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Return to Article: FEATURES It's a Dirty Job

• 37353
  

  Mr. Brodsky;
  I read your article about the woes of GSA and it's good to see that someone is reviewing their actions. However, It would be great if such review could be extended a little to reveal what happened to us. We represent nearly a hundred displaced employees after the closure of GSA's Southeast Distribution Center in Palmetto, Georgia (1989-2001). Our make-up consists of approximately 90% veterans with the average age Of 50, many with service connected ailments or disabilities and served during the Viet Nam era. Most of us were outstanding performers and non of us were ever unsuccessful in performance. However, because we fell prey to the agency's faulty personnel practices we were put on the street while we witnesses non veterans who were less senior, less educated and in some cases no status at all being transferred into positions at our regional office. Therefore, to this day why has no one including the IG and our congressional representatives responded to our pleas for an investigation into the matter. Our regional personnel office (region 4) transferred all of our records out of state to Texas preventing them from providing us with any assistance. We applied for vacancies that were announced and were rated highly qualified only to see those announcements canceled to allow the positions to be filled by non-veteran and less educated, less senior and some cases no status employees who failed to qualify under the announcements. Those employees are still employed today. We've forwarded our concerns to various entities but received no responses. This was a grave and devastating impact on our lives and in some cases it was the ultimate impact. However, for those of us who are still alive, we would like to have our just due.

  THOMAS PHILLIPS Posted November 14, 2007 5:03 PM
• 37095
  

  The pronlems with GSa only reflect the complexity of its operations. It truly provides the heat, light and telephone as well as all of thelogistical support necessary for the government to operate (exclusive to the DOD on military items). The GSA's problems stem not from mission and funding but from Appointed management. Appointees with a political agenda often clash with the reality of the organizations mission. Since GSA interfaces with almost all of the largest corporations in the USA and some oveseas, there is the political pressure brought through the various industry lobbying organizations on the WH and Congress. In addition there is the emphasis of ensuring that GSA spreads irts business so small companies also have an opportunbity to participate. This collides with the OIG mission to prevent fraud waste and abuse in Government operations. As a result of this constant tug of war, congress and the WH from time to time acquiese to the various insdustry lobbys and change the rule as to what the OIG can and cannot review with respect to contracts tilting the balance in favor of insudtry and a greater opportunity for fraud waste and abuse. GSA procurements are so large that violations of contract pricing tems and conditions result in extremly large penalties to the various companies. The false claim act is the primary tool of the OIG. when there are adminstrative limitations placed on the auditors, the investigators become the second line of defense of the taxpayer.

  The only way to correct the problem is to provide competent leadership at the helm of GSA. Since the inception og the OIG Act, the GSA OIG has year after year highlighted the serious problems and criminal activities with in the agency.

  Anonymous Posted November 12, 2007 8:34 AM
• 36846
  

  Under former GSA Administrator Perry & FTS Director Sandra Bates, GSA wasted over $200 million and over 1.5 years of it's employees time on a fatally flawed SAP (GSAP) system, that was forced (by Perry & Bates) to operate for 1.5 yrs until it was abandoned (only after Perry & Bates left GSA).

  Flawed migration, operational & data, & financial integrity were critical issues thoughout the SAP (GSAP system) life.

  Regional administrators, operational management personnel, & everyone else involved with GSAP constantly urged Perry & Bates to pull the plug on the GSAP system because it was so flawed/bad, but to no avail (at one point Bates called one GSA region's personnel 'crybabies', after they expressed complete dispair with the system).

  Only Perry & Bates required GSAP to be kept alive, wasting over $200M in taxpayer dollars and 1.5 years of agency time, during which everyone except Perry & Bates advised that the GSAP system should be abandoned.

  As a (now former) GSA Information Technology Manager, loyal federal employee, and a concerned taxpayer, I told everyone that would listen that GSA was 'sold a bill of goods', and just how bad this fatally flawed system was, beginning the first day that the system was turned on in two GSA regions. I consistently continued this communication, speaking directly with the regional administrator, regional operational personnel & others, asking why only Perry & Bates refused to abandon the SAP (GSAP) system, after consistent pleas from everyone else during the 1.5 yrs.

  Because it was only after (former) GSA Administrator Perry & (former) FTS Director Sandra Bates left GSA, that the SAP (GSAP) system was abandoned (because they refused to pull the plug), I highly suspect there was improper influence and corruption of Perry &/or Bates, (by the White House?).

  I retired, in part, due to my frustration in trying to make a difference, & hope someone gets to the bottom of why only Perry & Bates refused to pull the plug on the SAP (GSAP system).

  former employee Posted November 8, 2007 9:30 AM
• 36840
  

  I used to work at GSA. It's a dumping ground for political appointees - most didn't have a clue how to get work done in a government agency. And they enter the job slamming the career government folks, and a few years later they are "burrowing in," converting their political appointments to career positions. The civilians at GSA (at least at the HQ) have grades and salaries that far exceed what they would garner in any other Federal Agency. As a former (and current) customer of GSA, it is annoying to see the way they overcharge their Federal customers.

  Been there Posted November 8, 2007 9:14 AM
• 36821
  

  The WH'S hands are not entirely clean on GSA issues. This agency facilitates many projects considered key by the WH and Congress e.g. building federal blgs in areas beneficial to both of these entities.

  wyndell c. watkins Posted November 8, 2007 8:21 AM