Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 23:21:53 -0700
Reply-To: David L Cassell <davidlcassell@MSN.COM>
Sender: "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: David L Cassell <davidlcassell@MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: OT: Lies, Damned Lies, and Official Statistics
In-Reply-To: <200508310800.j7V7qUH6015141@malibu.cc.uga.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
jim1stat@YAHOO.CO.UK replied:
>Interesting and striking story. I bet it isn't unique. What could you do as
>a straight statistician or researcher? I think, first of all to make sure
>even more firmly for yourself, that the conclusions you have drawn, are
>correct indeed, though not exaggerated. Secondly, talk, talk and talk to
>try to convince your supervisors of the justification of the inclusion of
>them. Thirdly, you might succeed in reporting the case to their
>supervisors. Fourthly, as the whole situation wouldn't be acceptable to you
>anyway, and your position would not be maintainable to yourself either, you
>could try to change jobs on your own initiative. Fifthly, and possibly next
>to that, you could try to make things public via other means, including the
>pressure, which has happened in this case. You might be called a "bell-
>ringer" (as we say here). And even then your position often may be
>intolerable anyway.
>
>Well, easy said, difficult to do, and I am hardly in such a situation.
We call them 'whistleblowers' here. There are supposed to be laws in
place to protect them, but those laws don't always do the job.
This particular individual was a political appointee, so his job was never
going
to be 'safe'. Still, the details of the story are ugly enough that the
information
his bosses wanted to suppress will now get an even *wider* dissemination.
Funny how things work out...
David
--
David L. Cassell
mathematical statistician
Design Pathways
3115 NW Norwood Pl.
Corvallis OR 97330
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