing. The Journal-World lifted the story but left out facts. I did not approve and had nothing to do with the casual dress tips. I do, however, believe in minimum standards for acceptable office wear, and that was reflected in my actual policy when I took office in 2004.
It is our hope the Journal-World would be more interested in dress codes affecting national security, like The Associated Press story of the investigation I ordered of the federal air marshals' dress policy that compromised their anonymity; obtaining a job for a soldier injured in Iraq who was denied his job in violation of the law; a statewide appointee at U.S. Department of Agriculture, who we forced out of office for multiple violations of the law, and other cases on which we have issued news releases at osc.gov. Many were covered nationally by AP and NPR but were not deemed newsworthy by the Journal-World. It is my hope that you will take a closer look at happenings of moment at OSC in the coming days and months.
Scott Bloch,
U.S. special counsel,
Washington, D.C.
Comments
Jamesaust 10 years ago
While the 'controversy' was overbown and the chain-of-events appear to be what Bloch describes, I would have thought that an Office linked to the larger Department of Justice that under this regime has gone so far as to drape statutes with drapery (to preserve modesty) would have approached such a topic with better judgment. Instead, again, the government is made into a subject of farce. The memo (pages 5 & 6) can be found here: http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/files/OSC_newsletter.pdf
What the LJW should focus on is the OSC's gutting of whistleblower statues - you know, where low level federal employees blow the whistle on waste, fraud, and criminality without our government. I'm sure many a Katrina victim would have appreciated a more vigilant OSC.
How so? Catch page 4 of the memo I linked to above. Don't breeze on by the Public Servant award for 2006, honoring one public servant who exposes pollution at a federal prison that was harming inmates and staff. The public servant was, of course, retaliated against professionally. Even the awards ceremony in the OSC memo was later cancelled. OSC wouldn't lift a finger to help him. No doubt, Bloch was busy providing personal fashion advice to be bothered. An interesting summary here: http://www.peer.org/docs/osc/06_7_9_lsmith_stmt.pdf
Bloch should be fired. And KU had better not take the damaged goods back.
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