John Coyne writes: Tschetter Steals Gearan's Idea for Crisis Corps



I had thought that getting an RPCV as Director might make a difference in how the agency was run, but I was wrong. These Republicans RPCVs are about as lame as any of the other Republicans, "you're doing a helluva job, Brownie." Bush can say, "you're dong a helluva job, Ronnie, taking Gearan's idea and making it your own." Nevertheless, grabbing the Crisis Corps and changing its name [not its purpose] is a pathetic piece of bureaucratic bullshit. But it was Ron's last attempt to grab a golden ring and claim a "new initiative" at the Peace Corps. John Coyne, editor of the "Peace Corps Writers" web site, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia in the 1960's.

PCOL Comment: We think the criticism of Tschetter is a bit harsh. During his year as Peace Corps Director, Tschetter did a good job defending the Peace Corps from a US Diplomat in Tanzania; he took the proper action flying to the Philippines to focus attention on a missing PCV; and he took long-overdue action to bring closure in the case of Walter Poirier III, missing since 2001. In the big scheme of things, renaming the Crisis Corps may be, at most, a minor misstep.

John Coyne writes: Tschetter Steals Gearan's Idea for Crisis Corps

Tschetter Steals Gearan's Idea

Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter, who a couple weeks ago was kindly invited by Mark Gearan (PC/D 1995-99) to Hobart William Smith Colleges where Mark is president, stuck a knife in Mark's side yesterday by changing the name of Mark's major initiative at the Peace Corps, the Crisis Corps. Ron announced it would now be called Peace Corps Response.

Director Tschetter said,[according to the AP] "The name Peace Corps Response does a better job of capturing what our Volunteers do, from HIV/AIDS activities and humanitarian assistance to natural disaster reconstruction projects. These Volunteers work in crisis situations but they also work in countries addressing critical needs in areas such as education and technology."

What bull, Ron.

Ron who has been racking up the frequent flier miles jetting around the world on his farewell tour as the Peace Corps Director wants to "do something" and lacks the imagination, the staff support, or thinkers at the agency, needed to 'steal' Mark's idea and rename it to have something of a Peace Corps bragging rights. What a poor sorry RPCV PC/D Ron has proven to be.

I had thought that getting an RPCV as Director might make a difference in how the agency was run, but I was wrong. These Republicans RPCVs are about as lame as any of the other Republicans, "you're doing a helluva job, Brownie." Bush can say, "you're dong a helluva job, Ronnie, taking Gearan's idea and making it your own."

When Gaddi scammed a way to get out of Washington and go to Europe in the last years of the Bush administration, Ron, sitting in the sun in semi-retirement in Florida, and desperately wanted to be Peace Corps Director, jumped at the chance to fill in. Barbara Ferris, that old political hand, who is a friend Ron's, told him to give lots of money to the Republicans and the job was his. [Gaddi gave Bush over 100K, money left over from his failed political attempts in Southern California] so Ron started writing checks and guess what: he will be the last Peace Corps Director in this sorry Republican mess of an administration.

Now I don't blame Ron for wanting to get out of the sun. After all, with global warming this Minnesota boy was getting to look like toast down in Florida. We know too much sun will cause anyone to look like a rich Republican toady.

Nevertheless, grabbing the Crisis Corps and changing its name [not its purpose] is a pathetic piece of bureaucratic bullshit. But it was Ron's last attempt to grab a golden ring and claim a "new initiative" at the Peace Corps.

As Joe Welch said to Joe McCarthy in the famous Army-McCarthy Hearings of your childhood, Ron, "Have you no sense of decency?"

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: November, 2007; RPCV John Coyne (Ethiopia); Crisis Corps; Speaking Out; Figures; Writers; Peace Corps Ethiopia; Directory of Ethiopia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Ethiopia RPCVs; Writing - Ethiopia

When this story was posted in November 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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