NOAA In Hot Water Over Magician Motivational Speaker Request

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco

WASHINGTON — A federal agency needs illusionist David Copperfield to help escape from criticism over now-canceled plans to hire a speaker to train agency leaders using "magic tools."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is in hot water because on May 1 it posted a notice seeking a magician motivational speaker for a June leadership conference in suburban Maryland. The agency said presentations should include "physical energizers, magic tricks, puzzles, brain teasers, word games, humor and teambuilding exercises." It asked for the performer to create "a unique model of translating magic and principals of the psychology of magic, magic tools, techniques and experiences into a method of teaching leadership."

In an eight page bid solicitation, the agency in charge of weather, climate and oceans said it wanted to use the emotional intelligence techniques of a prominent Harvard professor who has written five books, but misspelled his name.

The posting came weeks after the General Services Administration was embroiled in a scandal involving a Las Vegas conference that cost nearly $1 million and included a mind reader.

Congressmen and senators called NOAA's plans frivolous and ridiculous. House Science Committee Chairman Ralph Hall, R-Tex., gave NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco a week to come up with an explanation and details about past spending on magicians and comedians.

Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., in a statement, said "this is a low point even by Washington's standards" and added that "the best magic that NOAA could perform would be to make this wasteful spending disappear."

His wish was granted.

After NOAA's notice was reported by Government Executive magazine, the agency canceled the magic gig. An agency spokesman said NOAA's top lawyer is looking into the plans. According to NOAA, the agency had planned to spend about $3,500 on the speaker about the "magic of change."

"No speakers have been hired or confirmed for this training session," NOAA spokesman Scott Smullen wrote in an email.

The advertisement for the magician sounded like they were trying to hire a specific person, said Steve Ellis, vice president for the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense. He said what makes NOAA's plans so surprising is that someone thought about hiring a magician after the GSA scandal raised people's awareness about silly conference spending.

"It gets filed under `What were they thinking'?" Ellis said. "It boggles the mind that somebody thought that this would pass the laugh test of the public."

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Online:

NOAA: www.noaa.gov

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Comments

[JackVandusen]

03:01 PM on 05/04/2012

the only reason Brown complained was because a Harvard professor had written about emotional intelligence.
he sure hates those educated Harvard pointy-heads.

[oopsiepoo]

10:48 AM on 05/04/2012

one of the first things pres. obama NEEDS TO DO after his reelection is start CLEANING OUT THE DEPARTMENT HEADS OF ALL THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. He's been made to look the fool because of these people, when he appointed them or not - START FROM SCRATCH, PRESIDENT OBAMA - FRESH START FOR YOU, AND A FRESH START FOR THESE AGENCIES. THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE.

[oldwolf49]

10:04 AM on 05/04/2012

Fire them all.

[Tribal Dancer]

09:18 AM on 05/04/2012

What's wrong with a little mind bending?

[Jake Stains]

09:02 AM on 05/04/2012

Yet another non-story from Huffington Post. So a agency wanted to hire a motivation speaker, I'm many agency hire many motivational speakers that are boring and useless, seems like NOAA just wanted to change it up. It was going to cost $3,500? Oooh, that's what, like the budget for the First Family's breakfast each morning?

[htimsr40]

08:46 AM on 05/04/2012

The requirements sound far too specific to be legitimate. Clearly they wanted to hire someone and wrote a list of specifications that they thought only one person could meet. Nothing wrong with hiring motivational speakers ... but there is something dramatically wrong with this type of phony bidding.

[jbon911647]

08:18 AM on 05/04/2012

Keep voting for big government and watch your earnings disappear.

[BBackSoon]

10:26 AM on 05/04/2012

Do you really think that smaller government would put anything extra in your pocket? Anything extra would be gobbled up by Big Business because they could and remember they don't have to pay you anything more, and they might even pay you less.

[gotch]

07:42 AM on 05/04/2012

Poof...brains gone!

[Alux]

04:48 AM on 05/04/2012

NOAA is already expert at magic tricks. It has made $40 million of fines it collected from fishermen disappear wtihout a trace.

Who cares, though. Jon Corzine made $1.6 billion disappear at MF Global and he is still on the streets and became Obama's top bundler!

[LeeCalif]

11:02 PM on 05/03/2012

Bush holdouts are still running NOAA.

[chadizzy]

01:16 AM on 05/04/2012

Everything is Bushs fault. I bet that stain Obama got eating lunch today was bushs fault too.

[LeeCalif]

10:29 AM on 05/04/2012

Blaming GWB would be like blaming Hitl er for the Holoc aust. Right, pilgrim?”

[mychoiceNV]

10:47 AM on 05/04/2012

But it is ok to blame President Obama for everything? Isn't that called "hypocritical?" When people blame all of politics for our mess then we might start getting somewhere. As the Beatles put it "Come together" people.

[ixzist]

10:54 PM on 05/03/2012

If they had posted it on April 1 instead of May 1, they could have laughed it off. As it is, kind of a wonky thing for a federal agency to pull.

[GoldwaterKid]

10:42 PM on 05/03/2012

Who knew, our government believes in "magic" for all the answers.

[Tom Rugg]

10:35 PM on 05/03/2012

So, as it turns out, there really is a culture problem with the federal government. They really don't think they work for us.

[David J Koch]

10:24 PM on 05/03/2012

They need a motivational speaker? If their over inflated paycheck isn't enough motivation, then the exits are clearly marked.

[Jake Stains]

09:09 AM on 05/04/2012

Their over inflated paycheck? Are you just saying this because you think all government workers are overpaid, without actually knowing what you are talking about? I know people who work at NOAA in Woods Hole, MA and they get paid next to nothing. They are in it for the science not the money. Most of them make just enough to live alright when they are not in the lab, which is most of the time. This idea that most government workers are overpaid is absurd. Teachers make far less than they should, as do (in my opinion) the scientists and staffers at NOAA, who help the local economy and fishing industry. Trust me, it is not the teachers, postal workers, and ocean researchers that got us into the mess we are in today.

[Dr JohnS]

10:08 PM on 05/03/2012

Just sounds like more of the same with democrats in office.

[Mitchell Horton]

10:32 PM on 05/03/2012

That's the main reason I get so mad at the rabid partisans, because they're both pretty obviously corrupt/inept. Just because the other side is wrong doesn't make your side right!

[Tom Rugg]

10:37 PM on 05/03/2012

If you really think that's the issue you are clueless - and more of the problem than you know.

[chadizzy]

01:17 AM on 05/04/2012

Well we are 16 trillion in debt and not one democrat ever says anything about it or has put forth a plan to help. So sad.