Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Today’s Discovery

Posted on November 15, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Universities don't cut your nominal pay. They just raise the cost of health insurance.

Posted in Personal | 4 Comments

The Sleeper Issue that Should Keep You Awake at Night

Posted on November 15, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

I think our high-deficit cheap dollar party is a strategic blunder of the first order. And I also think currency markets are chaotic, and we are at risk of falling off a cliff. Brad thinks I'm silly, but I think this is doubly true now that the Euro is a credible alternate reserve currency (and commodity pricing index…what happens when oil is priced in Euros and the dollar falls?).

Of course, a sudden collapse in the value of the dollar could never happen…

Posted in Econ & Money | 6 Comments

Where Left Meets Right

Posted on November 15, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

The place where the traditional left and the traditional right meet—as against the radicals currently in power—is civil liberties. So I find my self agreeing with, of all people in the world, a far-right ex-Congressperson who I would have put on my list of “top 5 nuts in office” while she served.

FAS Secrecy News, [IP] The Arrival Of Secret Law: Last month, Helen Chenoweth-Hage attempted to board a United Airlines flight from Boise to Reno when she was pulled aside by airline personnel for additional screening, including a pat-down search for weapons or unauthorized materials.

Chenoweth-Hage, an ultra-conservative former Congresswoman (R-ID), requested a copy of the regulation that authorizes such pat-downs.

“She said she wanted to see the regulation that required the additional procedure for secondary screening and she was told that she couldn't see it,” local TSA security director Julian Gonzales told the Idaho Statesman (10/10/04).

“She refused to go through additional screening [without seeing the regulation], and she was not allowed to fly,” he said. “It's pretty simple.”

Chenoweth-Hage wasn't seeking disclosure of the internal criteria used for screening passengers, only the legal authorization for passenger pat-downs. Why couldn't they at least let her see that? asked Statesman commentator Dan Popkey.

“Because we don't have to,” Mr. Gonzales replied crisply.

“That is called 'sensitive security information.' She's not allowed to see it, nor is anyone else,” he said.

There's something seriously wrong here, if we can't even see the rule (as opposed to the screening criteria which might legitimately be kept from the public) authorizing the search.

Which is why I'm involved in various efforts to make the government cough up the text of the alleged regulation, and justify it.

You can read more about the ugly things that TSA is up to regarding the right to travel at Ed Hasbrouk's blog. Also see Emergent Chaos.

Posted in Civil Liberties, Law: Right to Travel | 10 Comments

CIA Under Goss: Train Wreck in the Making

Posted on November 13, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

In Deputy Chief Resigns From CIA, the Washington Post gives us a peek at the train wreck in the making at the CIA.

It's obvious that Bush has nominated a partisan hack. He brought with him four aides, people I don't know much about, but whom the CIA people depict as having much to be modest about.

I wish I could stop there, and just pen another Bush-administration-incompetence story (which this seems to be), but it's more complicated than that. I actually think that a significant fraction of what Goss says is wrong with the CIA is likely to be right.

The problems at the CIA are pervasive. They start with a general lack of brilliance among the people who've been promoted in the agency. They run through bloat and hide-bound ways of work. The agency never recovered from the last purge, so it lacks 'assets' in key parts of the world, and is still shaking off its cold-war-centered focus. The CIA tortures people, which is no trivial matter.

Thus, even though it was politically expedient I have not been real comfortable with the war between the spooks at the Agency and their nominal political masters. It's never good when the secret police or the get into politics.

The agency is a serious mess and nowhere more than the dark side, the clandestine service. It needs a cleanup; it's just not at all likely that the ham-handed methods being used by Goss and his merry henchmen are likely to improve matters much. They might even make things worse.

Posted in National Security | 5 Comments

UM President Donna Shalala Scores a Touchdown

Posted on November 13, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

It's fun having a University President who does good stuff:

Men-only Policy Brings Scrutiny to Booster Club—When Natalie Lemos applied for membership to the Miami Touchdown Club, a bastion of football worship, the mother of four, family lawyer and Hurricanes football fan was told no.

You're a woman, the club said. No women allowed.

Lemos fired off a furious letter to University of Miami President Donna Shalala, noting that the club sponsors UM's annual awards banquet.

Shalala's response? The former Clinton Cabinet member said she, too, would apply to join the club.

Turns out the Touchdown Club may be changing its game plan.

She scores!

Posted in U.Miami | Comments Off on UM President Donna Shalala Scores a Touchdown

Hostage to Fortune: 2006 Election Forecast

Posted on November 12, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Live dangerously: I predict the GOP will do badly in the 2006 federal elections. The signs are there.

Unfortunately, this doesn't have obvious implications for the 2008 elections. I don't think Hilary Clinton would be a good candidate, in part because I don't think she'd be a good President. And so much depends on who the nominee is.

Posted in Politics: US: 2006 Election | 14 Comments