Garbage in Garbage Out

Howard University insiders’ Colored “Study” of Capitol Hill Color

I don’t get this one just as I do not get much of the garbage-in-garbage-out, better-perish-than-publish universally useless nonsense that is produced in the institutional asylums known as U.S. higher education.

 I would be interested in knowing a few things about the recently released Washington, D.C. Howard University/ Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies  researchers’ search particularly into applicants and qualifications.

H

ow many “minorities” or “colors” or members of “diverse” groups submitted applications for those U.S. House (or Senate) “top” staff positions?

Among those “minorities” or “colors” or members of “diverse” groups submitting applications, what were their pertinent qualifications and references?

For each “minority” or “color” or “diverse” group member submitting applications, credentials, and references, how many sat for interviews and fulfilled other pertinent requirements?

For each “minority” or “color” or “diverse” group member completing the review process, how many were hired? How many dropped out? How many were rejected and why?

If not hired, how many applicants made further application attempts?

B

oth houses of Congress have numerous people on the payroll— no doubt far more than they need! That’s a topic worthy of substantive study.

Another substantive topic for investigation might be how often and how much Congress pays off complainers in sexual harassment cases. The issue in both cases is Congressional waste of public funds, corruption, and abuse of office.

Now, how many government agencies or private foundations will provide funding for research of these issues? Howard University receives federal funding, as part of the U.S. annual budget appropriations; and the umbrella group is a nonprofit.

In my view, the Howard University/ Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies September 2018 released study “Racial Diversity among Top U.S. House Staff” is useless not only because it is too narrowly drawn but because congressional staff positions themselves are, as careers or career-builders, useless.

These positions are temporary and substantively lacking in opportunities for intellectual creativity and for individual public service contribution. I worked in Washington, on Capitol Hill, though not in the halls of Congress, for many years; and never once did I aspire to sycophantic, boot-licking, toxic propaganda-producing, transient positions.

G

arbage in Garbage out “Racial Diversity among Top U.S. House Staff” (further indicators)

Study Authors: Howard University Director of the Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center Dr. Elsie L Scott; Howard University recent graduate student Karra W. McCray; Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies President Spencer Overton; Joint Center Director of the Black Talent Initiative Don Bell [Umbrella group: Washington, D.C.-based Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies “a non-partisan, non-profit public policy organization.”]

Study Funders: Private foundation, established by Hewlett-Packard co-founder William Redington Hewlett and his wife Flora Lamson Hewlett, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (the Hewlett Foundation) with estimated assets of $9 billion; reportedly “one of the wealthiest grant makers in the United States.” (Hewlett-Packard funding through the Washington, D.C.-based Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, “a non-partisan, non-profit public policy organization.”

Study Input: “Congressional Black Associates, the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association, and the Senate Black Legislative Staff Caucus”

W

hen researchers determine results before investigating a topic—when they stack the deck, so to speak, with only those respondents whose point of view will serve their predetermined end—they become authors of corrupt or tainted scholarship, if it can be considered scholarship at all. 

Researchers who omit obvious questions pertinent to the area of study are guilty of self-serving disingenuousness, purposeful prejudice, intellectual dishonesty. They are not to be taken seriously.

Sources

Howard University Newsroom “New Report Finds Lack of Racial Diversity among Top Staff Positions in U.S. House of Representatives: Chilling Study Reveals the American Public is More Likely to Elect People of Color to the U.S. House than House Members are to Hire Top Staff of Color” Misha Cornelius September 12, 2018 https://newsroom.howard.edu/newsroom/static/8716/new-report-finds-lack-racial-diversity-among-top-staff-positions-us-house

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (PDF) “Racial Diversity among Top U.S. House Staff” September 2018, Elsie L.  Scott, PhD, Karra W. McCray, Donald Bell, Spencer Overton https://jointcenter.org/sites/default/files/Racial%20Diversity%20Among%20Top%20US%20House%20Staff%209-11-18%20245pm.pdf#page=1&zoom=auto,-13,49

U.S. Department of Education Programs: Howard University

Federal Funding Appropriations Recent years

FY 2016: •Howard University - $194,496,000; •Howard University Hospital - $27,325,000 = $221,821,000

FY 2015: •Howard University - $194,496,000 •Howard University Hospital - $27,325,000 = $221,821,000

FY 2014: •Howard University - $194,496,000 •Howard University Hospital - $27,325,000 = $221,821,000

FY 2013: •Howard University - $194,496,000 •Howard University Hospital - $27,325,000 = $221,821,000

FY 2012: •Howard University - $205,230,000 •Howard University Hospital - $28,834,000 =  $234,064,000

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/howard/funding.html

Wikipedia

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hewlett_Foundation

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