Saturday, January 14, 2017

The End of the Tracks For OBO's Casey Jones

Trouble ahead, trouble behind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind

-- The Grateful Dead



As the days tick down to January 20, my good friends in the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations become a little bit scarcer. Of course, Director Lydia Muniz will depart. So will Deputy Director Casey Jones, who came over from the General Services Administration a few years ago to start OBO's Design Excellence program.

Jones was initially detailed to OBO from GSA, and was later appointed a Deputy Director. I've always assumed he was a political appointee, but was never certain about that. Whatever his employment status, Jones will now resign "to pursue opportunities in the private sector," as was announced yesterday in Architect Magazine.
“We had set a goal of restructuring the way in which our embassies were designed so that they better reflect the best of America and we had some great progress in that area,” Jones says. “We’ve really elevated the quality of our embassies while keeping them on the same schedule and budget, and we have a great management team in place, so I sort of fulfilled my mission.”

What? He said his Excellence program elevated the quality of new embassy construction projects while keeping them on the same schedule and budget? The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee disagrees about that, rather vehemently. But, the criticism of Congress will cease to bother Jones after the 20th of January. 

Although Architect Magazine identified Jones as merely the Director of Design Excellence at OBO, according to his official bio, Jones was responsible for much more than that: "Casey Jones is Deputy Director of the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations (OBO) at the U. S. Department of State where he oversees the Program Development, Coordination and Support and Construction, Facilities and Security Management Directorates." That portfolio sounds kind of sweeping, starting with design development and ending with construction management, with security in between.

To an outside observer such as myself it seems that Jones took on a range and level of responsibilities for which his background as, basically, a design consultant, left him ill-equipped. That kind of guy always bugs me. You know, the kind who knows all about how to do a job that he has never actually done himself? If Jones was ever the architect of record or project manager of anything at all, I'll happily stand corrected.

I wish Jones all the best in those private sector pursuits. Meanwhile, for the friends he leaves behind in OBO, there will be trouble ahead as they drive on into the next era of new embassy program management, one in which we Make Embassies Great Again.
 

35 comments:

James said...

Perhaps Mr. Jones needed a red bandana?
https://youtu.be/GamlzZDFuG4

TSB said...

James: Yeah, Mr. Jones does seem like the kind who would try to sell something he hadn't caught yet. BTW, on Jerry Clower, I heard him on the radio late one night giving a lesson on American foreign policy. It was the story called "The Brahma Bull" (?) and it ended with "I just want to make sure he knows I'M a bull!" It explains many an anti-U.S. riot overseas.

Anonymous said...

TSB: James; As Max Keiser likes to say: "In today's America, anything goes and nothing matters." And as the outgoing CIA director likes to say: "Trump better watch what he says about the Russians!"

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-15/scathing-attack-cia-director-brennan-warns-trump-watch-what-he-says gwb

Bye the way, The Clinton Global Initiative is no more and the Clinton Foundation is probably soon to follow as most of their 1100 donors are pulling out.

James said...

Oh that's one of my favorites. Here's another on US foreign policy and unintended consequences:
https://youtu.be/B5_U_wrYduE

Anonymous said...

TSB: You can't make this stuff up!! "BUILD EM HERE BMW OR PAY BIG IMPORT TAX! SCRAP NATO!" gwb

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-15/stunning-pair-interviews-trump-slams-nato-and-eu-threatens-bmw-tax-ready-cut-ties-me

Anonymous said...

TSB: Re: http://nationalinterest.org/feature/resisting-americas-unstoppable-urge-do-something-19024?page=3&platform=hootsuite

It is very timely that Barnum & Brothers announced today they are going out of business after 122 years. They tried to hang on after cutting out the elephants but without that attendance really fell off sharply.

Americans have a new form of entertainment that has swept the old political class aside and it's led by the Best Salesman to come along since Franklin D Roosevelt. It's called "Not politically correct" "drain the swamp" "bring back jobs" "trade" "education" and stuff that nobody has talked about but now they have to. Boycotting it isn't going to stop it and it's going to be 'bloody entertaining' as the Brits say. gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: "FBI CHIEF CALLS MARTIN LUTHER KING THE MOST NOTORIOUS LIAR IN THE COUNTRY"

Now days it's either Hillary or Trump depending on who you listen to. gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: Good News! Max Keiser says the Democratic Party is dead, but Obama is trying to revive the liberal media through the National Defense Authorization Act which authorizes propaganda supported by taxpayer funds. (fake news) as of 12/23/16. As a result, Max Keiser plans to run for congress as a (D) from the 10th district of North Carolina. This is going to be fun! The first move from the financial sector to help Trump "Drain the Corporate Swamp" ...Move over Bernie! gwb
Max Keiser: 'Wolf Blitzer should blow his brains out live on CNN'
https://youtu.be/arBnCGTBK4c

Anonymous said...

TSB: Florida airport shooter says he did it for ISIS after plotting in ISIS chat rooms. He was thought to have mental health problems by the military (---) and: And let me guess ... it will turn out that the FBI had "previous" contact with this person
1980XLS Arkadaba Jan 17, 2017 3:53 PM
Yes they did. In fact they once took his gun away from him. And then gave it back.

So the FBI scores a big intel fail once again?? AND NO SENATORS ARE BOYCOTTING THE INAUGURATION?? The education secy hearing was very interesting with all the dems only getting to ask one question!! Pretty funny, given that that's all they gave Obama's nominees.
gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: The plot thickens!! gwb
EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP OPERATIVE ROGER STONE SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Doctors suspect longtime political adviser poisoned with radioactive substance used to murder spies
Infowars.com - JANUARY 17, 2017

Anonymous said...

TSB: Interesting listening to C-Span callers on Chelsea Manning commutation. The answer all depends on whether you like or dislike Obama, Manning, Gays etc. My question was always "What would constitute a war crime or an un-lawful order in the Army in 2009 or 2010!

The answer is NOTHING and Nothing! The ability to divide and rule the country by our un-elected leaders is still complete. gwb
Wikileaks changed a lot in that now many realize you will never get the truth from an authoritarian government even though most Americans prefer authoritarians to the truth.



Anonymous said...

TSB: In an epic final speech, Joe Biden warns that the progressive democratic world order is at risk of collapse!

It turns out that keeping the world from going to hell is simple: WE NEED TO STOP PUTIN! It's All for One and One for All! All Aboard!! Stuff like that. gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-18/clinton-family-friend-charged-after-threatening-kill-donald-trump-twitter

I know how this poor guy feels. I put some cash behind Bernie and it ended up supporting the Clintons. All these years of betting on a sure thing and 'POOF'. It's just not fair. gwb

Anonymous said...

Establishment outraged as Rep. Tulsi Gabbard goes to Syria on fact-finding mission
Published time: 19 Jan, 2017 17:58
According to Foreign Policy Magazine: (snip)
A veteran of the Iraq War and major in the Hawaii National Guard, Gabbard “has long been committed to peace and ending counterproductive, interventionist wars,” her spokesperson Emily Latimer said in a statement Wednesday.

Gabbard has been a vocal critic of outgoing President Barack Obama’s policy of demanding the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad and blaming his government for the bloody war with Islamist rebels. gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: The Supreme Court Justice presiding over the biggest corruption scandal in Brazil history has suffered an unfortunate "ACCIDENT" and a new judge will have to be appointed ... that's right... by President Temer, the main target of the investigation. gwb

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-19/brazil-justice-presiding-over-carwash-corruption-scandal-among-passengers-crashed-je

Anonymous said...

TSB: Russia Invites Incoming Trump Administration To Syria Peace Talks After Snubbing Obama: I didn't read this article because I'm a doctor and I don't even understand Trump's HHS nominee but I wonder if Telsey Gabbard might be the Trump representative at the peace talks since no one has been confirmed by the Senate? Plus she's a 'babe', veteran, "D" and the democrats hate her! gwb

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-19/after-snubbing-obama-russia-invites-incoming-trump-administration-syria-peace-talks

Anonymous said...

TSB: Pepe reporting from Bali on how the Trump Presidency will start out: "A series of unpredictable cliffhangers." gwb
https://sputniknews.com/columnists/201701191049765550-how-trump-presidency-will-play-out/

Anonymous said...

TSB: "ESTABLISHMENT" only 1 person mentioned it today. President Trump! And he only said it once. My favorite part of the day. gwb

James said...

Shameless? Why yes, yes I am. The Left's reaction to the advent of Trump:
https://youtu.be/cHWs3c3YNs4

TSB said...

James: Both here and abroad, the people who are used to being in charge are still baffled by The Trumpening and the Brexit. They had many sessions on it at the Davos Conference, including one hosted by the Washington Post (owned by Amazon's CEO) on the eve of Trump's inauguration, which Carl Bildt, the former Swedish PM and UN big-shot, said felt like The Last Supper.

Once they pick themselves up off the floor, they ought to be able to figure out that Populism is, well, popular.

James said...

Yeah Skep. I do think some very very big changes are starting and have been occurring. The ones in charge have been used to having the narrative their way and the money to pay off or intimidate opposition. Now the press has burned their own credibility to the ground and the only way to get more money is through increasingly tyrannical means which only fuels more opposition. I really don't know what's going to happen but there will be changes. It seems to me to be like the late 1400's (I'm not that old) just before the reformation broke out in a major league fashion.

Anonymous said...

TSB: Ironically, Hillary could possibly cure her involuntary movement disorder if she weren't against it on political grounds. gwb
Stunning: Parkinson's Sufferer Takes Medical Marijuana For First Time!
https://youtu.be/ua7WJPyIR6A

Based on animal studies done at UC Berkeley

Anonymous said...

TSB: Here's some 'Real News': https://www.rt.com/usa/374754-us-leave-united-nations-bill/

“The President shall terminate all membership by the United States in the United Nations in any organ, specialized agency, commission, or other formally affiliated body of the United Nations...The United States Mission to the United Nations is closed. Any remaining functions of such office shall not be carried out,”according to the text of HR 193.

It has already passed the house Foreign Affairs Committee. gwb




Anonymous said...

TSB: Here is your most unbelievable headline of the week: Iceland in shock as young woman murdered! 2 fishermen in custody.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_ICELAND_MURDER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-01-25-08-58-28

This is more unusual than Hillary opening her mouth without lying or the last time there were no gang related murders in Chicago. And didn't Bernie already settle that question of rigging elections in Hillary's favor? Remember the elderly CA couple who had 84 fake ballots delivered to their door all with hispanic names and the busing illegals in NYC?? I myself voted 10 times for Bernie!! (And I'm dead!) gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: Oops!! Everything is bigger in Texas! Including Tornado Flying Bathtub Stories. gwb

A woman flew through a tornado in a bathtub and survived. (and 61 years old too!)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2017/01/24/a-woman-flew-through-a-tornado-in-a-bathtub-and-survived/?utm_term=.f4863fadf924

TSB said...

GWB: Iceland must be doing something right, this rare murder aside. Could they advise Chicago?

Anonymous said...

TSB: I think Trump is advising Chicago better by offering to provide some federal firearm prosecutions and withold funds. gwb (Out here Patty Murray and Ron Wyden call that divisive.)

Anonymous said...

TSB: Joe Biden NOW reveals that he was afraid he would have to sell his home in Delaware to pay for his son's cancer treatment but Obama offered to pay it for him. That's how out of control Obamacare had become!! gwb

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/11/politics/joe-biden-barack-obama-financial-help/index.html

Anonymous said...

TSB: Big shakeup at Foggy Bottom! gwb

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-26/entire-senior-management-team-state-department-just-resigned

(Does that include the propaganda department? fake news?)

Anonymous said...

You forgot to mention Casey Jones doesn't have his architect license because he could never pass the test!!!!

TSB said...

Anonymous,

Thanks for your comment. I'd heard that about Jones, but discounted it. As they say, those who can, do, and those who can't, consult.

TSB said...

GWB: That wasn't much of a shake-up, really. All Presidential appointees resign at the end of an administration. These ones didn't resign in protest, or quit, but that's what the WaPo tried to make it sound like. Only one was a political appointee (Lydia Muniz of OBO), the rest were professional staff with Presidential appointments. Unless they choose to retire, they aren't even leaving the State Department. In fact, I predict one of them may move up to an Assistant Secretary position.

Anonymous said...

TSB: I'm eagerly awaiting the Rick Perry Energy Secretary confirmation hearings. Rick has a degree in animal husbandry but doesn't seem to know anything about nuclear stuff. I don't know much about nuclear stuff either but at least I'm smart enough not to think I could work at the Energy Department. I predict he will be replaced before any weapons negotiations take place. gwb

Waller Yoblonsky Blogspot said...

Thanks for you Blog post. I was wondering what happened to Casey Jones.

TSB said...

Thanks for your comment. The last I heard, Casey is consulting for companies seeking GSA awards. Maybe someday he'll do the same for OBO's design contractors, however, I don't think he has much influence with the friends he left behind there.