[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 99 (Tuesday, July 26, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         TRIBUTE TO JIM LASTON

                                 ______


                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 26, 1994

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, Jim Easton has worked on my Washington staff 
for a little over 2\1/2\ years and is now leaving to return to the 
private sector. This is a tremendous loss to me and my staff, but more 
importantly, to the Federal Government.
  Jim has specialized in the work of the Public Buildings and Grounds 
Subcommittee of the Public Works and Transportation Committee. One man 
remarked to me a few days ago, about Jim, that ``no one knows the 
Federal Building Program better.'' He went about his work with an 
enthusiasm and dedication that is rarely seen in Government today.
  Jim and I became close friends more than 25 years ago. He worked two 
different times for my father. He and I served together for awhile in 
an Army Reserve unit at Fort Meade, MD. He has been a very big part of 
both mine and my father's lives, and I hope we have been a good part of 
his.
  I am very sorry that he is leaving my staff but I am happy that he 
has other and better opportunities. I know he will do well in whatever 
he does, and I wish him the very best in his new job in the 
construction industry.
  I was not the only one who admired and appreciated Jim's work here in 
Washington. Many others did as well, and as one example, I would like 
to call the attention of my colleagues and other readers of the Record 
to the following column by Richard Powelson, which ran in this past 
Sunday's Knoxville News-Sentinel.

           [From the Knoxville News-Sentinel, July 24, 1994]

                Duncan Losing Key Member of Fiscal Team

                         (By Richard Powelson)

       There are many tireless workhorses who help their bosses in 
     Congress accomplish worthwhile goals on legislation and make 
     wiser use of the taxpayers' money.
       But one of the most effective workhorses in the Tennessee 
     congressional delegation, Jim Easton of Rep. John Duncan 
     Jr.'s office, is returning to the construction industry in 
     Florida after 2\1/2\ years in Washington.
       The public usually only hears about staffers in Congress 
     when they become rich lobbyists. Easton is joining a 
     construction company with no federal contracts and no 
     contacts with Congress. He just likes the construction 
     industry, which he had to leave a couple of years ago when 
     business was way down.
       Despite what one thinks of his politics, Duncan is widely 
     viewed as a very hard worker in Washington and throughout his 
     East Tennessee district. In Easton, Duncan had what every 
     member wants but often can't find: an employee seasoned by 
     work in both the private and public sector, with good 
     commonsense instincts, seemingly tireless, often working 
     every day of the week; a staffer who is aggressive and 
     tough--but polite--in getting information and action.
       Easton has been something of an early warning radar unit 
     for Duncan in looking for ways to save the government money, 
     sort of a navigator in getting to actual savings, and then a 
     copilot with Duncan in trying to land cargo planes of money 
     in the U.S. Treasury's hangar before being shot down.
       Easton, unlike the many young, inexperienced staffers here, 
     came to Duncan's office well prepared. He formerly worked for 
     the late Rep. John Duncan Sr., was a county government 
     official in Florida, attended government management classes 
     at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, worked 
     for years winning commercial construction projects in 
     Florida, and is an officer in the Army Reserve who served in 
     Operation Desert Storm.
       With Duncan he used his private construction experience, a 
     frugal eye from past government work and a military tenacity 
     that produced an impressive win-loss record on government 
     projects.
       Among his and Duncan's wins: getting the House to cut $13.5 
     million from NASA's budget for deep space monitoring for 
     signs of alien life after decades of failed efforts; 
     pressuring the Los Angeles County transit agency to cut its 
     wasteful spending (the agency was building a federally 
     subsidized subway system); blocking a $178 million Secret 
     Service building plan until $75 million was shaved from its 
     budget; pressuring federal building officials to change plans 
     for an overly expensive, $708 million lease of new office 
     space in Atlanta, which later saved $265 million and 
     pressuring federal building officials to find space in a new 
     courthouse for all judicial agencies in Knoxville to avoid 
     nearly $300,000 a year in leasing costs.
       Most recently Easton's construction background helped him 
     find wasteful spending on plans for a $218 million federal 
     courthouse in Boston. Several newspapers publicized the waste 
     and the fact, learned by Easton, that Supreme Court nominee 
     Stephen Breyer was a top planner of the courthouse. During 
     his confirmation hearing, Breyer had to face embarrassing 
     questions from some senators about the Boston courthouse's 
     costs.
       Breyer's courthouse problems didn't derail his nomination, 
     but it served notice on other judges seeking promotions that 
     they'd better keep a closer eye on how they suggest spending 
     taxpayers' money.
       Duncan's office and U.S. taxpayers will sorely miss 
     Easton's work as a watchdog and a workhorse in Congress.

                          ____________________