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EPA spending almost $25,000 for soundproof booth

Rogue Valley

Rogue Valley

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EPA spending almost $25,000 for soundproof booth

BY TIMOTHY CAMA - 09/26/17

pruittscott.jpg

EPA administrator Scott Pruitt

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is spending nearly $25,000 to build a soundproof phone booth for Administrator Scott Pruitt. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the agency entered into a $24,570 contract last month for a “privacy booth for the administrator” with Acoustical Solutions, a company that specializes in sound-dampening technology for hearing tests. EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman told the Post that the booth will be “a secured communication area in the administrator’s office so secured calls can be received and made.” The EPA already has a SCIF in a separate area of the building, the Post reported. The contract comes as Pruitt has weathered criticism for being secretive, eschewing emails and written communications, prohibiting employees from bringing phones to meetings and the like. In addition, Pruitt has a 24/7 security detail, involving 18 law enforcement officers, in contrast with his predecessors, who only had security details when working and in transit.
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Yes, this is the same Scott Pruitt that was the former AG of Oklahoma who received extensive political donations from the fossil-fuel industry. Pruitt also sued the US/EPA 14 times on behalf of the energy industry. No wonder he wants a special booth for secure/encrypted phone calls. Pruitt favors removing environmental regulations from the mining industry. Trumps budget seeks to slash the EPA budget by $3 Billion and lay-off 3,500 employees. Pruitt's 24/7 security detail is larger than Beyonce's.

Swamp Related: Poll: Voters say Price's charter flights are inappropriate
 
Rogue Valley said:
EPA spending almost $25,000 for soundproof booth



Yes, this is the same Scott Pruitt that was the former AG of Oklahoma who received extensive political donations from the fossil-fuel industry. Pruitt also sued the US/EPA 14 times on behalf of the energy industry. No wonder he wants a special booth for secure/encrypted phone calls. Pruitt favors removing environmental regulations from the mining industry. Trumps budget seeks to slash the EPA budget by $3 Billion and lay-off 3,500 employees. Pruitt's 24/7 security detail is larger than Beyonce's.

Swamp Related: Poll: Voters say Price's charter flights are inappropriate
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I knew someday The Cone of Silence would become reality.
 
"Drain the swamp" to the typical Trump supporter had nothing to do with combating corruption. They just wanted someone to constantly lob grenades at all the institutions they hate like the media.
 
Rogue Valley said:
EPA spending almost $25,000 for soundproof booth



Yes, this is the same Scott Pruitt that was the former AG of Oklahoma who received extensive political donations from the fossil-fuel industry. Pruitt also sued the US/EPA 14 times on behalf of the energy industry. No wonder he wants a special booth for secure/encrypted phone calls. Pruitt favors removing environmental regulations from the mining industry. Trumps budget seeks to slash the EPA budget by $3 Billion and lay-off 3,500 employees. Pruitt's 24/7 security detail is larger than Beyonce's.

Swamp Related: Poll: Voters say Price's charter flights are inappropriate
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Can't expect him to talk with the Russians out in the open, can you?
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
"Drain the swamp" to the typical Trump supporter had nothing to do with combating corruption. They just wanted someone to constantly lob grenades at all the institutions they hate like the media.
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They all deserve every grenade that gets lobbed. Even the POTUS, except when they're lies. And, too often? They are.
 
This is a sticky wicket but I don't think a soundproof room is the answer.

When our officials conduct public business, the public should be aware. However, some things are not open to public scrutiny, such as the discussion of hired personnel and some types of acquisitions or discussions about opening up projects for bid. Recently, there have been many cases of phone calls or conversations being recorded, even when they were supposed to be off-the-record. This has led to concern in many quarters, not just the EPA, about how to protect private information of those people being discussed.

I'm not sure what the answer is, but this is not the first soundproof, bug-proof room to have been built.
 
Rogue Valley said:
EPA spending almost $25,000 for soundproof booth



Yes, this is the same Scott Pruitt that was the former AG of Oklahoma who received extensive political donations from the fossil-fuel industry. Pruitt also sued the US/EPA 14 times on behalf of the energy industry. No wonder he wants a special booth for secure/encrypted phone calls. Pruitt favors removing environmental regulations from the mining industry. Trumps budget seeks to slash the EPA budget by $3 Billion and lay-off 3,500 employees. Pruitt's 24/7 security detail is larger than Beyonce's.

Swamp Related: Poll: Voters say Price's charter flights are inappropriate
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If we don't have to hear him, its money well spent.

Wonder how much it would cost to outfit all of DC with those?
 
So much for draining the swamp. We have this guy who needs his quiet and Tom Price who is allergic to commercial airline flights -- as long as he can take private jets on the taxpayers' dole.
 
The EPA head is said to be protecting his own environment from those pesky prying eyes and ears - I am shocked. Hillary never did anything like that as SoS - all (except for maybe 33K) of her unclassified official communications were shared and made available for FOIA requests.

This is now the standard way of governing the nation - talk in private to those that supply campaign cash and/or offer lucrative after public office jobs but don't let the general public know about such deals.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
The EPA head is said to be protecting his own environment from those pesky prying eyes and ears - I am shocked. Hillary never did anything like that as SoS - all (except for maybe 33K) of her unclassified official communications were shared and made available for FOIA requests.

This is now the standard way of governing the nation - talk in private to those that supply campaign cash and/or offer lucrative after public office jobs but don't let the general public know about such deals.
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It's worse than that. The big guys aren't in it for the money. They're set for multiple lifetimes already. After a certain point, they are simply instruments of whoever bought them.

We'd be better off if they spent more time trying to line their pockets, rather than trying to produce a policy return on their masters' investments.

Still, in this specific instance, I'd wager there's multiple activists groups watching this guy's every move, and would love to get a clip of him saying the sorts of thing you'd want a soundproof room for.

He's such an obvious fox in the hen house, no wonder he's afraid for his safety. If anyone was going to be a target of violence from the environmentalists, this guy would have to be near the top of the list.
 
WillyPete said:
It's worse than that. The big guys aren't in it for the money. They're set for multiple lifetimes already. After a certain point, they are simply instruments of whoever bought them.

We'd be better off if they spent more time trying to line their pockets, rather than trying to produce a policy return on their masters' investments.

Still, in this specific instance, I'd wager there's multiple activists groups watching this guy's every move, and would love to get a clip of him saying the sorts of thing you'd want a soundproof room for.

He's such an obvious fox in the hen house, no wonder he's afraid for his safety. If anyone was going to be a target of violence from the environmentalists, this guy would have to be near the top of the list.
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Exactly, but to assert that this pandering to special interests in DC is something new is ridiculous. Whether it is a Solyndra or some big oil company that is getting the "special" public assistance makes little difference - the acceptance of crony capitalism or bending of the law of the land to help one's low friends in high places is how the system works.
 
HowardBThiname said:
This is a sticky wicket but I don't think a soundproof room is the answer.

When our officials conduct public business, the public should be aware. However, some things are not open to public scrutiny, such as the discussion of hired personnel and some types of acquisitions or discussions about opening up projects for bid. Recently, there have been many cases of phone calls or conversations being recorded, even when they were supposed to be off-the-record. This has led to concern in many quarters, not just the EPA, about how to protect private information of those people being discussed.

I'm not sure what the answer is, but this is not the first soundproof, bug-proof room to have been built.
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It's been reported that the same building has a SCIF a few floors away. What secrets can the Environmental Protection Agency. Skullduggery is afoot!
 
Rexedgar said:
It's been reported that the same building has a SCIF a few floors away.
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Yes, there already is a secure communications SCIF at EPA headquarters. But when you lay-off 3,500 employees, you're entitled to your own private phone booth perk.

Pruitt is simply helping fulfill his promise to destroy the Environmental Protection Agency, a promise bought and paid for by Big Oil/Gas/Coal.
 
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