Last night, CBS news ran a piece in their "reality check" series about
     the outrageous cost of federal history.  Some of their facts (which
     took 4 months! to gather):

     762 historians are on the payroll

     $48,200 is the average salary

     History projects (whatever they are) cost $37 million a year

     The National Park Service has 214 historians, the Dept of Defense has
     461

     This was all presented as a massive waste of federal funds - you the
     taxpayer are paying for this!!!!  A couple of boring histories were
     cited like an FAA one on airplane cockpit occupants.  NASA was
     presented as saving the govt money by hiring on contract.  Anyway, I
     found it annoying.  It's lucky their researchers weren't savvy enough
     to include all of the Museum, Archives and heritage site employees of
     the govt as well.  Anyone who wants to register their opinion with
     CBS: realitych...@cbsnews.com.

     Mike (whose opinions are his own...)

Michael Rhode, Chief Archivist                   202-782-2212
National Museum of Health & Medicine             FAX 202-782-3573
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology              rh...@email.afip.osd.mil
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington, DC 20306-6000