Letters

As a third-generation civil servant, I beg to differ with Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's assumptions in (). Her main objective is to get civil servants to persuade the younger generation that public service is rewarding. I believed all the wonderful things that Justice O'Connor expounded on when I entered the civil service. Now, after 20-plus years of service, I cannot recommend civil service to anyone, including my son. The civil service eats its children. The golden goose that helped attract the best and brightest, the Civil Service Retirement System, has been killed. I just finished reading your engrossing article () about the Federal Aviation Administration and overcrowding of the nation's airports and traffic controllers. As a former Air Force flight engineer, I used to fly out of Stewart Field in Newburgh, N.Y. This field is only slightly used, yet has a main strip that could land the Concorde. It is right off the New York State Turnpike and U.S. Route 84, by rail it's 60 miles (one hour) from New York City and Danbury, Conn., and it's close to Albany, N.Y. Speaking as a career public servant, I found () to be an excellent high-level inspiration for genuine (government) managers, leaders and those truly dedicated to service. After all, what is "government," but the civil mechanism to carry out the will of the public we serve-citizens and taxpayers-regardless of jurisdictional boundary? In a few paragraphs Steven Kelman summed up what we all strive for: acknowledgement for our efforts, motivational goals and, ultimately, continuous improvement to provide a better life for all.