154th Birthday of he National Weather Service

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Today is the 154th birthday of the National Weather Service. We wish to congratulate our colleagues for their many accomplishments. 

There are many, many, many, many federal organizations we don't need and some without which we would be better off. The National Weather Service (NWS) is the opposite. It is one of the few federal agencies that is essential to the welfare of the nation. 

About once a decade, someone will come up with the idea of privatizing the NWS. Doesn't work. 

Even ignoring the international treaties involved which must, by law, be handled by government, none of the privatization proposals seem to realize the NWS provides serves from American Samoa to the Virgin Islands and from Hawaii to the Arctic Circle of Alaska. All this with fewer than 2,500 meteorologists and 4,000 employees in total! I see no indication the private sector could do it better. 

The NWS is one of the few essential government agencies. Happy Birthday, National Weather Service!

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