Your tax dollars at work: The Director for Lessons Learned

[Patsy Stone]

Meet Stuart Baker. He makes $106,641 a year.

As I was listening to "Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me!" this weekend, Mr. Baker appeared as the subject of a question for the panel, based on an article in the National Journal article from July 11, 2006 which lists WH salaries: http://nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2006/0711nj1.htm

Here's the NPR link to the show. This was about an hour in, and pretty funny. http://www.npr.org/programs/waitwait/

I searched, but couldn't find this posted anywhere. My apologies if this is a dupe. I had no idea the administration could even learn a lesson, let alone dedicate an office. As Paula Poundstone said, "It must be a very small office."

ed: wrong mag.

[unpossibles]

1. I saw that and wondered if it were true

it seems ironic and Orwellian to the point of satire for a variety of reasons.

[Patsy Stone]

2. They were having a field day with it too.

One of them said, "That's about $100K per lesson learned." :rofl:

Who knew? :shrug:

[donsu]

3. it's true, I and others have posted this story, but the more that know

about it is good

thanks for posting it

[bleever]

4. Used to be called the Office of Ya Fool Me, Ya Won't Be Fooled Again.

They track WH employees guilty of mis-, mal-, or non-feasance, and match them with the appropriate promotion.

:hi:

[Ioo]

5. FOR THE RECORD: Lessons Learned Is a very important job...

Now I am not going to say that this gal is great, nor am I going to say that this White House ever looks to the Lessons Leaned (LL) people for advice, but the LL is a great tool that has saved lives....

I am not really able to tell you who I work for, but I will say that I have been in the same building as Rumsfelt many times. I will also tell you that the branches of the service all have a LL Library (3L) that they turn to when they plan missions and operations. The 3L has saved a lot of lives, because commanders learn from the mistakes and victories of those that came before him. I have been to the 3L of 2 of the branches of service, and was shocked at the amount of data that is there, how critical they are of their failures and so on. But I also know this, the 3L is there when the commander needs info, but from what I have seen, it is not there to lend advice, this means if you do not ask them, they do not tell you.

So while this gal may be a boob, and it is clear that Bush is not asking them for advice, please be careful about assuming the LL is somehow a waste of time.... It is not, it saves lives all the time

[Patsy Stone]

6. Didn't say it wasn't

And I certainly imagine it would be. I was making a point of mentioning the irony of this office in this particular WH.

[Ioo]

7. Oh I agree with the Irony, but I have also seen a lot of LLL bashing too

So I was just putting it out there.