Hazel O’Leary’s Travel Abroad

The international news media have kept us abreast of the recent coverage being given to Energy Secretary Hazel O’Leary (Dec. 13).

Allow me to share a Central American perspective. In Costa Rica we stand in the utmost admiration of a U.S. Cabinet member who has had the vision and the courage to devote an important part of her time and effort to the search for international opportunities which are not only good investments for her own industry, but are crucial to the development of other countries.

O’Leary’s visit to our region was but one of the many ways in which she has helped Central America strengthen its business potential with respect to the United States. Her involvement has been crucial in accelerating energy sector reform and private power participation. Specifically, O’Leary has catalyzed a series of renewable energy projects in Central America using geothermal, wind, solar and biomass resources.

The United States could find no better voice for what is truly a partnership toward sustainability.

JOSE MARIA FIGUERES

President of Costa Rica

Your series of articles about O’Leary’s extensive travels has a basic flaw. You make the incorrect assumption that air travel, whatever style, is a pleasure or a reward. As a businessman who has traveled millions of air miles over the past 50 years in everything from prop planes to jets, by coach, first class and private jet, I can attest that it is very hard work!

Furthermore, I think O’Leary should be commended for making the effort to get out of the Beltway. Too many Cabinet officers sit behind their desks taking reports from layers of bureaucrats who put their own spin on information as it goes up the line. My own experience is that there is nothing like going out into the field and meeting people in your constituency “eye-to-eye” in order to really know what’s going on. And I insist it’s hard but necessary work. The easy way out is to stay behind a desk and to sleep at home at night.

Take it from me, air travel and sleeping in different hotels every night is very hard work. Contrary to your critical articles, I think you should applaud O’Leary for her dedication.

JOSEPH J. JACOBS, Chairman

Jacobs Engineering Group

Pasadena

Regarding the costly junkets taken by O’Leary, I’d like to relate just one example of what this kind of waste has cost the government and people of the U.S.

In 1992, while serving as an intelligence analyst with the California Army National Guard, I met an officer who worked full-time as an imagery analyst for the Department of Energy monitoring nuclear proliferation, violations of nuclear arms accords, etc., work which is vital to national security.

When this officer discovered that I had a distinguished record as an Air Force imagery analyst, he strongly urged that I apply for a position with DOE as an imagery interpreter because they were understaffed, overworked and desperately in need of somebody with my documented expertise in detecting camouflaged equipment and facilities. I did so immediately but was not hired because of budget cutbacks. I was then told that yet another facility within the DOE needed somebody with my skills because its only imagery interpreter was retiring. Again I applied, and again I was not hired--because of budget shortfalls. I never went to work for the DOE as an analyst with a documented expertise in locating and identifying carefully hidden missiles and other weapons.

Now, however, I hear that O’Leary is spending money for four-star hotels, luxury charter jets and so on. Can somebody tell me what is wrong with this picture? You don’t need to be a certified photo interpreter to see it.

RONALD W. LEWIS

San Diego

Now that we know about the excessive expenditures of O’Leary, it would be spending good money after bad to spend thousands more on an “examination” of the affair. What could such an examination tell us? That she wasted the money? We already know that. Why she spent the money? We already know that, too; the trough was there, so she just dipped as her natural inclinations prompted her.

FAY C. WYNN

Lake Elsinore

O’Leary should not be allowed to resign, she should be fired. Her frivolous spending of public money is by no means justified. In times of fiscal austerity when children’s school lunches are in jeopardy, O’Leary’s behavior is absolutely inexcusable, if not criminal!

DAVID BROOK

Los Angeles