By Pat

June 22, 2007 12:25 PM | Link to this

NOAA was created in 1970, replacing ESSA, another parent organization that only pushes papers. They are using the fact that an coastal mapping mission was commissioned 200 years ago which sorta-kinda became a group that morphed into an agency that changed its name a few times and now is one tiny part of NOAA. They threw a 35th birthday party in 2005! Boy does time fly! It’s just a publicity stunt that is wasting are money…I know, I also work for the National Weather Service which has also had our Congressionally approved budgets reduced by NOAA to pay for this kind of nonsense. BTW, they just “fired” the current managment of NWS because they were unable to figure out a way to cut a lot of local forecasters jobs with new computers, saving money, allowing them to spend it on more NOAA advertising.

By Steven

June 22, 2007 12:30 AM | Link to this

Mr. Proenza is a director and as his title implies it is his job to make sure his employees have the tools they need to perform their job. It is not his job to sit and watch the radar scope (despite what his bosses would like). It is too damn bad if his bosses don’t want the boat rocked but they ought to listen to what he has to say. If Mr. Proenza’s bosses are too stupid, hard headed, or arogant to listen to him than I believe Mr. Proenza has the right to do whatever he needs to do to get his bosses off their sorry fat *sses. If another Katrina or Andrew type of storm hits Florida; you can bet the news media will be asking his bosses a lot of embarassing questions. Such as, why Mr. Proenza’s bosses felt it was more fiscally responsible to have a birthday party rather than to obtain / maintain the equipment needed to give the weather personnel and EM managers the information they needed to do their jobs. I just hope they don’t shoot the messenger.

By Rosie O" Donnell

June 21, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this

*Let me look into my crystal ball and tell you the future. Oh yes, we will have a Category 5 hurricane!!!!! It will huff and pull and blow your #ucking houses down!!!! Get real #ssholes!!!!*

By Rosie O" Donnell

June 21, 2007 11:09 AM | Link to this

*Let me look into my crystal ball and tell you the future. Oh yes, we will have a Category 5 hurricane!!!!! It will huff and pull and blow your #ucking houses down!!!! Get real #ssholes!!!!*

By Rosie O" Donnell

June 21, 2007 11:09 AM | Link to this

*Let me look into my crystal ball and tell you the future. Oh yes, we will have a Category 5 hurricane!!!!! It will huff and pull and blow your #ucking houses down!!!! Get real #ssholes!!!!*

By Rosie O" Donnell

June 21, 2007 11:09 AM | Link to this

*Let me look into my crystal ball and tell you the future. Oh yes, we will have a Category 5 hurricane!!!!! It will huff and pull and blow your #ucking houses down!!!! Get real #ssholes!!!!*

By Rosie O" Donnell

June 21, 2007 11:09 AM | Link to this

*Let me look into my crystal ball and tell you the future. Oh yes, we will have a Category 5 hurricane!!!!! It will huff and pull and blow your #ucking houses down!!!! Get real #ssholes!!!!*

By Jamie Powell

June 21, 2007 8:51 AM | Link to this

I think it’s deplorable that the agency charged with predicting hurricanes seems so distracted with finger pointing and so unable to focus on their real mission. Will NOAA be this years FEMA?

By Jamie Powell

June 21, 2007 8:51 AM | Link to this

I think it’s deplorable that the agency charged with predicting hurricanes seems so distracted with finger pointing and so unable to focus on their real mission. Will NOAA be this years FEMA?

By Mad Mike

June 21, 2007 7:34 AM | Link to this

——- MAYHEM = ANOTHER IDIOT

You’re right… I’ll read the KANSAS CITY STAR or maybe the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER to find out what’s going on in Palm Beach County

LMAO

By Bob

June 21, 2007 7:14 AM | Link to this

Two points: the desire of bosses to fete workers rather than address their concerns is in step with the business dictum, ” Abandon costly maintenance so their masters will see and reward their economy; and second, the actual failure of weather predicting ability rimes with the Regan approach: come down hard on complaining employees, no matter the validity of their concerns.

By Grandstanders they are.

June 20, 2007 6:06 PM | Link to this

THERE ARE A LOT OF PROENZA PUPPETS HERE!!!

HIS AGENCY IS GASPING LIKE A DEAD FISH ON THE DOCK FOR MORE TAX DOLLARS TO CREATE a new FEIFDOM…..REMEMBER THE LAST HURRicane they predicted last year…FLEW PLAINS INTO…….Predicted a CAT 3 or 4 and panicked most of you fools….well it did hit land and we did not get anything over a 15 mph gust and no rain at all….WELL WITH PREDICTING like that WE NEED MORE HARDWARE? We have enough now to now if one is coming …if it is not much we can do but leave…..and these idiots are spending 4 MILLION TAX DOLLARS on their BIRTHDAY PARTY>>>!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Susan

June 20, 2007 4:49 PM | Link to this

Mad Mike et, al,

Forgive my indiscetion in mentioning the Bush administration specifically…but they are in the driver’s seat at the moment. I would never presume to imagine that any administration we’ve ever had didn’t waste money in some way. However, my comments on particular kinds of waste remain valid. And so does my last sentence that states that our government needs to spend the tax dollars we give them addressing our needs and concerns. That’s really the bottom line. We can’t continue to leave people on their own for, in some cases, years with the kind of devastation that hurricanes cause.

By Doug

June 20, 2007 4:47 PM | Link to this

The truth usually pinches somebody!

By Doug

June 20, 2007 4:47 PM | Link to this

The truth usually pinches somebody!

By Mayhem

June 20, 2007 4:46 PM | Link to this

HEY MAD MIKE!!

WE KNOW HOW TO USE BOLD AND ITALICS TOO!!

And if you hate the Palm Beach Post so much, stop reading it. Even reading the website creates traffic, which in turn, increases the advertising dollars. So stop being such a hypocrite!!

By Mad Mike

June 20, 2007 4:05 PM | Link to this

—— HEY IDIOT SUSAN

BUSH??? BUSH?? BUSH???

THE CLINTONS NEVER WASTED MONEY???

IDIOT __

By Susan

June 20, 2007 3:53 PM | Link to this

First of all, consider that the federal government is loaded at the top with Bush administration appointees of sympathizers who are not generally known for their vast intelligence or their strict ethical attitudesl. They probably don’t know how to do anything but throw a $1.5 million celebration of their 200 years. Incidentally, I have no objection to celebrating 200 years as long as it doesn’t involve a new several thousand dollar logo…good for a year…and a complete revision of all stationery products…which it probably does. That kind of thing should definitely be discouraged in my opinion. Having said that, it wasn’t too politick of the new head of NOAA to go at his superiors right out of the gate and publicly at that! That doesn’t usually garner you lots of support. And having made both those notes…this country’s government needs to spend WAY more time addressing the needs of its citizens on nearly every front.

By Sara`

June 20, 2007 3:50 PM | Link to this

Above all after living through 3 hurricanes in Florida 2 years ago (POLK County) I feel we need honesty form the agency who is given the job of forecasting. If we need more spent on research, then as tax paying citizens in the direct line of danger, we need to know that. We need to stand behind our main man as he should know what he is talking about. Good for you Mr. Proenza

By Mad Mike

June 20, 2007 3:42 PM | Link to this

——— *GRANDSTANDING????

WANTING TO SPEND MONEY ON HARDWARE INSTEAD OF PARTIES IS GRANDSTANDING???

ONLY THE PB POST WOULD CALL IT GRANDSTANDING

___

By Phillip Love

June 20, 2007 3:40 PM | Link to this

I have family and friends who live in Florida, if there is a way that more live can be saved; you bet your last money less time partying and more time in front of the radar screens. Party on your off time….

By raspalena

June 20, 2007 3:36 PM | Link to this

I can believe there are so many morons here. We are always whining and complaining about tax money spent foolishly and when a person ask for stopping this nonsense some people cook him. To all this morons, read a little bit about climate and stop talking garbage.

By Jeff

June 20, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

Here we go again,

Another moron trying to play God and predict the future. Stick with reality. Hey Douchebag, the funny farm is waiting for you!!!!

By Jeff

June 20, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

Here we go again,

Another moron trying to play God and predict the future. Stick with reality. Hey Douchebag, the funny farm is waiting for you!!!!

By Jeff

June 20, 2007 3:24 PM | Link to this

Here we go again,

Another moron trying to play God and predict the future. Stick with reality. Hey Douchebag, the funny farm is waiting for you!!!!

By Ron

June 20, 2007 2:43 PM | Link to this

Hey Michael Cohen, You are kidding us, right? Next you’re going to tell us that global warming is man made. Put your tinfoil hat back on and get back to the asylum. They’re looking for you.

By Cooked!

June 20, 2007 2:34 PM | Link to this

Great idea!!! Looking at the referenced article, all we need is an array of solar powered satellites beaming down a stream of microwaves to heat the entire hurricane to change it’s course. Gee, I know nothing ever goes wrong with satellites… Ooops, we just cooked Fort Lauderdale — sorry about that…

By Just when you think the coast is clear

June 20, 2007 1:35 PM | Link to this

Another fool comes up with proof that the government controls hurricanes, and backs it up with another crackpot’s theory…well he read it on Google, so it must be true! I’ll bet you still believe in the tooth fairy!! Have you seen the easter bunny lately?

By Michael Cohen

June 20, 2007 1:22 PM | Link to this

The real issue is that hurricanes can be controlled and have been controlled in the past. Today, however, the government lies to us and tell us that such technology does not exist. See the folloiwng sites on google: Controlling Hurricanes, Operation Cirrus, Operation Stormfury, Operatioin Popeye. The government spent hundreds of millions developiong the technology to control storms and make rain, but they do not want to admit that today. Read the folloing article carefully: CONTROLLING HURRICANES in the Oct. 2002 edition of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN where a NASA scientist describes three different methods in controlling these storms. Sincxe the article was published over two years ago our government has refused to approprate one cent to impliment this technology (see Congrolling Hurricanes on google). If you live in Florida and are angry about hurricanes, contact our two senators and your representative and demand that hurricanes be controlled.

By Alaqua07

June 20, 2007 1:15 PM | Link to this

Bravo to Mr. Proenza! It appears to this reader that he has the best interest of the public as his modus operandi. Maybe it’s time for his paper-pushing superiors to get booted upstairs. Isn’t that always what they do in the government? Promote someone “up” to get rid of them? This is why the public suffers and our tax dollars appear transparent. There are some excellent public servants, but Mr. Proenza’s management doesn’t appear to be members of that club. Note to Mr. Proenza: Sir, please remember that management HATES a whistle blower! You have my respect & regards, Sarah K.

By He is NOT Grandstanding

June 20, 2007 1:09 PM | Link to this

To the fool that thinks Proenza is grandstanding, why don’t you provide some evidence to support your idiotic comments. You have no clue what you are talking about!! I, on the otherhand, work for the National Weather Service and know the truth! You are obviously disgruntled about your government and mis-direct your anger at wrong messenger. You should have listened to your parents when they told you if you had nothing nice to say ~ then you should not say anything at all!!

By Louie

June 20, 2007 12:50 PM | Link to this

In regards to the amount NOAA will spend on it’s Anniversary——

A NOAA spokesman said the agency was spending only $1.5 million over two years. ——————-

What can you say ? It’s only $1.5 Mil.

That’s just how they all think about spending our tax money. Spend it all, waste most of it, like there’s no tomorrow.

Can anyone imagine the amount of waste in the Federal Gov’t ? It must be staggering.

By Its better for us to be prepared

June 20, 2007 12:05 PM | Link to this

Yeah, Hurricanes just come and go. It’s better that we should ensure our safety. We should provide a checklist to be prepared in any situations of a hurricane.

Here’s a checklist and things that we need to prepare: Click Here.

By bruce

June 20, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this

To Grandstanding, NOAA is a government agency and does not profit from grandstanding or scare tactics. As a boater I depend on NOAA for much more than hurricane forcats and feel that it is one government agency that does not need its budget cut or money spent on any parties at all. They need the latest equiptment to be able to give us the best weather forcasts possible. Please don’t confuse NOAA with your local weather channel forcasters who couldn’t predict the current weather if they stuck their head outside at the time. Keep up the good work Mr. Proenza and thankyou for vigilance.

By Mike

June 20, 2007 10:15 AM | Link to this

No, I do not believe he is grandstanding. He sees the imminent failure of a key tool for hurricane prediction and no one above him appears to be doing anything about it. I join Senator Nelson in praising Mr. Proenza.

By Yes he is Grandstanding

June 20, 2007 9:54 AM | Link to this

Yes. He is just grandstanding. The Hurricanes ment huge business for these people based on ELEVATED FEAR….they want to keep the party going….The real truth is hurricanes come and go…so what if they predict them coming or not? It does not make a huge difference and they are usually wrong……we don’t need millions more to improve on the disaster prediction programs in place now…….just evacuate and do the best you can and rebuild.