Magazine

Letters

October 1, 2000

I must take exception with Sydney Freedberg's portrayal of the now infamous General Services Administration ashtray . The photo caption calls it an "expensive regulation" ashtray, and the article uses the term "overpriced," both of which are incorrect. As an employee of the GSA office that procured this item, I can assure you it was anything but overpriced or expensive. Reviewing our files, the GSA selling price for this item was 63 cents in 1991 and 71 cents in 1993.

Cheap Shot
("Gore in Charge," August)

Not bad for a commercial glass ashtray approximately 4 inches square, 1 inch high that has four cigarette rests. At least the article did not identify GSA as the responsible party for the ashtray.

Furthermore, even though the ashtray was procured in accordance with a federal specification (the main point of Vice President Al Gore's media parade and a good issue for the National Performance Review), it actually was an off-the-shelf commercial item (as evidenced by the design and cost).

William Hicks
General Services Administration
Fort Worth, Texas

Give Us a Break
I have no doubt that Government Executive will be inundated with letters of disapproval regarding Steven Brennan's letter ("Letters," August). While his points are somewhat factual regarding military tax responsibilities, I wonder what motivated him to respond in such a manner. His kind of mentality creates the animosity between the federal and military workforce that we have tried for years to erase because we are all on the same team.

Yes, military personnel get tax breaks. Some small benefit considering they put their lives on the line 24/7-many serving in the most ungodly places around the world and even in peacetime paying the ultimate price by giving up their lives in training mishaps or readiness accidents-all so that the U.S. military can stay ready and prepared to protect and defend Mr. Brennan's right and privilege to pay his taxes.

And let us not forget that most military folks pay the same taxes as all Americans, before they go into the military and after they leave and pursue other careers. Truth is, Mr. Brennan, military folks pay dearly. I speak from both sides of the fence, as a current federal civilian taxpayer and a retired Air Force senior master sergeant.

Joe Wall
USA CECOM
Software Engineering Center

Corrections
In "Midcourse Correction" (August), the past assignment of NASA Mars Program Director Scott Hubbard was misidentified. He formerly was associate director for astrobiology and space programs at NASA's Ames Research Center.

NEXT STORY: Purchasing IT as a Utility