New Firms of the 90?EUR??,,????'???s

Dear LASN: I?EUR??,,????'???m one of the new firms of the?EUR??,,????'??90?EUR??,,????'???s, working out of a bedroom, making 1/10 of my salary of 3 yrs. ago, unemployable after 25 yrs. of 60-80 hr. wks. of excellence, local firms only hire entry-level, unregistered ?EUR??,,????'??kids.?EUR??,,????'?? For the past 3 yrs., ASLA has only sent me cancellation notices, and to hasten my demise, cut me from product mailings. I am not aware of a single program of ?EUR??,,????'??hints?EUR??,,????'?? on how I am to survive this catastrophic event (from ASLA). P.S. Thank you for adding me back to your mailing list. Florida.

Where Have all the LA?EUR??,,????'???s Gone?

Dear LASN: Where have all the LA?EUR??,,????'???s gone? Good question. We are out here working. The only LA?EUR??,,????'???s with any incentive to write or attend conferences are the academics. My clients don?EUR??,,????'???t read LAM. When I recently dropped my subscription (I have never belonged to ASLA), I suggested that they hire a non-academic reporter (& photographer) to write about real LA, not the PC, EL pipe dreams of non-practitioners padding their publications lists. Paul Deering, Sacramento, CA.

Dear LASN: I have to agree that the March ?EUR??,,????'??94 cover of LA mag. was in poor judgment by the editor! However, the theme was a good one and the practitioner?EUR??,,????'???s profiles good as well. My beef is that the focus of the magazine on the profession, as-a-whole, consistently leaves the reader with the impression that Landscape Architects reside in either the NE or S.W. USA!!! Southeast, especially Florida, is virtually ignored both in the Spotlight an continuing education seminar circuit. Florida has a quarterly mag. Is regionalism in our profession a matter of politics, ego and short-sightedness? By the way, I?EUR??,,????'???m a one-man firm totally ?EUR??,,????'??90?EUR??,,????'???s. . .all CADD! Thomas M. Caruso, Miami, FL.

Dear LASN: ?EUR??,,????'??Don?EUR??,,????'???t judge talent by the office one keeps,?EUR??,,????'?? your critical editorial on the cover of LAM may be unfounded. The recent economic downturn closed many avenues to employment in high-profile firms. Meanwhile, talented and thrifty LAs are opening their own practices, many on a shoestring budget. The recent proliferation of new sole proprietorships shows a new vitality in our profession and, hopefully, and economic upturn. David Driopsa, Naples, FL.

Dear LASN: Your editorial in March 1994 issue was right on target. Being from a small city in East Texas, I was receiving nothing except a magazine from my ASLA membership. Congrat?EUR??,,????'???s on your new addition. Kerwin Smith, Lufkin, TX.

Dear LASN: Your comments in March ?EUR??,,????'??94 LASN are in many respects too kind! Why is it ASLA appears to be in a perpetual ?EUR??,,????'??stagnant funk??EUR??,,????'?? Why are the Chapters always so ineffective in professional leadership? Why does there never seem to [be] an achievable goal, well-defined and enthusiastically supported? Why does the membership always feel like they exist for the benefit of the staff within the infamous beltway? Why don?EUR??,,????'???t we know what the membership wants? Remember, the last dues increase was for membership services!!! Shouldn?EUR??,,????'???t the Chapters be the source of the Society?EUR??,,????'???s strength? Do you know the plans for the ASLA reorganization???? Don Godi, Denver, CO.

Dear LASN: Your editorial on ?EUR??,,????'??Where have all the LA?EUR??,,????'???s gone??EUR??,,????'?? is very accurate to what is happening to ASLA. Both my husband and I are Landscape Architects, and we question why we are members because there are no benefits. It seems that with society?EUR??,,????'???s heightened awareness of environmental issues, the ASLA would seize the opportunity to have people become more aware of our profession. As usual, they have missed the boat. Carolstream, IL.

Dear LASN: Congratulations to George Schmok for having the guts to finally expose The ASLA for what it really is–an elitist collection of conceited back-patters who do absolutely nothing for the struggling, hardworking grassroots Landscape Architects except give useless lip service and whine about how those in the Design-Build Sector are taking food out of their deserving mouths. Just who in hell do these people think they are? The sooner they wake up and smell the coffee of reality, the better off we?EUR??,,????'???ll all be. Thank God I never gave these people a dime in my 17 year professional career! Duane Bungo, Houston, TX.

Dear LASN: A good editorial–at last, honesty! I am and have been a registered LA (in NC) for 20 yrs. I have tried the ASLA - twice. I used to attend at least one meeting every five years to ?EUR??,,????'??see where the profession was.?EUR??,,????'?? It?EUR??,,????'???s never caught up to me. Basically, the ASLA is, in my eyes, a bunch of corporate, hatchet ?EUR??,,????'??suits?EUR??,,????'?? interested only in $. The A.I.A. is ahead of us in the Green Movement. Get with it! And eliminate the B-O-R-I-N-G from the meetings and people will come back. Will Hooker, NC.

Dear LASN: As one of the first registered LA?EUR??,,????'???s in N.Y., I felt belonging to the ASLA was something I?EUR??,,????'???d enjoy and that I could help further a rather unknown profession. After attending meetings for several years, which were akin to a wake, I decided that the subscription to LAM wasn?EUR??,,????'???t worth it. Alfred W. Manfre, Westbury, NY.

Dear LASN: Your ?EUR??,,????'??publisher?EUR??,,????'???s statement?EUR??,,????'?? was uplifting and timely. These are truly times of CHANGE and most of us are glad they are, as we certainly need change in order to grow as a profession, and as a society. I applaud your efforts & fully support the new IRLA. Steve Galliano, Atlanta, GA.

Dear LASN: Your commentary ?EUR??,,????'??Where have all the LA?EUR??,,????'???s gone?EUR??,,????'?? is right on. I only belong to the ASLA to support the profession. $200.00 is an expensive mag. subscription. And the mag is mostly good for advertisements. If there was an alternative, I would jump to a new organization with no further thought. Your mag. is much better than the ASLA gloss advertisement mag. P.S. $200 is a lot of money to me and every time I pay my dues, I have to re-evaluate if membership is worth a $200 magazine subscription. Wenatchee, WA.

Dear LASN: Your March ?EUR??,,????'??94 editorial. . .as a member of ASLA & a registered LA, I couldn?EUR??,,????'???t have said it better! Thanks for the courage to say it! R. Mardis, Saint Louis, MO.

Dear LASN: Good editorial in March 1994 issue. All I?EUR??,,????'???ve heard from the ASLA the last 10 years or so is how important it is to jump on the bandwagon in support of whatever the latest popular liberal cause is–from the homeless to wetlands to ozone–even an award to Al Gore for a book that is based on nothing specifically substantiated. Bill Dempsey, Savannah, GA.

Dear LASN: Your solution to the woes of LA & ASLA are addressing the symptoms rather than the problem. While registration promotes professionalism, it also results in a narrow emphasis on services offered. To me, the profession has not been able to clearly define itself and fill niches that are desired and needed by the greater public. Professionalism isn?EUR??,,????'???t worth much if such services aren?EUR??,,????'???t deemed necessary or important to the majority of the public. ASLA is searching and just lately made efforts to re-establish its ties with public practice LA?EUR??,,????'???s, but it seems to have an overriding compulsion to emulate AIA–which could care less about ASLA. Benefits from the high dues of the Society are not apparent to its members. I believe we need to take a fresh look at what we want to accomplish that would be needed & welcomed by the greater public. It may not be what we?EUR??,,????'???ve studied in school. I work for a federal land management agency that is going through a lot of adjustments and self-examinations on how to adapt to a new world. The LAs in my agency are very broadly based in their application of their skills. I expect that to continue out of the need of survival&It is also very fulfilling. I happen to be registered in Arizona but work in California. Thanks for the opportunity to comment. Gary E. Brogan, San Francisco, CA.

From the Publisher: We thank all of you for the terrific response. As a matter of fact, there were so many letters well have to continue this column next month. No. . .you are not alone! Keep those cards and letters coming.