Return to Article: Obama issues sweeping ethics orders
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75504
I beg to differ. I am a FOIA processor and we have almost completely eliminated our backlog of requests due to a massive number of new hires. Additionally, since Obama's changes, the amount of time it takes to process a FOIA case has been greatly reduced.
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74539
President Obama is taking much needed steps in the right direction. I hope he holds the last administration accountable for their actions.
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67289
Mudpie...you cite an example of the military-contractor revolving door that does not have a contractor in it...Contractors work for private industry...Should we mandate that retiring Military member collect unemployment for two years before finding a job in the civilian world?...BTW Ret Mil are usually the only ones with the required experience to fill DOD civil service jobs...making them wait two years so they are out of touch/practice seems to be nonadvantageous to national security...additionally the highest entry level pay is GS-11, not 15...so next time at least have the intellgence to make up plausible "facts" to back your erroneous assertions...
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67259
A two year moratoriam should also apply to retired and separating military members. The military-contractor revolving door is spinning out of control. Same applies to military-civil transitions. One day officer in charge of the section, next day GS-15 in the same section.
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67215
More of the "do as I say and not what I do" mentality as proven with Mr. Geithner's nomination to be Treasury Secretary. As long as I don't have to own up to owing taxes until I'm caught and when caught I'm given a nice government position, then I"ll really embrace this version of ethics.
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67201
Jake...you are clueless about the Military and why the all-volunteers join and stay in conditions you can't even fathom, for pay that is 13% less than thier civilian counterparts(who don't get shot at or work extended hours with out extra pay as daily consideration), obviously you have an axe to grind.
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67190
WOW - Obama has already proven by his actions that no change is coming to the White House. He is as insincere as the rest of them. He arrogantly crows about his new ethic rules, and then can't even go three days without having to get a waiver from them. Not to mention (ok - I will) when he's issuing executive orders he has to turn to his counsel to explain them - why doesn't he understand them BEFORE signing them?????
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67179
Obama has done more in his first 2 days in office that I find ethical than the last administration did in 8 years.
For those in the apparently anti-Obama camp, relax... it's very likely you're in the middle-class with me (you're reading this post)... we're in this mess together. From numerous examples of high-stakes election tactics, if Obama was unethical his adversaries would have made that case. Obama came from the middle-class. For that reason alone, I know he understands the middle-class blight. He has earned the benefit of the doubt. Please give him that, if for no other reason, to help yourself.
As evidenced by our country's current blight, the last administration's policies were a disaster... unethical.
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67166
He begins his presidency as a dictator. Non of the decisions were passed before the senate or the congress. The freezing of Whitehouse staff salaries is nothing more than a smoke screen for his own spending. Notice the new car? and the 150K budget to redecorate the white house? And there is a new plane dedicated to Air Force 1? Did anyone else notice that Wall Street wasn't happy with his first days in office? The market continues to drop just as it has from the moment Mrs. Clinton dropped out of the race effectively leaving him as the only candidate. A new war has begun and it isn't going to be fought with bullets or bombs it will be fought with pennies that will be taken from each and every one of our rapidly empting purses.
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67165
How refreshing:
"Appointees also would be required to certify that they received their job based on their qualifications, competence and experience rather than political connections. And they must attend ethics briefings on the new rules."
Shouldn't they take the class first before certifying they're, as Tony and the Prez states...Greeeaat!
This has no substance its just refreshing window dressing.
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67164
The good news is that most of these were issued, at all.
A couple of things are needed to truly make the stated intent realities; without them, then things only get worse (ie, he becomes another dishonest politician who intentionally misleads about whether he is doing anything concrete or not).
1. ENFORCEMENT - Without further changes, some of these improvements are (almost) meaningless. For example: - enforcement of Obama's orders is given to OGE, the Office of Government Ethics. But enforcement is almost never possible without investigative ability- and OGE does not have any investigative authority. "Matters Outside of OGE's Jurisdiction: PLEASE NOTE: The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) generally does not conduct investigations, does not have any investigative staff, and cannot represent citizens in legal matters. Please see section on complaint forwarding below for related information." (see the usogedotgov website) In short - enforcement is given to an Agency that is not allowed to do serious enforcement. Sounds like the usual bait and switch - doesn't it? Nor is its budget and manpower being increased to enforce these over the up to 3000 employees they apply to.
2. The no-lobbying-after-leaving restriction is only applied to lobbying the White House - but most ex-White House employees lobby congress as part, or even all, of their duties.
RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Obama must submit to Congress a change to the law mandating enforcement for such ethics be added to OGE - as well as requisite increase in budget and manpower authority. 2. As a condition of Executive Branch employment, departing employees must agree to not lobby Congress also for 5 years; also to be enforced for a newly-strengthened OGE.
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67104
The new administration needs to lead by example beginning with the person nominated for Treasury Secretary. Integrity makes a person do the right thing. Those working at Treasury as with most government agencies, expect the highest of standards of behavior. Making excuses for bad and/or illegal decisions must have consequences, even for those wanting high offices.
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67070
WOW ETHICS being spoken from someone who accepted graft from a Chicago Mafioso!!! Nominated a guy to run Treasury who failed to pay taxes, and appointed 2 folks who have been lobbying right up to the day of their nomination. Looks like he's off to a faster start than Bill Clinton with all his antics
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66999
The number 1 priority for the new president should be an immediate overhaul of the military retirement system. As the quadrennial review board determined the current retirement system should be adjusted from offering full retirement at 20 years to at least 25 years of service payable at age 55 for both active duty and reserve and National Guard personnel. A defined benefit plan could be established, like that of FERS for AD personnel leaving the services between 10-25 years of service This would be more in line with the general economy and fairer to the tax payer over the long term.
Second he should enact a law that states active duty military personnel retiring and receiving retirement compensation from the US GOVERNMENT are eligible and can compete for current civil service positions after 365 days of active duty retirement. Two federal pay checks should not be the obligatory norm for a large percentage of senior enlisted/officer personnel, to the detriment of our current civil service work force. No more job creation in order to advance AD service personnel. I do not believe this will affect their employment chances at all as the civilian sector is begging for retire military personnel, due to their great work habits.
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66965
Nothing new here...just token statements to impress those that dont pay much atention to such things. 2009 pay increases for the federal government went into effect before he took office....the pay question is moot until 2010.
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66956
Wow! After the last eight years, I'm surprised anyone even remembers what ethics are!
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66949
What about the Federal Agencies? And how about "ethics" other than those concerned with "financial" aspects of improper behavior? I recently retired from 30 years of Federal service with the Department of Defense. The last 23 of those years were at the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). Within DCMA there is a significant lack of ethical conduct of not only senior officals, but also of a select number of employee "cohorts" of management. Breeches of ethical conduct run from outright fraud, waste and abuse of power, to commiting perjurous statements on offical records. Let's see some action in this respect and cleanse the Federal workforce of those to violate the public trust and fail to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the Nation.
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66942
I've seen it all now.
Obama can't be a politician, everyone knows you can't use the word honest and politician in the same sentence. Look, up in the sky, the pigs are flying, and the devil was seen buying cold weather gear because hell is indeed frozen over.
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66940
It's about time. This was OK for the worker bee's but not for there dept heads and the heads of there agency's. Stop ALL Contracting out with out bid's. start going through all contracts that were awareded by the last adminastration. then we well start getting some where.
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66931
Right of freedom to get information from the government department is a noble idea. Transparency must be visible. Old habits die hard. Those who are executing the orders they are more conservative and less enterprising. Many conceal information for their vested interests as either they are weak minds or cowards. There is nothing confidential in the world if all people are transparent and responsible. Efforts are necessary and the UN should frame a code of conduct for all the nations a Model Law to govern their nations so that suffering communities and generations have a sigh of relief that their governments become the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Voice of people should become the religion of people through model laws framed by the UN for guidance and benefit of humanity in general based on common code.
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66929
How refreshing to hear the word "ethics" as a dictum for public service. Public service is a privilege and it is my fervent hope that this administration will usher in a time of reflection based on the ethics and principles of liberty, freedom and equality upon which this country was carved. Men and women can disagree, but at their core, they must be ethical and they must be devoted to the good of the country and what it stands for. Our forefathers abhorred party politics and tried unsucessfully to keep partisan politics from invading Congress. It was not possible, but they did try to remember what they were in Philadelphia for. This is not about religion or conservative or liberal values...it is about putting one's personal wants second to what is best for our country.
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66928
How refreshing to hear the word "ethics" as a dictum for public service. Public service is a privilege and it is my fervent hope that this administration will usher in a time of reflection based on the ethics and principles of liberty, freedom and equality upon which this country was carved. Men and women can disagree, but at their core, they must be ethical and they must be devoted to the good of the country and what it stands for. Our forefathers abhorred party politics and tried unsucessfully to keep partisan politics from invading Congress. It was not possible, but they did try to remember what they were in Philadelphia for. This is not about religion or conservator or liberal values...it is about putting one's personal wants second to what is best for our country.
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66927
Actions speak louder then words.
The new occupants of the White House revealed the occupants of the White House have no ethics by their misrepresenting Jill Biden, Phd. as if her title is something other than Jill Biden, Phd.
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