Gridlock and Bliss

May 15, 2004

Editor at Large

Passengers fuming in airports during the long hot summer of 2000 pointed the finger of blame at the airlines. Another summer of delay is likely this year, and the problem will lie as much with government as with carriers. The Federal Aviation Administration, shorn of its security duties in the wake of 9/11, now can concentrate on keeping those planes moving. But it isn't really ready for the task (see ). The $14 billion agency is restructuring, working to overcome staffing shortages, attempting to fix ailing technology projects, pressuring the airlines to eliminate flights, and lamenting that it was able to open new runways at only four airports last year. Meantime, up to 8,000 aircraft will be flying simultaneously on a busy summer's day.

Gridlock in the air lanes, married bliss, and goodbye to Tom Novotny and Mary McGrory.

"Breaking Through"

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Former Air Force acquisition chief Darleen Druyun has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in U.S. District Court (see "Deal Breaker"). When sentenced, she could face a sizable fine and a jail term for violating the public trust by negotiating a job at Boeing while also working on an aircraft leasing contract for the government.

Let's hope the Druyun case doesn't produce a new chorus of whining about the "revolving door problem." In fact, the revolving door serves us well. Government is now hiring federally trained private security guards in Iraq, and it employs senior Pentagon officials who have worked in industry, in both instances benefiting from experience that's invaluable.

When companies like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman hire retiring military and civilians from government, they gain a better understanding of what federal clients need, and improve their ability to supply them.

So, I say keep that door spinning, and trust that most people who pass through it are honest. Sure, there are a few bad apples, and, as this case proves, they can be caught.

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There's an acronym for everything in government, so indulge me if I invent a new one: MPS. That would be for marriage promotion specialist, which seems as good a title as any for Diann Dawson, a 24-year veteran of federal service who is now running a program to promote marriage among African-Americans (see "Dawson's Vow"). It's a tough assignment, so, as many federal program managers are these days, she is enlisting help from private groups-including the Wedded Bliss Foundation.

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In April, Washington lost two people dear to the hearts of many: Mary McGrory and Tom Novotny. Mary was a wonderful political columnist for The Washington Star and The Washington Post, and she won a Pulitzer Prize. But more important, she was a great friend and mentor to generations of ink-stained wretches like me. Tom also was in the word game, as the guiding light behind The Public Manager, a quarterly magazine that found a devoted audience in the public administration world. Terrific people, they will be sorely missed.

Tim Signature

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