My Response to a Paid Hack
I have posted recently on an incident where the WSF ferry M/V Elwha had a mechanical problem and needed assistance getting back to it’s port. That incident in itself probably didn’t merit more than a few minutes thought, but I did take the time to chastise those who thought that a mechanical incident should indicate the breakdown of an entire agency. So it amused me when a writer paid to write and distribute opinions posted a comment on another blog accusing the crew of that ferry of not taking steps to keep the damage done on that day from happening.
I would suspect the crew did everything in their power to get the problem under control when it happened, and find it disgusting that someone would imply otherwise simply to further their agenda against Washington State Ferries. While it is always a good thing to keep tabs on our government and it’s agencies, making accusations that may or may not even be true is not a repuatible thing to do. I cannot respect the poster’s employer, the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, for the inunendo and half-truths that seem pervasive in their writing. That is no way to get to the truth.
Here is the comment made by this writer, followed by my response:
Bryan said…
After reading some of the WSF articles on the Evergreen Freedom Foundation’s website, my thoughts are that you are a writer who is paid to go wherever there is an audience and to stir the pot of public opinion against WSF.
In some cases, the criticism is deserved. In many cases, there have been reasonable answers put forth on why some of the situations occurred in the articles posted at your website. I have noticed that in most cases in those opinion pieces at your website, when a reasonable explanation has later come forth, that no one has bothered to update the situation to reflect the reality of the situation.
Yes, there needs to be some reform within the upper management ranks at WSF. Yes, there needs to be more action in the Washington legislature to correct problems at WSF, at WSDOT as a whole, and at many other government agencies.
While you are skilled at the job you are paid to do, writing opinion pieces to make a point for the need for government action (a point with which I don’t necessarily disagree), your articles and those of others at your organization seem to be short on specific solutions.
You have information on what might have transpired from a “WSF insider.” “WSF refuses to comment on whether anyone should be disciplined over this matter.” I would hope that WSF will wait to decide on whether anyone should be disciplined on this matter until they have fully investigated what really happened on that day.
No, I don’t have any inside information on this particular matter. I am willing to wait to see whether this specific action was the sole cause of the end effect here. The phrase “vessel engineering staff failed/refused to consult technical professionals at WSF HQ” sounds like an accusation from someone who wasn’t there at the time — but someone who thinks they have a better idea after the fact.
For now, I will stand by my original comments that often a breakdown of a ferry (or a bus or a train or whatever) is simply the breakdown of a vehicle, not a breakdown of an entire agency.
You are just a guy doing your job. In the process, you will get a lot of folks agreeing with you and saying “Yeah, lets hang somebody over this, and lets do it now!” For me, I’m willing to wait until WSF and the Coast Guard do their jobs and the real facts come out.
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