PEER, PROPAGANDA, & YOU

PEER = Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. According to their website:

“PEER is a national non-profit alliance of local, state and federal scientists, law enforcement officers, land managers and other professionals dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values.”

“PEER allows public servants to work as "anonymous activists" so that public agencies must confront the message, rather than the messenger.”

“Your contribution to PEER is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.”

As you can see, PEER is an employees union described as a “non-profit alliance”. When I was trying to publicize the theft of millions of dollars by Federal managers from State fish and wildlife excise taxes, PEER was not interested and nowhere to be found. My opinion then and my experience since then is that PEER is strictly a “more is better” environmental mouthpiece for more government spending, hiring, law passage, regulation-writing, and strangely more pay and emoluments for the employees involved in these matters. They never met a new government program they didn’t like (unless it was one of those rare and generally unsuccessful “cuts” we hear so much about but seldom see.) Likewise, they never met a government employee in the wrong (guys like me are just ignored) and while the Clinton appointees were always lauded, the Bush appointees (with the exception of all the Clinton holdovers) are always guilty until proven innocent (which happens about as often as does grow antlers).

As a tax-paying citizen and therefore an employer of government employees, I am uncomfortable with any organization that touts allowing “public servants to work as ‘anonymous activists’”. I expect them to work for government as employees work for any other boss. If you don’t agree with the mission of the agency quit and work to change that mission as a citizen. If there is corruption, expose it and face the consequences. “Anonymous activism” is neither appropriate or to be tolerated in public service.

How such an organization can receive “tax-deductible” contributions is beyond me. They are a public employee union with a political bias. The fact that my tax dollars go to supporting them is neither proper nor tolerable.

So why am I venting my spleen (that I almost lost as a kid when I had brucellosis) on this struggling “alliance” out to save the American portion of the world ecosystem? Because they have recently mailed to all the “scientists” in the US Fish and Wildlife Service (& other Federal agencies?) a questionnaire that I am sure we will all soon be hearing about.

First off, what do you think the political bent of Federal employees and even more specifically Federal “scientists” is? What do you think they think about how much they are paid? About how much power they have? About the current Administration? About States rights? About private property (other than their own)? About the UN? About energy development or ranching or logging or gun control? About who should run the country and how much power she or he should have? I’ll let you answer these simple questions.

PEER has mailed these eminent elites and potential power-brokers a questionnaire that they can answer anonymously (of course) to summarize their opinions about the following matters:
- Do you have enough money to do your job?
- Are there adequate resources to do your job?
- Do you have enough resources to enforce NEPA and Sec. 404?
- Are you free to collaborate with other scientists?
- Do you have adequate time to do your job?
- Are you allowed to publish papers?
- Do agency policies interfere with your right to publish?
- Are you allowed to join professional organizations?
- Are you allowed to openly express your opinion?
- Do you respect the US Fish and Wildlife Service?
- Is your agency going in the right direction?
- Is USFWS avoiding “listing” species?
- What is your workplace atmosphere like?
- Do you trust USFWS managers?
- Do mangers show consideration?
- Do Regional Directors stand up for science?
- Is there scientific integrity at USFWS?
- What sort of political atmosphere exists at USFWS?
- Do you have job satisfaction?
- Do members of Congress or States interject themselves in your job?
- Are there commercial interests or politics interfering with your job?

I could not find a single USFWS “scientist” that either admitted to receiving the questionnaire much less answering it. You can bet it was answered on government time just like you can guess the answers in 90+% of the returned questionnaire. Do you get paid enough? Do you have enough power? Does someone tell you what to do? What do you think about cutting your salary or your bonuses or reducing your agency or Division? Poor baby, help us with your answers to this questionnaire and send us a “tax-deductible” contribution and we will see that the public protects you and your job.

This is just one little (compared to the Humane Societies of the US, Defenders of Wildlife, National Wildlife Federation, Greenpeace, PETA, Wilderness Society, Ruckus Society, World Wildlife Fund, Fund for Animals, etc., etc.) bunch that will fight like banshees when Endangered Species Act reform or review of the Wilderness Act or the Animal Welfare Act is even mentioned. When Invasive Species legislation or the UN Treaty on Small Arms and Ammunition are brought up, outfits like this will come out of the woodwork and some will work from behind the woodwork to further disable this nation.

So when the newspapers shout from the front page in the next month or so that 99.4% of all government scientists believe that Bush stole the election, we should sign the Kyoto Treaty, and that all government employees are afraid of being sent to Abu Graib for training; smile, turn the page, and sip your warm beverage.

Jim Beers
1 January 2004

If you found this worthwhile, please share it with others. Thanks.

This article and other recent articles by Jim Beers can be found at
http://www.allianceforamerica.org/bb/viewforum.php?f=91

Jim Beers is available for consulting or to speak. Contact:
JimBeers7@earthlink.net

Animal Planet bares its competitive teeth

In shows, cuddly images give way to high-tech visual effects