May 7, 2003

U.C. hearing before House Energy and Commerce Committee

For anyone who has not yet viewed the May 1 Hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce here is the Web site: http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/05012003hearing912/hearing.htm

Our University of Californa President, Richard Atkinson, mentioned his deep disappointment with the Department of Energy's inability to forge a working partnership with UC over the past five years since Atkinson signed the contract with them.

One could say that Atkinson's hutzpah was refreshing, and one could admire the way he adeptly avoided being diverted into a useless conversation about DOE headquarters' failure in the area of UC partnering, which would require a million words -- especially since Congress has previously been presented with both the million words and the underpinning logic.

My hat's off to UC; the real class the UC panel showed in this hearing.

--Erica P. Cooper