From: pjm@anegada.sps.mot.com (Patrick J. McGuinness)
Newsgroups: alt.discrimination,alt.politics.correct,alt.president.clinton,talk.politics.misc
Subject: Re: Affirmative action is dead
Keywords: quotas
Date: 21 Dec 92 22:33:47 GMT
Organization: Motorola Inc., Austin TX

In article <BzKC55.6JK@agora.rain.com> robart@agora.rain.com (Joe Bob) writes:
>
>pajerek@kadsma.kodak.com (Don Pajerek) writes:
>> I predict that what is now called 'AA' will eventually degenerate into a
>> permanent policy of quota-based hiring, with continuing refinement as to
>> which groups are entitled to which-sized quotas. I point again to South
>> Africa as a precedent for a society which bases everything on race, and I
>> suggest again that this is not the example we want to follow.

True.  Integration and 'color-blind' has degenerated into extreme
color-consciousness. This will continue as long as such programs
are 'results' oriented, ie., a program is a success only if the
numbers and results are 'correct'. The only way out of this quagmire
is to take the completely opposite approach - *ignoring* as much as
possible, in both word and deed, the racial make-up of an individual
or group, resisting the urge to judge or categorize by race, etc.
Unfortunately, this scheme is so simple and powerful, it will put
many AA employment specialists out of work, and threaten the livelihood
of pressure groups who live by extracting promises of a 'fair share'.
So, the AA folks tote out 'diversity' and other nostrums to support the
(dubious) contention that an organization must reflect the racial/ethnic
make-up of the country to succeed or be 'fair'.

Already some women's groups are complaining about Clinton's effort in
signing up women. Despite Clinton's well-publicized female appointments, and
the almost certain effort the transition team took in *looking* for and
finding qualified women, they claim that Clinton may have fewer high-level
women appointed than Bush - something they find unacceptable.
My only fear is that Clinton takes them too seriously. His EPA appointment
was a 34-year-old women whose only significant administrative background
was less than a year heading Florida's EPA; I doubt a white male
with that thin a resume would have been even considered.

I'd like to have Clinton - or someone - stand up to the pressure groups
and say " I have one quota - excellence. Every member of my cabinet
is the best candidate for the job, bar none." (Well, maybe next time.)

>  The Clinton administration should provide a test of this type of policy,
>as he seems intent on getting a quota cabinet.  He says it should look
>like America, but evidently he means this only in a superficial way.

>There will apparently be no low-income people or non-college graduates
>included, for example.

... and no Republicans (Apple chairman Sculley wasn't given a slot after all.)
... not too mention a surfeit of lawyers and lobbyist-types, vastly
skewing the whole sample. 

For example, he picked Ron Brown for Commerce Secty. A good reward
for the Dem party chairman, who helped lead Clinton to victory.
Problem is, in his private life, Ron Brown, like Vernon Jordan,
is a well-heeled lobbyist who has worked for foreign countries
amongst other clients.
This seems to fly in the face of the strict 'ethics' rules
worked out by the same transition team. So much for stopping the
revolving door of influence peddling.  From the 'spoils of victory'
point of view, not to mention the 'racial diversity' point of view,
Brown was qualified and 'deserved' the post, but from an ethical
and *true* diversity point of view, (ie. getting a different *opinion*
and *perpective*) Sculley would have been better, a moderate
businessman amongst the liberal academics (Reich) and politicos
(Bentsen, Panetta).

He said it would look like America. In fact, it will look more like
a cross between the Democratic Congressional Caucus and the
Berkeley faculty.  :-)

Pat
	Kay Hutchison for U.S. Senate '93
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