Plum Jobs Listed

THE DAILY FED

Plum Jobs Listed

The House Government Reform and Oversight Committee has released the 1996 edition of the "Plum Book," listing the most sought-after jobs in the upper ranks of the federal government.

The book, whose actual title is "United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions," lists over 8,000 jobs. It is available in its printed form from the Government Printing Office (call 202-512-1800). The House committee plans to post the book on its Web site in a few days. The Office of Personnel Management already has the jobs list, which it calls FederaLIST, on its site.

A report in the Washington Post indicates that the House committee and OPM are using the publication of the Plum Book to engage in a battle over exposing Democratic and Republican political appointees who have "burrowed in" to career jobs in the civil service. The House Committee included in the book a list of 50 political appointees converted to career positions during President Clinton's first term.

OPM countered by posting charts on its site detailing conversions of political appointees during the Reagan and Bush Administrations as well. OPM reported that 56 appointees gained career status during the Reagan Administration and 91 burrowed in during the Bush years. What's more, said OPM director James B. King, 10 of the 50 conversions during the Clinton years were actually Bush appointees.