THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 19, 1995 TAG: 9504190006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Because the federal government is bloated, its shrinkage overdue, many conclude that the basic building block of all government is bloat.
Following that line of thought, all government reductions must be applauded, including the recent early retirement of 256 NASA Langley Research Center employees, as part of a budget-reducing buyout. Another 16 recently resigned. So 272 fewer people are chowing down at the public trough.
Given that government is bloated, the departure of nearly 10 percent of the center's federal work force is good, right?
It depends. What good might have been accomplished if they had stayed?
Staff writer James Schultz reported: ``As a result of the buyout, the Hampton facility will be losing some of its key people - scientists and engineers with combined experience of hundreds of years. A number of them helped give birth to the manned space program, or participated in the development of key aeronautical technologies that made possible modern, cost-effective jet flight.''
Many younger researchers now will need to learn from their mistakes, rather than from tapping the knowledge of their seniors. For a while, maybe a good while, morale will suffer, as a once-secure career path becomes chancy.
So are we a stronger country with all those scientists and engineers off the payroll? We're a slightly dumber country, because of the accumulative knowledge shelved. We're a slightly less expensive country, because a payroll has been shaved.
The early retirements came several days before NASA Langley reached an agreement that calls for the state's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) in Herndon to broker NASA Langley's technology advances to businesses. Ideally the transfer of knowledge will lead to new or expanding companies paying high salaries.
The eminently sensible agreement could give an outlet for the kind of NASA Langley advancements showcased at the recent Expotech high-tech trade show in Hampton.
The agreement gives CIT another reason to be, at a time its existence is in jeopardy. Formed in the mid-'80s by then-Gov. Chuck Robb, CIT was described by a government-reform commission as too bureaucratic and too ineffective in promoting commercialization of the state's science and technology research.
Governor Allen ignored the commission's recommendation that no taxpayer money underwrite CIT operations. He cut the agency's budget in half, and then the legislature approved the agency's original request of $8.2 million.
Scientific research is to high-tech enterprises what seed is to farms: a necessary investment. Similarly, spending money to connect technology advances with business is an investment.
Saving CIT was a sound decision. Shrinking government research at NASA Langley and elsewhere is understandable, given the huge and growing federal debt, but it could cost us in world competition down the road.
In today's global high-tech derby, neither Virginia nor the whole country can afford to be left behind. Being cheap can prove costly. by CNB