Remembering the Federal Workers and Others Who Perished
PHADA President Mark Gillett.
The thirtieth anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing is on April 19. As someone who has lived and worked in the community for 35 years, the anniversary is personal to me and many other Oklahomans. It also resonates with so many Americans because the event still represents the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in our nation’s history.
I will never forget April 19, 1995. One hundred and sixty-eight people lost their lives in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Office Building. Our housing authority office is just 2.5 miles from the site. Our Towers Senior Housing Development is just four blocks north of where the building stood. Scores of government employees from the FBI, Secret Service, ATF, and U.S. Marshals and other agencies were killed in the bombing and ensuing building collapse.
Oklahoma City Memorial.
Sadly, HUD was the federal agency that lost the most government workers with a total of 35 Department employees perishing that day. The Oklahoma City HA was then administered by my two predecessors, the late Jack Womack and his then-deputy, the late John Johnson. I was then serving as Resident Services Coordinator.
Womack opened the doors of our central office so the Oklahoma City Field Office staff had a work location. This act of kindness spawned a positive relationship between our two organizations, which is still seen today. We and many of our housing authority’s staff knew and worked closely with some of those dedicated HUD officials.
My colleagues and I still think of them often.
It was reported that the blast could be felt as far as fifty miles away. Nineteen children in the Murrah Building day care center were killed. The tragic photos of brave firefighters and rescue workers carrying lifeless children out of the wreckage saddens and horrify many of us to this very day.
President Bill Clinton came to Oklahoma City to help the nation mourn and honor the memory of those who died. Within just a few short years, the city erected a somber and fitting Memorial. I remember PHADA Executive Director Tim Kaiser came to my office for an event, and I suggested he visit the Memorial. Like so many others, he was deeply moved. I encourage future visitors to our city to see the Memorial firsthand.
The anniversary serves as a reminder of the bombing’s dramatic effect on our country and the need for us to reflect. I would like to especially honor the memory of the dedicated public servants at HUD.
Anniversary is a Useful Reminder
Federal employees have been in the news quite a bit recently. There is no question that the government could use some reorganization and reform. Still, the Murrah anniversary and some recent events reinforced my view how important it is to acknowledge the valuable services federal workers and programs provide to millions of Americans.
Understandably, we focus on possible changes at HUD, especially reports that the Department could potentially lose up to 50 percent of its staff. Some of us worry that such deep cuts will have an impact on our own capacity and ability to serve our residents effectively.
We rely on adequate capacity at HUD to make sure funds flow to our agencies without interruption. Similarly, we need capable HUD personnel in place to approve RAD and other transactions, not to mention ensuring that Information Technology functions are operating correctly. In short, good collaboration between HAs and the federal government is essential to serving millions of low-income families.
Of course, it is not just the federal workers that are important to our professional and personal lives. Millions of Americans rely on Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and other federal programs. At this time of year, many especially rely on the Internal Revenue Service to handle tax submissions and process refunds.
There will always be policy disagreements about the size and nature of the federal workforce and that debate should and will proceed. Still, let’s pause on this solemn occasion to remember those we lost 30 years ago, and acknowledge the many necessary contributions of today’s federal workers.