RALPH HOAR
IN MEMORIAM

Raging Hoar Moans
Truth or Trough: That is the Question

There it is: Barry Felrice holding out the possibility that more than two decades at NHTSA qualified him to flip burgers and serve fries in a funny hat or work for the auto industry. That's a continuum worth pondering. Believing, as I do, that every man gets to author his own vision; who am I to quarrel with his understanding of his own possibilities? But it's late and I feel quarrelsome.

Ralph Nader, whose recent article is reprinted here, has done much to define how we view public and private accountability. He would give a pass to Felrice, Finkelstein and Boehly--three former NHTSA officials who now work for the auto industry. Nader argues: "Some of these NHTSA switchers were dedicated civil servants like Felrice, Finkelstein and Boehly.  But year after year of having to obey political appointees and the White House policies, that were soft or concessionary to outrageous auto company behavior, demoralized them.  They figured -- why continue to waste their time in the agency, why not go out and make big money." Perhaps.

Having thus lowered the bar, couldn't we hold the same point of view about every auto company manager or engineer who left college with visions of making the world a better place and, because of the demands of corporate captains, makes decisions that ultimately hurt people? Should the private bar be higher than the public bar? I think not, Bill Clinton's personal behavior not withstanding. 

Happy Holidays, folks. And to all our ex-NHTSA friends lined up at the trough: Gobble on.

OPTSF282

11/30/98