Return to Article: Fedblog
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9358
I am shocked, shocked that airmen would say inappropriate things on an instant message service. The next thing you know they'll be doing inappropriate things at parties.
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9344
If GovExec is tired of "waste and abuse" stories, why the top story on wasteful spending at TSA? That's a "gotcha" report by the IG, who wants to get in the press. Seems to me that TSA not being able to screen out weapons is more important than giving their workers silk plants and treadmills.
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9341
Ooh--the dreaded "dubious" rebuttal. Shoop really has skewered that poor Carolina editorial writer this time!
While I appreciate Shoop's admitting his bias, I have to say that the probable reason government corruption is in the news a lot is because it should be--there's a lot of it, nearly all outside the control of most taxpayers, and it therefore poses a societal risk which merits news coverage.
Can't help commenting on the poor guy below who accuses Bush of lying. How come lying is so terrible now? I heard for 8 long years that it was just fine. Come back after the Democrats have had somebody credible in office. Until then, you have no business accusing anybody of lies.
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9327
I would point out that an explantion could be the apparant biased reporting on the part of the "major" media. I for one very rarely read major newspapers or watch the "Big Three" on TV.
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9324
I dislike the President, his administration, his policies and especially what he's managed not to do in 5 years. We were better off 5 years ago, but then, to each their own, see ya on the street.
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9323
"Newspapers and Government, Sittin' in a Tree... " Many readers are frustrated with the print media for what often seems to be one sided reporting. But, I think it's more because of laziness in the news media than anything. It's easy to just reprint what the government releases, but the news media has a responsibility to ask questions and report the negative consequences of government actions as well as what the government has to say.
A publication like GovExec that publishes news about what goes on in government also needs to ask questions and report about serious problems. Government executives are often way out of touch with what goes with personnel, both skilled and unskilled. The higher up the executive is in their management tower, the more likely it is that they can't see that the foundation is crumbling. Some investigative reporting ultimately help executives avoid embarrassing if not career altering consequences.
Civil service is becoming very unpopular with skilled laborers. Bureaucracy is worse than ever and federal employees feel uncomfortable about their jobs. Even the general public is loosing faith in the federal government. The problems with bad managers and unsafe workplace conditions are not being reported to the higher executives because bosses look out for their own. What will have to happen before the "Executives" realize that their agencies no longer function and they are responsible?
Government executives need to know about the pain and suffering that the federal government needlessly causes. They need to that soldiers are dying because of management incompetence. They need to be made aware that some federal agencies flat out lie about their productivity.
The bubble will burst eventually.
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9306
Art,
I do like the President but, IMHO, he's wrong on that one. Nobody's right every time. I'll still take his policies over the "let's see if the Useless Nations will give us permission" crowd.
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9284
Skeptical, and all other Bush-lovers, please rise to the defense of a President who:
1) Learns about his administration's new Canada-Mexico passport plan, developed after months of negotiations with State, DHS, and the WHITE HOUSE, from the newspaper. AND
2) Promptly trashes the plan. Funny, Maura Harty and DHS were worried about terrorists abusing the lax U.S.-Canada/Mexico crossing rules. I guess the President isn't worried about keeping terrorists out of our country anymore? Will this president do anything to stop illegal immigration? How does Vicente Fox have more pull with Bush than Sec. Chertoff?
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9245
What's on Bush's iPod?
"The president also has an eclectic mix of songs downloaded into his iPod from Mark McKinnon, a biking buddy and his chief media strategist during the 2004 campaign."
It appears that George Bush is a file-swapping pirate! Stealing songs instead of buying them. Tsk tsk. I suppose the RIAA will now be suing the president instead of 13-year olds who use Grokster, KaZaa, or Morpheus.
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9223
King George only says he likes "My Sharona", what he really likes is "Cocaine". Isn't that a song title, too? We have to be so careful these days, our words come back to bite us in the butt.
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9153
Oh...yeah. Turn that bad boy around, Maura.
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9148
Double-bagging: why not just buy one grade better plastic bags (ones that won't break) and then make a rule in the commissary of one bag per load? Nobody wants to double-bag, but neither paper bags nor the super thin plastic bags now used by commissaries and commercial supermarkets are strong enough to carry cans or bottles.
The commissary management brought this on by their own actions of trying to get away with the cheesiest-possible bag. Paper bags are not necessarily environmentally friendlier, as many previous studies have shown.
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9146
Look at the picture. Al Gore was right! There really is a lockbox!
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9128
Well, at least Dubya bothered to visit some non-military federal workers. See, he cares! What a great man.
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9093
Yes Dave I've noticed, I've also noticed our deficit approaching, what is it now, $300 trill, a war BUSH jr. got us into over WMD but really has to do with what they wanted to do with his DADDY, outsourcing on every level, this stupid green/yellow/red assessment performance system which acually takes away our ability to do our basic jobs because were too busy responding to the PRESIDENT'S MANAGEMENT AGENDA,......it's all junk, BUSHWACKER has not addressed or solved any important domestic problems here, he's served up some ideas which may or may not work but stuff Congress hasn't totally bought into....if he can't work with the Dems/Congress then his PERFORMANCE is not acceptable, RED review, he should be removed or outsourced to save the taxpayer money.
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9076
The reason the Department of Transportation is in charge of time zones goes back to one of the primary reason to have time zones in the first place... Railroad schedules.
Back before time zones, local time was set at 'high noon': when the sun was highest in the sky. That meant that noon in Albany was 11:54 in Syracuse, and 11:49 in Buffalo.
When people went to town by horse or carriage, they set their watch to the local clock tower and everything was fine.
However, when the railroads started keeping train timetables, they began to get into problems. Every town had its own local time and figuring out when a train was supposed to arrive and leave was becoming a serious nightmare. So, in a move familiar to modern-times, the Railroad industry lobbied the government into action.
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9065
Has no one noticed since Bush Jr is in office all the prices keep going up? Not just fuel, but because everything depends on fuel the cost of everything is going up. How can this President who cares about everyone just let the price of everything rise so rapidly? Could it be because he is so deeply involved in the oil companies and the VP owes so much to Halliburton? I thought 8 years of Clinton were bad. I sure would like to go back to the Clinton years where all we had to worry over was the sound of a zipper.
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9054
In the words of Jack Nicholson, "You couldn't handle the truth!". If you want the truth about the Government and you really want to know what Government worker's think simply go to GOOGLE and type-in NSPS. Find the site and start reading the "public" comments straight from the horses' mouths. Be prepared because it's pretty ugly and the whole thing should be printed for the world to see! Why news organizations haven't used these vitriolic and damning "real" worker comments is beyond me.
Gil
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9046
My father-in-law made me roll the window down as we drove past a cattle ranch. He said "do you smell that" and I said, "you bet" and he said, "that is the smell of money". I got it.
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9030
I think this is something for DHS or the FBI/CIA to investigate, I think the cows have chemical weapons of mass destruction up their butts because, they are a walking four-legged time bomb.
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9025
The farmers will be willing to modify the diets of their animals to control the odor when the consumer is willing to pay $15.00 for a pound of hamburger. Of course, the hamburger will taste like crap because it's what the animals eat that makes meat taste as it does.
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9023
Stinky Study - Give the cows chlorophyll supplements. It is a natural odor reducer.
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9020
With regards to the "cattle" issue (no pun intended), when are we going to quit catering to all these whiners of the world? If you move next to an airport, expect to hear the aircraft. If you move next to a wildlife preserve, expect the deer to eat your fruit trees, the beaver to cut your trees, and the rabbits to eat your garden. Move next to a public hunting area or an outdoor range, expect to hear shots. And, if you move next to a feed lot, expect to smell the manure. This politically correct crap (again, no pun intended) is really getting way out of hand. It's like -how absurd can they be - and still get away with it? And we keep playing Chamberlain, giving away central Europe to Hitler. It's time to declare WAR on political correctness. Don't like it? Tough manure! Cope!
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9019
Appropriate juxtaposition. We zap animals. After they void themselves, we are concerned about the smell of the manure.
I really don't understand why the federal government is worried about the odor of cow poop. I'd much rather smell the exhaust of a holstein than a Hummer.
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9009
Taxpayer,
I'd have no problem with making community colleges accept a certain percentage of poor kids, if the kids are qualified and NOT on DRUGS. It might help some kids go to college who otherwise couldn't pay for it.
As far as your taxes: It's hard to get a job these days if you don't go to college. If you don't have a job, you're going to be on welfare or committing a crime. If you commit a crime and are caught, you'll be in jail. Being in jail or on welfare ends up costing you, the "Taxpayer" a lot more, in the long run, than using taxes to send a kid to community college now.
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9007
In line with the entire discussion here I propose the following:
Pay for "poor" kids to go to college to become lawyers. Once lawyers they can take on cases for the "poor" against the "rich" (sounds like Robin Hood). However, most of these "poor" kids will become "rich" lawyers and not bother helping the "poor" because the "poor" cannot pay them like the "rich". Sounds a lot like whoever has the dollars makes the rules doesn't it. Gee that sounds a lot like the USA!
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9006
I would like to throw some gasoline on this fire between Joe and Art. Why should we (I) pay for some "poor" kid to go to college? I have enough trouble paying for my own kids to go to college. Why shouldn't the "poor" kid go to community college? Why don't we just make community colleges accept 10% of their "new" enrollees from the "poor"? We not only pay for these kids to go to college but we think they have to go to the best colleges there are!
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9005
"Whatever the program, I agree with you Robert. I have 20 months of federal service after 15 years in the private sector. The utter waste and lack of mgt accountability were two things that were apparent immediately. When employees try to make things more efficient or effective, they are stopped in their tracks. Jobs are added as soon as a new task is developed - even though other employees sit around with 50-90% disengagement. I'm lucky to have my job. I appreciate it...but the hypocrisy and lack of integrity that I see is difficult to deal with at times. ACCOUNTABILITY - how I long for the accountability seen in private sector!"
ABSOLUTELY TRUE - I HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND IN GOVERNMENT. I AGREE 100%
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8969
"Who are these people" , this crap doesn't even deserve a response, seems the author is worse off then us little people in the government.
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8967
That Post article was complete crap. Maybe if Ann Gerhart knew anyone who didn't spend their evenings at Georgetown Dinner Parties, she could have resisted the temptation to play Jane Goodall, teaching us about this bizarre species, the federal worker, which fascinatingly shares several traits with normal human beings! What a discovery.
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8836
Maybe Government Exec. is filtering the news for your protection. The reality is that federal employees are being subjected to some pretty serious mistreatment. If Gov Exec started reporting about unsafe working conditions, the work related injuries, the harrasment of whistleblowers and the denial of due process, how would the respective Offices of Inspector General for the different federal agencies keep the lid on the mess.
Imagine how inundated the federal court system would be with all the numerous felons in management being brought to trial. How would the federal government, especially the Congress explain to the public that they have been whitewashing the truth about what really happens to taxpayer money? If you work for the government, you know what I mean.
Let's face it: Federal managers can't handle the whole truth. Gov Exec can't report the whole truth. Congress couldn't spin if people knew the whole truth. The general public would be enraged if they knew the truth. Gov Exec stays in the comfortable middle, seeing no real evil and avoiding any polically controversial news.
If you wanted the controversial stuff, you could always check out smokinggun.com.
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8833
GOVEXEC asks for good stories about government too. And I bet people submit horror stories. GOVEXEC is no different from Lesko, except Lesko is upfront about the things people tell him. GOVEXEC lives in a glass house on this one, so stop throwing stones at LEsko.
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8786
Louis Brandeis, Supreme Court Justice for most of the first half of the 20th Century, said "Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant".
Government secrecy bothers lots of people, especially when it's the 'political' variety and not the 'national security' variety. A lot of the concern about openness is the perception that government is not dealing straight with us.
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8772
I don't see the point FEDLOG is making about sunshine in Government. Just because the people being polled don't sit around filing FOIA requests all day doesn't mean they don't want an open and honest government. I've never fought a war, but that doesn't mean I don't want a strong military. Get it?
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8731
The test lab I worked in was wrought with safety problems. We work with high voltages and numerous hazardous chemicals. For years management made safety a last priority.
I was eventually diagnosed with a permanent, debilitating injury from exposure to those chemicals. The bosses harrassed me until I left on permanent disability and and they covered up the incident and lied to my coworkers. My coworkers were also exposed to chemicals, some of which are carcinogens.
The Union steward where I worked refused to get involved to protect my coworkers. He didn't do anything because it might make waves to expose the incredible negligence of my federal employer.
Beyond the immediate injuries, I as well as my coworkers face an uncertain future where we may suffer from numerous unusual types of cancer. Will the Union still refuse to get involved if people start dying from cancer?
Federal workers need a new Union.
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8724
Unions are too involved in politics. They need to more involved in protecting worker's rights. Both according to Skeptical. Hmmmm.
Politicians brought you personnel reform in DoD and Homeland Security and soon it will be coming to your block too. Politicians grant employees any COLA adjustments. Politicians impact how much of our heath care costs we pay. Politicians pack the FSIP and the FLRA with political appointees with anti-union, anti-employee agendas.
So Unions need to stay out of politics and protect worker rights like jobs, pay, health care, and the right to a fair hearing.
I don't know where you work Skeptical and I don't know how well represented your bargaining unit is, but I can assure you Unions need to be MORE involved with politics if an independent, dedicated civil service is to be saved.
Poor Richard
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8712
Art -
It would be nice to be able to work with management, as you say! However, in the current climate, the best result we could get would be that we get co-opted. At the current time, national policy is critical to the well-being of the individual worker and therefore we have to concern ourselves with it. Sometimes you have to forgo a battle to win the war.
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8691
And I agree that good unions are the only true defenders of workers rights - my earlier point - lawyers work primarily for themselves.
The problem I see is that the unions that have reversed the roles. Many of them seem to be more concerned with national politics than they are with individual workers' rights; but the best unions work WITH management to the benefit of both the business and the worker (though worker comes first). They always work from the standpoint that when the business collapses, ALL workers and managers suffer, but the worker always suffers more.
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8682
You all forgot the general term "Blood Sucking Lawyers", they practice their trade to make a living and often distort the law or at least bend it for the bucks.
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8672
One more thing: There is another constituency that could defend the civil service system, if it wanted to: all the contractors, think-tanks, and "public-interest groups" that pretend to care about governmental issues. As the Don Kettl article showed though, these groups have given up on the GS-system. Why? Allow me to be cynical: These groups stand to make buckets of money by "reforming" the system.
If anyone seriously wants to challenge me on this point, please do.
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8671
I generally agree with that (the idea that lawyers work both sides, as is their job). This is why unions are really the only constituency that will stand up for the civil service, for better or for worse.
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8670
Skeptical, for the record I am not a lawyer. Isn't it also possible to believe and get paid? I am willing to bet lawyers who work for the federal unions could get paid a lot more in private practice.
Poor Richard
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8664
Sorry, but another thought on the topic after I hit "post."
Lawyers on the other side are making an equivalent amount of money prosecuting AGAINST those same civil servant claims. The ONLY group that makes out in those cases, REGARDLESS of the eventual winner, is the trial lawyers involved. They always get their share.
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8663
Art and Poor Richard,
I'm not attcking, nor defending, laywers for doing their jobs. But the implication in the original statement was that lawyers would defend because they believe, even if no one else does/will. That defense is specious. A (good) police officer will protect the life of a bank robber that he/she just shot by calling an ambulance because it is her/his job; may detest that he/she must do so, but he/she will. It really is no different than saying a meter reader will read my meter, even when no one else will. My point is that being paid to do one's job is not a strong endorsement.
I listened to a passionate, publicly-assigned, criminal defense attorney yesterday on talk radio. He indicated that many of his equivalents do their job because they believe in our judicial system, even when they don't believe in the innocence of their client. I applaud this and hope that if I am ever in that need, I get one just like him.
But I still don't consider a defensive endorsement by one paid to do just that has any more credibility than the standard campaigning politician who will say whatever he thinks the public will buy in order to get into the position of power and money. Color me skeptical...
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8640
I am responding to the short blurb on the GAO overdoing the "improving but management challenges remain" framework for many of their reports. I think we need to put this in the context of the many reports that are so critical that they do not acknowledge improvement at all (or at least not in the title). Besides such very critical (and I think helpful) analyses, there is also a lot of GAO testimony that includes such statements as (I am paraphrasing): "Such mismanagement is totally unacceptable and must mot be allowed to continue." Then consider the "High Risk" reports that the GAO puts out. So I would be careful in concluding that they are overall too politically correct, although they are trying to be as balanced as possible.
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8632
Art, this reminds me of a candidate for lieutenant governor in my state a few years back. His opponent had been a criminal defense lawyer. Mr. Candidate did some very amusing attack ads accusing said opponent of the indiscretion of defending criminals. Imagine that; a criminal defense lawyer who defends criminals! What would our founding fathers have thought? Fortunately the voting public did not buy Mr. Candidate's drivel (he lost) and I would hope those reading this forum will not buy into Skeptical's like-minded drivel.
Poor Richard
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8619
Nice ad hominem attack, Skeptical. Yes, lawyers defend bad people. But what if you were considered bad? Should your right to legal protection come down to whether prevailing tastes think you are worthy or not?
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8610
"What other groups beside unions will defend civil service? Well..., lawyers."
Then again, lawyers will also defend Saddam Hussein, slavery, drug trafficers, child pornographers, etc., etc., etc. Not a terribly strong endorsement. As you said - the money is what they are after, not what is right and just.
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8560
What other groups beside unions will defend civil service? Well..., lawyers. There are lawyers who defend the many civil service who are harrassed and discriminated against in civil service. There are lawyers who proport to defend the right of injured civil servants to receive federal employees workers compensation when they are wrongfully denied. Lawyers even work for federal unions to help them do what little they do.
Lawyers are very active in defending the lawful rights of civil servants. BUT, it sucks down huge amounts of money that civil servants need to make house payments, buy food, clothing and medicine often at a time when every cent counts.
Isn't it ironic that the civil servants who have to work within federal laws and regulations are forced to pay someone to make their employer follow federal laws and regulations?
Expect to see a lot more lawyers involved defending the rights of civil servants.
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8545
Besides unions, what organized group would ever bother defending the civil service system?
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8532
Don Kettl is full of it! I don't know anyone who is in favor of NSPS. I suppose he's printed his piece for the purpose of discouraging those those don't agree with him, and thus influencing public opinion. Kettl is a crock.
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8526
"The appearance of a conflict of interest" is a useful phrase for one reason: using it as a standard for ethical behavior. If your actions have an appearance of a conflict of interest, they will be perceived as unethical.
Interestingly enough, I adopted that standard while working for the City of Chicago a few years ago. Considering the corruption surrounding the Daley administration, I'm surprised I learned even that lesson.
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8490
Joe and the rest of the Bush-lovers out there should read this column by David Broder of The Washington Post. Bush has given us a sky-high deficit. And it's going to end up hurting everyone who doesn't make $100,000 or more a year: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54741-2005Feb25.html
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8471
So "80% of the scientists did nothing wrong". What are you saying? They did nothing legally wrong or ethically wrong? White collar criminals who are caught in scandals always say that they did nothing "legally" wrong. Ethically, these scientists gave the appearance of wrong doing. They also were paid (in some manner) by the drug companies whose products they were evaluating. You see nothing ethically wrong with this arrangement? Perhaps we both need to revue the definition of the word :"ethics".
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8441
Pandemic influenza is no trifle. It would be much worse than a smallpox outbreak.
I just finished "The Great Influenza". It is a harrowing account of the 1918 Flu Epidemic. If a flu virus like the 1918 virus were to spread it would make SARS look like a picnic.
For example, half of ALL US deaths in 1918 were related to the flu. It killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS has killed in 24 years.
I highly recommend the book to anyone.
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8364
The drug company version of "guns don't kill people."
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8348
Joe, your example doesn't prove that Bush goes out of his way to help the poor. It could just show that he is moved by personal appeals. (Other evidence, like his buddy-buddy relationship with the Russian President/Dictator, also substantiates this). If this is true, you have to ask, who is more likely to have the chance to make a personal appeal to the Prez? You, me, a poor kid, or some CEO somewhere? I think we know the answer.
As far as fraud goes, I agree we need to nip it in the bud, no matter the culprit. Probably the best way to stop fraud is to have no program at all to defraud. But if you kill the patient to stop the disease, you haven't gained much. The threat of fraud is not a reason not to have a program; any power or privilege can be abused. Taxpayers like me count on agents like you to enforce the law and be a deterrent to keep fraud to a minimum.
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8308
Art, I'm not the bad guy here. President Bush's new budget proposal includes increased funding, nearly $155 million, for refugees like Elijah, a Virginia engineering student, who spent seven years in a Kenyan refugee camp after one parent was murdered and the other one died from Cholera-source LA Times 2/14/05. This is a heartless leader?
I don't accuse people, I arrest them. Students are difficult cases because the damage from their fraud isn't measured. And, their crimes are often rationalized. You seem to understand that the fraud I was talking about is across the board and wasn't meant toward any single program. You would agree that where there is government money, someone is stealing it? Even the Peace Corps and the Library of Congress have criminal investigators. Whether the fraud is from a religious leader on behalf members of his parish to legalize the parents of students who received government scholarship monies, or the wealthy African student who transfered colleges to obtain resident tuition, there is not much support for reform against their abuses from the public. Everyone wants the money, the colleges, the students, and the parents. Who's asking the unpopular questions?
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8293
Joe, I respect the sacrifices you made to put yourself through school. Which makes it all the more surprising to see you accuse other people, who make a similar sacrifice to educate themselves, of stealing government money. You promised evidence of this fraud, and you gave us nothing. I'm sorry, my friend, but I can't take you seriously if you don't substantiate your argument.
And I'm not down, my friend. Just a little tired of politicians, namely Mr. Bush. Mr. Bush says he cares about the deficit. Which is why he passed a Medicare bill that already costs $300 billion more than the advertised price. And why he passed a $1.1 trillion tax cut. Clearly, Mr. Bush doesn't care about the deficit, and everyone knows it (which is why some in his own party are turning against him). Mr. Bush is a hypocrite for cutting an education program that works (according to OMB, which at least has some evidence for what it says, unlike you, Joe, who has nothing), to pretend like he does.
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8291
Hey Joe! I won't take the bait and "enlighten" you. You have enlightened me. This is a topic that draws great emotion, namely anger and bitterness. My dad was a military serviceman who did not make anymore than you do now. He planned from the time my brother and I were born for our college because his only path to college was a military academy. I still paid college loans for thirteen years. Some say that anger is guilt turned inward. I sympathize with your challenge, but the "rich" as you would describe them are not your excuse for a pity party. Rich people to me are the ones that have their health, families, and happiness. One program takes a hit and you're down? Get over your biggest hurdle, yourself!
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8283
Ok Joe, I'm game. Where can we see this evidence? Please enlighten us.
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8278
Whatever the program, I agree with you Robert. I have 20 months of federal service after 15 years in the private sector. The utter waste and lack of mgt accountability were two things that were apparent immediately. When employees try to make things more efficient or effective, they are stopped in their tracks. Jobs are added as soon as a new task is developed - even though other employees sit around with 50-90% disengagement. I'm lucky to have my job. I appreciate it...but the hypocrisy and lack of integrity that I see is difficult to deal with at times. ACCOUNTABILITY - how I long for the accountability seen in private sector!
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8274
Art- if it weren't for guys like you and your kids, I wouldn't have put any thought at all into this matter. Yes, I have the evidence; however, outside of a few college administrators, no one really cares until the money gets tight.
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8259
Dear Joe:How can we condemn the "Heads Up" program because of the probable number of people who misuse it? It follows a formula that is common in the government; leave the goals and rules of the program vague and provide no means to police it. Isn't that business as usual? Isn't that why the government is deep in debt and has little to show for it?
Look around and realize how much money is misused by DOD or the Labor Department or most federal agencies for nothing but to keep people busy. Look at how the IRS blew millions of dollars on a computer system that didn't work instead of looking at how to make taxes more practical and easier to collect. If it isn't so complicated, you don't need overly complicated and expensive computers to keep track. You would just need a computer like businesses use.
It's wrong for people to rip off the "Heads Up" program. But, shouldn't we look at why the program is so vulnerable and shouldn't we look at why so many government programs are vulnerable? Where is the accountability? Someone should be held responsible for causing this mess. Then worry about the people who are committing fraud.
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8257
Joe, do you have any evidence of this fraud? If so, let's see it. If not, what are you talking about? Do you have kids getting ready for college? I do bro, and you know what, it ain't cheap. And I'm a GS-12.
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8255
Hey Art! Cutting funding to "Gear Up" is just re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. That $300 million doesn't amount to a half percent of the amount of fraud perpetrated on the various government funding of so-called "poor kids" for college.
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8239
So, we're cutting GEAR UP, an effective (according to political hack haven OMB) program that helps poor kids go to college, to save $306 million. Why? Because the deficit is so big. Why is the deficit so big? Well, for one thing, we have to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, and they cost $1.1 trillion.
My question: Why is Bush really cutting GEAR UP? If he was only interested in reducing the deficit, or rewarding programs that work, wouldn't GEAR UP still get funds? Answer: Bush has made a value judgment that tax cuts for the rich are more important than helping poor kids go to College. Some people might not agree with this. But they should at least call a spade a spade: Bush and his cronies are using government to help the rich. Not to cut the deficit.
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8144
What's happened to FedLog? There hasn't been one for the past 4 days and I miss it!
Patricia
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8051
CBP Officers (former Customs Inspectors and INS Inspectors; and a few Agricultural Inspectors) are still working using their old credentials fom Treasury, Justice, and USDA. Why, because DHS management was waiting to see if Kerry got into the White House. If he had, major changes to the current CBP structure and management team would have taken place. Now that the election is over, mid-level supervisors are routing rank-n-file employees and "getting even" for their supporting Kerry. It is sad to see how bad things have gotten.
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8004
Captain Jack,
SSI benefits have no impact on the Social Security solvency issue because their funding does not come from the trust funds. Since their inception in 1974, SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits and administrative costs have been paid out of general revenues. This misunderstanding of the SSI program is common.
Poor Richard
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7976
It wasn't too difficult to predict that retiree benefits would get expensive. But, wouldn't we have the money if our leaders actually stopped wasting money instead of concealing the waste? Wouldn't Social Security be in good shape if were properly managed? Wouldn't the corruption of the Federal Workers Compensation Program be stopped if there was a real investigation by the Department of Justice rather than a cover up by DOL-OIG?
Things don't look too rosy in the future because a small group of government executives are not being held accountable for the mess they have made of things. They just keep covering up one tragedy by causing another and that can't continue indefinitely. If I still could work, I would bail out of federal employment and try to make a better future for myself.
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7970
So, Bush won re-election because he pledged to "keep us safe." So why not actually hire the 10,000 border agents, instead of making excuses? The title to that article should have been "Cop-Out." Hope you are happy, conservatives. This is what you wanted, this is what we got.
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7923
I just read the article on the President's cor... er, inaguration parade getting surreal. How in touch with reality is it to make a speech about getting rid of Tyrants while over 15,000 police, U.S. Marshals, Sheriffs and their deputies, military, FBI, Secret Service and snipers on roofs are armed to fire live ammo into the crowd that came to see President Bush? George Orwell never dreamed up that issue with "Big Brother". Nor did Franz Kafka write about such strange happenings as what happened yesterday. But then the four big lies that Americans want to believe are the Bush positions on: The threat in Iraq (now it is bringing democracy to them, not WMD), No Child Left Behind (ask any Dept. of Education accountant in Texas how well that program worked for them), Medicare reform (just fund the Vet's hospitals for good doctors and medications for all Vets!) and the really big one, Social Security (just stop SSI payments and stop the current Bush Administration from dipping into the trust fund without paying it back and there will be plenty of money well beyond 2050!)
Sincerely, Captain Jack
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7917
This inaugural stuff was fun! Kept me awake here at work.
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7844
I don't get it. I'm a big proponent of space exploration and NASA in general. I believe we need to fund the agency accordingly and defend it against budget cuts. However, when we spend over $300 million dollars on a fireworks show I draw the line. The agency tried to shut down the Hubble and almost drastically downsized plans on completing the space station due to budget concerns but they have the money for this ?? I think it's time for NASA to get a reality check. Perhaps they do have too much funding after all. With decisions like this it makes me wonder if the NASA budget cutters have been right all along.
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7760
So, here's what the Education Department has to say about paying Armstrong Williams $241,000 to promote the No Child program: "Children do better in school when their parents are involved, which is why the Department has undertaken broad outreach to help parents -- particularly those in minority and low-income communities -- take advantage of the No Child Left Behind law."
So here's my question for Skeptical and the rest of the Bush lovers out there: Will anyone in the Bush administration ever take accountability for anything? (And no, a low-level private at Abu Ghraib doesn't count). And, since all of you profess to care how taxpayer dollars are spent, how many of you will call the Education Department and ask them to get OUR $241,000 back?
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7757
Nice point re agency propaganda, but call a spade a spade. The propaganda was designed to push two Bush administration programs: No Child Left Behind, and Medicare reform. The agencies are only going out on a limb and pushing "propaganda" because their political overseers (i.e. the White House) made them.
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7744
One might want to exercise special care using the term "political leadership" in referring to any administration of the last couple of decades.
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7682
Thank God for Bush! Thank God for Rumsfeld! Thank God for Newt! My advice to the complainers and whimpies is to stop watching the networks except for football, Wheel of Fortune and perhaps Millionaire (Nothing else matters.. or sell your TV). Get your entertainment news from Brent Hume (Fox News)and your serious news from the Bloggers---the ones who played the biggest roll in winning the election. Townhall.com, Drudge Report, WorldNetDaily.com, FreeRepublic.com, NewMax.com, FoxNews.com et al. Subscribe to HumanEvents, Heritage Foundation and the Weekly Standard. Read regularly Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Mona Charen, Richard Poe, Aabdullah Al-Araby (Islamization of America) and buy an unsanitized translation of the Qur'an such as N.J. Dawood, the least sanitized for Western readers. Then send Tony Blair a thank you note.
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7619
I am incensed by the liberal media! Newt Gingrinch is a true patriot.
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7480
Regarding Canada's being "not foreign," I hate to state the obvious, but the President is still in his FIRST term and will be until January 20th.
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7478
I don't believe President Bush has visited ANY state...Domestic or foreign in his second term. The second term doesn't start until January next year.
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7476
Re: 51st State. Just to be picky, President Bush's second term does not begin until January 21, 2005. The Canadian trip occured after re-election, but not in his 2nd term.
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7474
Building personal kingdoms within the federal government is far from rare. It's just that management in different offices seek different rewards. Over the years I worked for a procurement agency of the Defense Department, I was witness to various types of pandering to contractors for personal gain. Many federal contracting officers retire and then find cushy jobs with large federal contractors. So do various federal inspectors. Those jobs were arranged long before they retired. Why do you suppose so many generals find high paying jobs when they retire from military service?
I have seen contracting officers remove quality specifications and inspection requirements to please contractors. I have had to tell procurement specialists that the parts they wanted to buy would be sent straight to disposal upon delivery if they change the quality specifications. Their KO may be able to change a contract, but I controlled what was allowed to be placed in an issueable status.
But, there are other kinds of feifdoms. Some bosses work to get their buddies promoted even though there are more qualified candidates. Bosses also form alliances with other bosses in other offices to cover up bungles and screwups. The more incompetent the supervisor, the more likely they'll join a group of good ole boys. Maybe it will be the group that hangs out at the Officer's Club drinking and playing darts with the base commander. Maybe they will play golf. Power is not just in gaining favors from outside contractors, it's also making the right friends to ascend to a management level far higher than one deserves to. Power is the ability to cover up millions of dollars of waste. Power is the ability to keep test labs open that can't even pull their weight. Power is building new office towers at a facilty that should have been shut down and still may be soon.
Power comes from building kingdoms of people who know that their only hope for advancement is to kiss your butt to cover up for their lack of qualifications...JUST LIKE YOU DID.
Consequently, weapons systems fail because of bad parts and planes are sent to war improperly outfitted. Soldiers don't get the supplies and equipment they need during peacetime, let alone wartime. People die needlessly. We are left with hole in our security fence while billions of dollars are wasted. It's good to be the king.
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7454
In further response to "Staying in the Cabinet" who in their right mind would suggest "for the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorist have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do?" Tommy Thompson has lost it. Does he or any of the not-so intelligent, former and soon to be present, loonies in this adminstration think? To speak of something like this could give terrorist or others who hate this country ideas to do just that.
-
7428
Our congressional representatives work hard to assemble themselves a cushy retirement. Congressional staffers work hard to gain favor by keeping the public from bothering our representatives with problems like poverty, crime and (heaven forbid) corruption within the federal government.
Those who believe that their elected officials work for the advancement of our country are in for an ugly awakening should they ever try to approach their representatives with serious issues. Our representatives in Ohio even have staff assigned to keep the federal workers from bothering them about problems in the federal government.
Terrorism pales beside the damage our country suffers from a Congress that puts special interests before duty. Why do you suppose we sent troops to die for big oil? Why do we maintain outdated DOD agencies when they are unproductive? Why do we buy weapons systems that are unreliable, overpriced and somtimes never even delivered?
It takes a Congress to really mess up a country.
-
7427
Hey ICE Agents,
What's your take on Kerik? Will he recombine CBP with ICE?
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7397
In response to Chief Finance Division, the fiscal year previously ended on June 30. It was changed in 1975 to begin on Oct 1. That year, the 3 months in between were known as the "transitional quarter". I remember how president Ford and the congress tried to manipulate fiscal year deficit figures by jamming as much spending as possible into this budget "no person's land" called the transitional quarter. Show the politicians a way to manipulate, they will.
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7313
The salaries of Congress and the President should stop when a budget is not in place by midnight of September 30. They should be prosecuted for malfeasance in office at a minimum. The fiscal year was changed from July 31 to September 30 to give Congress and the President the time to put a budget in place. The result has been, as anticipated at the time this was done, more procrastination.
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7271
Pork vs substance is often perspective. We are a mosaic of interests who lobby our leaders. Some items seem silly or wasteful to many but the culture of compromise promotes something for all.
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7240
Doesn't anyone else think it's kind of pathetic that Congress couldn't pass intelligence reform? What are Hunter and Sensenbrenner waiting for, another Sept. 11?
-
7238
So, the Republican President can't get a Republican-run Congress to approve badly-needed intelligence reform. Yep, I feel safer with the GOP in charge, that's for sure.
I also feel safer knowing that the GOP has given us such thoughtful, deliberative leaders, as Rep. James Sensenbrenner. The last paragraph of the Post story tells you all you need to know about this truly gifted leader:
"The past two days of negotiations were spent almost entirely on the immigration issues raised by Sensenbrenner, with the Judiciary Committee chairman often accepting proposals, then returning after consulting colleagues with demands for new changes, sources said. At one point, the Senate staff by mistake offered language for one section that had been submitted by Sensenbrenner, and he returned it, saying it was not good enough, according to one participant."
-
7220
Government workers need Union representation to protect them from government corruption. But, the AFL-CIO sure won't do it. Might offend a politician. Apparently, the needs of the many are not as important as the political careers of the Union leaders.
Any real Unions out there? Anywhere?
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7136
Art (and others),
Responding to a blog through the Mailbag is just adding to the conundrum.
That said, it IS a bizzare collection of trivia -- "info useless to me."
Civil Servant
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7033
This fedlog is a potpourri of useless information.
Art
-
6863
The Greenhouse case highlights the need for an independent civil service. Government workers need strong legal and especially union protection to resist political and corporate wrong doing.
Ms Greenhouse is many levels above my pay grade but I salute her courage.
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6861
Michael, that's deplorable, don't visit Starbucks much but now I have a reason never to go there, no one in this country should never turn down a WWII vet, they made to many sacrifices for us.
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6856
Regarding your Starbucks story: In 09/2001, I hosted a reunion for my father's WWII Army Company. We were able to get many local and national companies to donate food and doorprizes for these amazing men. We contacted the local Starbucks for donation of morning coffee and was referred to their national headquarters. The response was that they would not donate to Veterans group. If they had stopped there it would have not been so bad but they went on to state that they donate to groups that sponser "diversity" (whatever that is) and a WWII Veterans organization did not qualify. Now we were not asking for much coffee since only 12 men were left but they could not see fit to give to the men who made it possible for them to have the freedom to give to diversity groups.
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