Letter: People demonizing Slavin, ignoring his work
Edwin L. Bricker
Olympia, Wash.
Publication Date: 12/08/06
Editor: Ed Slavin zealously represented me against Hanford, Washington nuclear weapons plant employers. Working for reforms to protect American workers, Ed Slavin put his career on the line to rescue others.
I was the daily victim of a hostile working environment (joined by the local union I served as steward). Federal OSHA's Assistant Regional Administrator John Spear uncovered illegal surveillance, sabotaged breathing-apparatus and daily torment. Hanford managers branded me a "mole" (spy) for reporting life-threatening environmental, safety and health hazards, working with Congressman John Dingell's investigators.
I was reminded of Hanford's hostility when I read the Record's "Talk of the Town" Web site, where Ed Slavin was attacked by "anonymous" postings by city officials and entourages, angry at Ed's disclosures about his reporting their illegal dumping. Mocking ToTTers tried to trivialize St. Augustine's environmental lawbreaking.
I wrote ToTT, defending Ed. ToTTers falsely impersonated my wife, accused me of being fictitious, posting threatening, obscene, homophobic, libelous comments.
Ed Slavin suggested voluntary ToTT civility rules (no obscenities, sexism, body-part references or remarks about posters' mothers).
Demanding Ed be kicked off, two ToTTers successfully lobbied the ToTT-administrator. They've now been banned for their abusiveness.
I agree with your editorial (November 19) -- government officials need "thicker hides." Ed Slavin is "brilliant" and deserves praise for exposing wrongdoing for decades.
Hateful officials (including President Bush's erstwhile environmental advisor, Nov. 26) have so much to conceal, like Hanford nuclear bomb factory managers.
As a former Washington State environmental regulator, I previously wrote the Record about St. Augustine's illegal dumping.
FDEP inexplicably delayed for eight months (until after elections), to recommend over $46,000 in fines. Will there now be grand jury investigations of city pollution and cover ups?
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