September 29 - The Status of the Gaddi Vasquez Nomination

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Directors of the Peace Corps: Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez: The Gaddi Vasquez Nomination to Peace Corps Director: SPECIAL REPORT: Bush's Choice to Lead the Peace Corps. Is he Qualified?: September 29 - The Status of the Gaddi Vasquez Nomination


By Admin1 (admin) on Saturday, September 29, 2001 - 11:27 am: Edit Post

Here is a chronological list for September with the latest information on the status of Gaddi Vasquez's nomination as the next Peace Corps Director:


1. On September 10, the LGB RPCVs through their Steering Committee decided to formally and vigorously oppose the nomination of Gaddi Vasquez as Peace Corps Director saying that "Mr Vasquez has no identifiable international, volunteer, or management experience to warrant his nomination" and that his "shared responsibility for the bankruptcy of Orange County, California as described by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1996 makes him unfit to administer a Federal Agency with an annual budget of $275 million."


2. On September 10, in an article published by the Tuscon Citizen, former PC Director, and Republican Jack Vaughn came out against the Vasquez nomination saying that "He has little experience and little to indicate that he understands how to run the Peace Corps or any international organization. It's clearly a political payoff, and it would be a shame to see him approved."


3. The White House announced on September 19 that Josephine K. Olsen, would be nominated as Deputy Director of the PC. Dr. Olsen has long experience in the Peace Corps including her service as a PCV in Tunisia, Country Director in Togo, Regional Director for North Africa, Near East, Asia and the Pacific, and Chief of Staff of the PC under Paul Coverdell and Elaine Chao.

Members of the RPCV community say that she has exemplary qualifications for the position of Deputy Director, and in fact, it was too bad that she hadn't been nominated as Director instead of Mr. Vasquez.


4. At the NPCA President's Forum held on September 21, 40 individuals who participated in the forum signed the petition opposing Gaddi Vasquez's nomination. During the forum, the motion was made that the President's Forum formally adopt a resolution endorsing the petition and asking the NPCA Board of Directors to consider the petition. The motion failed by a vote of 16 to 6 with 17 abstentions. Consensus seemed to be that although many individual members agreed with the petition, the NPCA should not get into politics and voice an opinion as an organization on PC nominees.


5. Staff at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee reported on September 27 that the formal nomination for Gaddi Vasquez had still not been received by the committee so they have not put his confirmation hearings on their calendar yet. They reported that on average it takes about 30 to 40 days for the hearings to occur once a nomination is received by the committee.


6. We are still actively collecting signatures for the Petition opposing Gaddi Vasquez. Signatures are still needed. Add your name to the list if you oppose the nomination. At the proper time, the signatures will be presented to members of the Foreign Relations Committee and a meeting will be set up to discuss the nomination with members of the committee.

By Admin1 (admin) on Wednesday, October 03, 2001 - 11:43 am: Edit Post

Latest Update:

1. Staff at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee reported on October 3 that the formal nomination for Gaddi Vasquez had still not been received. The nomination for Jody Olsen as Deputy Director has not been received either.

2. Ellen Field, the Press Officer for the Peace Corps in their Headquarters office, confirmed that Charles R. Baquet, the Acting Director of the Peace Corps since the resignation of Mark L. Schneider on January 20, 2001, has also resigned from the Peace Corps effective October 1.

There had been unofficial reports among returned volunteers for the past several weeks that Mr. Bacquet planned to resign.

When asked who is the acting Peace Corps Director at this time, Ms. Field refused to respond to the question.

By Admin1 (admin) on Wednesday, October 03, 2001 - 2:14 pm: Edit Post

Latest update on who is leading the Peace Corps here.

By Admin1 (admin) on Thursday, October 04, 2001 - 8:01 am: Edit Post

White House Nominations Sent To The Senate

Oct 3, 2001 - U.S. Newswire

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the White House:

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Sichan Siv, of Texas, to be Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador.

Gaddi H. Vasquez, of California, to be Director of the Peace Corps, vice Mark L. Schneider, resigned.

KEYWORDS:

AWARDS/APPOINTMENTS, GOVERNMENT, WHITE HOUSE

By Admin1 (admin) on Thursday, October 04, 2001 - 11:00 pm: Edit Post

Information from John Coyne of Peace Corps Writers:

Everyone:

Please pick up the phone and call your Senator now. In a conversation with Senator Dodd last night - he said that as long as he doesn't hear any opposition from his constituents, he is not going to oppose the nomination of vasquez who was up on the Hill yesterday. He said that as long as Barbara Boxer, Jay Rockefeller, Paul Sarbanes and Jessie Helms don't hear any opposition from their constitutents, they will not oppose the vasquez nomination -- this is really a tragic situation - the Peace Corps will be headed by an individual who was booted from public office, has no international development experience or foreign policy experience and just missed a grand jury investigation because his county went bankrupt under his watch, but he resigned before he got called in.

We need to mobilize the forces in key states fast and furious to have them make phone calls to all these folks on the Foreign Relations Committee - - as his nomination may go up early next week.

If the Senators don't hear from their voters in their states - they certainly will not heed our cries from Washington -- People in the states of California, Maryland, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Carolina and West Virginia need to call all the state offices of the Senators immediately to express your opposition to the vasquez nomination-- please get the word out urgently as they should flood the phones for the next 7 days.

Here's the names and their numbers - please share this with you networks and ask all your friends to get on board - our nation does not need another person with no qualifications making serious decisions about people's lives around the world.

Senator Barbara Boxer - 202-224-3553 - DC 415-403-0100 - SF 213-894-5000 - LA 619-239-3884 - SD 559-497-5109 - Fresno 909-888-8525 - San Bernadino 916-448-2787 - Sacramento senator@boxer.senate.gov www.boxer.senate.gov

Senator Diane Feinstein 202-224-3841- DC 415-393-0707 - SF 310-914-7300 - LA 619-231-9712 - SD 559-485-7430 - Fresno senator@feinstein.senate.gov www.feinstein.senate.gov

Senator Chris Dodd 202-224-2823 - DC 860-258-6940 - Westfield senator@dodd.senate.gov www.dodd.senate.gov

Senate Jay Rockefeller 202-224-6472 - DC 304-347-5372 - Charleston 304-262-9285 - Martinsburg senator@rockefeller.senate.gov www.rockefeller.senate.gov

Senator Jessie Helms 202-224-6342 - DC 919-856-4245 - Raleigh 828-322-5170 - Hickory senator@helms.senate.gov www.rockefeller.senate.gov

Senator George Allen 202-224-4024 - DC 804-771-2221 - Richmond senator@allen.senate.gov www.allen.senate.gov

Senator Paul Sarbanes 202-224-4524 - DC 410-962-4436 - Baltimore 301-589-0797 - Silver Spring senator@sarbanes.senate.gov www.sarbanes.senate.gov

Senator Paul Wellstone 202-224-5641 - DC 651-645-0323 - St. Paul 218-741-1074 - Virginia senator@wellstone.senate.gov www.sarbanes.senate.gov

Senator Russ Feingold 202-224-5323 -DC 920-465-7508 - Green Bay 608-828-1200 - Middleton 414-276-7282 - Milwaukee senator@wellstone.senate.gov www.sarbanes.senate.gov

Please flood the district offices of the senators on the Foreign Relations Committee for the next 7 days stating your opposition to the appointment of Vasquez as Peace Corps Director. IF you need back up information, please go to www.PeaceCorpsOnline.org for all the details.

Many thanks,

John Coyne


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