BUSH Administration tries to muzzle Nation Hurricane Center chief

[kpete]

HURRICANE SEASON
Candid storm chief gets a lashing
Superiors in the National Weather Service chastised the new director of the National Hurricane Center for his comments about a failing satellite and the NOAA's spending priorities.

BY MARTIN MERZER
[e-mail]

C.M. GUERRERO/EL NUEVO HERALD
Bill Proenza, director of the National Hurricane Center, in under fire for criticizing his supervisors at the National Hurricane Center.

The new director of the National Hurricane Center, an outspoken critic of his superiors since he took over in January, charged Friday night that they are trying to muzzle him and could be setting him up for termination.

Bill Proenza said the acting director of the National Weather Service, Mary Glackin, visited his office in West Miami-Dade Friday and handed him a three-page letter of reprimand.

''I don't think they can pull the rug out from under me right now,'' Proenza said, ``but there is no question they are trying to muzzle me.''

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Proenza said that on April 13, he was told by Louis Uccellini, a high-ranking weather service official: ``You better stop these QuikScat (and other) complaints. I'm warning you. You have NOAA, DOC (the U.S. Department of Commerce) and the White House pissed off.''

http://www.miamiherald.com/548/story/141782.html