European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Sam Skinner master of disasters by Don Phillips Washington Poste arly in his tenure As transportation Secretary. Samuel k Skinner called a meeting to discuss a major policy decision one of those sessions in which the stakes Are High and the hours sometimes Long arrayed around the table were Skinner s key aides along Wilh administrator Brian w Clymer of the Urban mass transit administration and his top aides the Subiel was sensitive the pending disabled americans act Skinner breezed into the room picked up Clymer s memo quickly leafed through it and. According to several participants said something like. You re right or. Yeah. Of. Let s do the new Cabinet member flipped the memo Back to Clymer and walked out of the room leaving Stah aides holding All their carefully prepared but now unneeded arguments Sam Skinner does not waste time in hit year plus As the government s chief of planes and trains and autos. Skinner has become known As the administration s master of disasters he represented president Bush at the alaskan Oil spill at the California earthquake at the areas devastated by Hurricane Hugo he regularly pops in unannounced at Airport towers and aboard coast guard cutters i could Tell that Sam was a major said a Railroad lobbyist he goes to disasters the Way George Bush used to go to funerals " in a career that stretched from ism Salesman to lawyer to Federal prosecutor to Chicago transit official. Skinner amassed friends the Way some collect Stamps Illinois gov James m Thompson regularly baby sat the Skinner children Skinner was an Early Friend and supporter of Bush in Washington he has become close to vice president Dan Quayle and the two talk almost daily Skinner leaves a Trail of loyalty wherever he goes sex employees describe him As Quick study team player and occasionally Skinner s 1956 High school yearbook has this inscription always Happy never sad. Full of Pep and never bad " " the question Mark says As much As anything about Skinner s year in Washington Many people in Samuel Skinner steers the transportation department with a Quick decisiveness. Transportation and political circles ask what is he up to7 what does he really want7 will his Chicago Brand of politics fit Washington what will he do with the transportation department and will he stay there long9 As Skinner prepares to release his strategy to overhaul the nation s transportation system it is becoming Clear that in Chicago he left a clearly marked Road map for his policies As transportation Secretary and he has carefully of Lowed it in his first year in Washington. Most Skinner biographies Nole that he is an experienced Pilot and was the person in charge of Chicago s transit system As chairman of the regional transit authority. Skinner however was in charge of almost nothing in Chicago transit in 1985. Skinner became the first chairman of an rat Board that had been stripped of most of its Powers by the legislature following an Era of severe mismanagement and uncontrolled spending the turning Point came in 1981 when the rat levied Lour separate fare increases on the commuter rail system which then lost half its riders the legislature transferred most Power to three new boards Metra. Which operates commuter trains to outlying suburbs the cat. Which operates elevated trains subways and buses within Chicago and Pace the suburban bus system the rat was allowed to survive but Only As a financial oversight body Skinner assumed this part time largely powerless office Al a time when the three new boards were anxious to assert their authority and kick rat around. In Skinner however they laced someone with considerable political influence who could Call on the governor and the Republican legislative leadership Al any Lime if anyone else had been appointed head of rat. It would t have said rat executive director Theodore g Weigle or whom Skinner hired away from Washington s metro system in 1985 it s hard to Trump Sam Skinner. They knew they could t go too far off the reservation because they d have to Deal Wilh Sam. But Skinner did not use his clout with the governor at least not initially he tried another route the same route he is trying now Tor National problems a strategic plan for Chicago transportation Skinner was appalled to learn that Chicago s massive commuter system was t planning Lor the future " there in t a company in the country that does t have a strategic he said in an interview using his relatively meager budget. Skinner hired a consultant Michael Ferrare of Booz Allen & Hamilton Ferrare s Job was to inventory everything owned or used by the three systems and to Lake a look at what shape in was in. The results were devastating it was Sam Skinner and Mike Ferrare who pointed out that you have a lot of Bridges out there 70 years old Wilh a 75-year life said Christopher Knapton. An official with Metra and stripes bookstores stars and stripes bookstores a he Dan Cregg um1mjsoft dem lid. Peru for today s professional no i this latest edition of the no guide is an invaluable resource of new and important information in key areas of interest to cos and soon to be cos. Included in the no guide Are the role of the no making evaluation and management systems work for you the uniform code of military Justice pay and entitlements the uniform and How to Wear it the promotion system training programs the no education system the no development program physical fitness Courtesy etiquette customs and much More. Plus for the first time a 16-Page color Section of . Army and department of defense military decorations service medals and badges. Jujj practical comprehensive and up to Date the 3rd edition of the no � guide is available for $16.95 at a stars and stripes Bookstore near you. Stars and stripes bookstores stars and stripes bookstores 2o m / 8o m sunday february 25, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 17
