Return to Article: Personnel chief calls for better attitude toward civil servants
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85717
Civil Service isnt for everyone I am 3rd generation Fed worker between my grandfather and my father and myself there is over 110 years of Federal service if you include my Greatgrandfather in the 1st Iowa that would make 130 years of Federal service. The thing with Civil service is that it relys entirely on our leadership for existance. Every 4 years are leadership changes and depending on who is in the White House depends on whether you have a job or not RIFs BRACs ect...there is no real stability working for the Feds. During the Clinton years I knew people with 20 plus years that got laid off. So if you want to draw the brightest minds out there you have to make things stable more then just throw large sums of money at the kids. I'm sure the kids will disagree, which I would have to at there ages!!! But after a few kids and now being a grand parent there is more to employment then big bucks a decent wage with stability I will take over a large sum for a short time.
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83926
SW, don't drink before you post. I think recognizing the hard work of our civil servants is long overdue.
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83536
SW, your remarks are incoherent, irrelevant to this article, and say more about you than who you attempt to implicate. Want to know why you've been passed over for promotion? Three guesses and the first two are wrong. Think back to the hard-chargers who came in when you did, way back in the day. Where are they at now? Where are you? Keep those apples-to-apples comparisons in mind when you take your frustrations out on the hard chargers of today, those college kids coming in as "GS-11s" (which isn't exactly true, for your information, but let's not get caught up in semantics).
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83535
If the powers that be stop screwing around with our benefits and stop increasing any benefits we get in increments larger than the menial pay raises we get then maybe I might believe the sincerity of this article and Barry's feelings. If you want to attract and keep decent hard working folks then make this a good place to be. We get no more benefits or incentives then private industry as most people believe. There are those that don't work hard but the majority of us do. Workloads are unreasonable in many cases and loyality to employees is nil. The first place the rulers look at to make cuts is the CSers and because of it have facilitated a feeling of I don't care what you want, I do what I want to survive. After 33 years of good government and only 10 months to retirement (Thank God!), the local management needs to learn to appreciate their employees and treat them like they would want to be treated. Then maybe it would get back to being a good place to work, one where employees strive to do their best. Right now it isn't!
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83520
Thank you, Mr. Berry for finally saying what needed to be said for so long. As a 20+ year civil servant, I greatly appreciate your remarks as to the value and competence of the federal work force. Too often government employees are portrayed as incompetent bureacrats or by some other derogatory term by politicians, pundits, and other politicos who would use us as pawns in the word games they play when promoting or denouncing some government policy or program. The current debate over health care is a recent example. We are, in fact, hard working, competent, caring, and patriotic employees and citizens. We are your neighbors and your friends. And many of us do the sometimes thankless work of government, even when we could get higher paying jobs in the private sector, because we feel we are doing some good for our country and its citizens.
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83519
After 7 years in the private sector, 6.5 years on active duty, and 4 years as a CS, I've reached a point in my career and my life where I don't need anyone's approval or permission to do my job well. I may not always like or agree with management's decisions, but that would be true anywhere. I believe in what I'm doing; I come to work every day, ready to accomplish my part of the mission; I do this because I want to. The day that changes is the day I look for employment elsewhere. Personally, I appreciate Berry's efforts. He's doing his part to improve a piece of the pie. Shouldn't we hold ourselves to the same standard?
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83514
One big facture how older works are pass over and younger works come in as GS11 and less then 24month become 12,13,14 I would there is a problem of unfair practice HERE! And if look into it would not be hard see !!!!!!!!!
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83423
My workplace is pretty indistinguishable from private sector workplaces now. And I work in one of the elite agencies with a supposedly high espirit de corps, too. A good first step for all of us would be demanding professional behavior from old and young alike. That starts with first line supervisors who make sure everybody and everything is on the level in their work unit. It extends to professional levels of dress, discourse, and teamwork as well as some good fun from time to time. I have had very few first-lines walk up to their responsibilities in this area because many thought it wasn't worth it. Restoring some good money and prestige to the backbone and in exchange holding first-lines accountable for the performance of all team members would help all of us
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83242
Downsizing, reengineering, restructuring, went thru all that. Still a civil servant though they tried to outsource everything in the false pretence of saving monies. Government service is for those who want to serve their country not corporate businesses. Management at the top comes from that corporate business culture, that is why we have so many changes in our service. Corporate greed knows no bounds.
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83212
Wow...lots of interesting comments here. All this time, I just thought Director Berry was speaking to Dan Ketter!
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83169
Boy, am I glad to be 'retired', or FREE! First of all, the term civil servant' is a degraded European name which demeans all human beings of either gender. Civilian federal employees are taxed, and not given their earned benefits. Time to change.
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83154
Oh, I'll absolutely agree that the public has the most negative opinion of us CS'ers...that would mainly be because we normally give them an answer they don't want to hear or that we're otherwise "intruding" on their lives.
I've seen so many instances over the last seven years alone (that's just been my CS) where if you're not paying your taxes, CS'ers suck when we hold the law to them. CS'ers suck if told they don't qualify for benefits because of this or that, according to the law. "Well, that's not what President Bush told me". Oh? Bush came to your house and told you that you were eligible for that $600 stimulus himself, did he? Did he forget to mention that you have to WORK to get it...? I've even seen an instance where my current agency has been called Communist for asking Census questions and otherwise *carrying out the law*.
Dealing with the public is difficult enough because you literally have all kinds. I truly believe that, in most cases, the negative connotation comes from the fact that the public comes to grab money that they don't qualify for or are otherwise asked to be held to their responsibilities as citizens of this country and they don't think they should be accountable for.
Yeah, CS'ers suck...until it's time to go get that social security check or that farm subsidy or the other refund that they otherwise somehow missed. But no, don't EVER ask them to accept an answer they don't think is right in their own minds. If you do, watch out, because it's high-complaint time.
And WE'RE the ones being called coddled babies. Love the outright double-standard there.
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83143
After almost 14 years in public service, I am convince that it is not what one know, it is who one know. It is good that OPM is attempting to change the system. Maybe we will finally get some deserved training and being regonize for our talent and knowledge but not our "networking skill". Oh, I am still telling people that I am working for a private company, I hate those look and comments when I tell people that I am a "Lowly Government Employee". I believed the public view government employee are some fat cats, but I know that they just got the wind knock out of their sail and they are tired of trying.
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83139
Berry and the President should abolish reserved parking for the "high grades." The tin-pot nobility that are too important to walk a block or two. Except for the real handicapped all government parking should be open. If anyone feels so important they should arrive early.
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83138
OPM personnel need to get out of their ivory tower and do some actual work. In January 2008 and as instructed, I sent a request to my agency's HR ofice to obtain my work history from OPM to prepare for retirement. It was told that it went to OPM within two weeks of receipt and that I would receive the information from OPM within three months. It didn't happen. TEN months after my request, one of the HR specialists from my agency went to OPM in Washington, DC and pulled all the documentation. I was become completely frustrated with this unsatisfactory ten month delay and so was our specialist. She also pulled the documentation for three other people who had planned to retire. Because of this unsatisfactory delay, three of us are still working. Now, to make matters worse, the procedure has changed and we have to apply for retirement on-line. If we do not correctly fill out the on-line paperwork, retirement is again delayed while trying to get the corrections completed. When an HR specialist assisted in person, they were able to spot the errors immediately so that corrections could be made in a timely manner. Not so, anymore. Also, a friend of mine retired several years ago. She put in her paperwork as required - three months before her selected retirement date. She did not receive her FIRST retirement check for EIGHT months after her retirement date. That is one of the reasons I am afraid to retire. I could not live for eight months without an income. Fortunately, she had a widow's pension based on her deceased spouse's employment. I have no pension to fall back on. OPM definitely needs to do a much better job processing retirement requests and do it in a timely manner.
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83135
When you start looking at the internal management, i.e., ses and 15s, of fed agencies and see a person who is an ses that is dumber than a rock but got their position due to their gender and being a yes person (read, no skills needed here), or a skirt-chaser that is so wrapped up into himself that he doesn't care how he treats his subordinates but always seems to get that promotion because his nose is so far up his bosses behind, then come to me and tell me why federal employees do not get any respect!
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83130
I started with the Feds in 1976, in an agency where we dealt with the public all day, every day. At that time, we were still considered "professionals", most of us wore suits and we got respect from the public for what we were doing for them.
Then the Air Traffic Controllers went on strike, and I heard our President say from the White House, itself, that Federal Workers were goldbricks and incompetents. What a surprise that the Public picked that up! And it didn't help when a short time later Congress "neglected" to "unpass" itself a 50% pay raise, and the Public thought that applied, to me, too!
I'm glad that I shortly will be eligible for retirement, because I have not liked the way things were going for, oh, about 30 years, now. I really would like some of that respect, if not from the Public, then at least from Congress! I see the people coming in to replace my generation and, frankly, it's not pretty.
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83128
More Barry PAP. Its not the CS fault but its the way they are viewed?? Every time this guy speaks you have to wonder what planet he's on the people hold CS in poor esteem becasue they EARNED it. You have literally thousands applying for every Fed Job so attracting good employees isn't the issue, the issue is getting rid of the dead wood. CS are paid BETTER paid than the taxpaying workforce, twice as much and have a golden parachute when they retire. You would think with that type of compensation they would willing work hard but unfortunately that isn't the case
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83123
Fitting that he would draw an analysis between humans and animals (eg, federal workers, dogs and fleas). Would you expect less from the former head of the National Zoo?
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83114
After reading this article and finally digesting the 2% pay raise we will receive in 2010, I would advise any recent college grad to steer clear of public service. My graduate school professors tried to tell me about the lack of appreciation federal employees receive from the public and their superiors, but some lessons you just have to learn on your own. After more than 15 years in public service, I would advise any college graduate to go into the private sector, make real money, and then if you still have the itch to "make a difference" apply for a federal position. It is just not worth the life sacrifice.
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83112
Strange, isn't it? I always wanted to work for the Federal government, and after 20 years in the private sector, I got my wish. I work hard, and I do recognize where my paycheck comes from; after all, my taxes also go into that pot. The American public doesn't blame the programs as opposed to the employees; they blame them both. It gets very tiresome to hear the negative comparisons between the Federal workforce (i.e., median salaries comparing apples to oranges) and the "average" American. I'm sure no American has EVER gone into a store somewhere and been ignored by a clerk who was chatting with a coworker!?! Sure. I agree that CSRS'ers should be able to get their hard-earned Social Security benefits. I'm FERS and I think we should also get to apply our unused sick leave to adjust our annuities.
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83111
Fitting that he would draw an analysis between humans and animals (eg, federal workers, dogs and fleas). Would you expect less from the former head of the National Zoo?
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83110
Amen! In my experience with three different agencies, most of the mid-level managers I've dealt with had, whether consciously or not, embraced Ronald Reagan's accusation that they were the problem, not the solution. As a result, they were apologetic about working for the federal government. In interactions with private industry, they almost always assumed the private interest was right, and that the government's position was wrong. The personnel problems we now have are, I believe, largely a result of the outrageous abuse of civil servants that began in earnest on January 20, 1981.
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83107
Should there be red tape at every level? Can the average person who applies for a federal job get some kind of response within 3 months of applying? Can the fed employee who has worked his/her fingers to the bone finally not be overlooked for their productivity and be given realistic/achievable goals for their performance evaluations? Can the agencies provide a series of managerial/advancement training to their younger work force so that the decrease in pay from what they would have made in the private sector doesn't seem so hard to accept?
I think that most of the federal employees truly love public service; but private sector employment looks better and better the more it becomes hassle-free...
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83106
As a federal employee, and a dedicated one at that, I can say that there are a good deal who aren' t and a good number who are vastly overpaid, having absolutely no education under their belt. Unfortunatley, butt kissing is an operative in federal service and goes far in dumbing it down!
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83105
I applaud John's efforts, I do have an issue with comparing the military servicemen and women with the majority of civil servants. First, I am currently a civil servant. I am also an Navy retiree. I can honestly say that our active duty as a whole endure much more personal hardships as well as going into harms way than the typical "sand crab" as we used to call the civil servants when I was active duty. Both sand crabs (yes I am one now) and the military dedicate our live for service to the country but they are like comparing apples to oranges. I will say, I like the overall tone of what John is trying to do. In think Ken Huffman was a little harsh about John personally, although I agree with his thoughts on government programs. I say, give the man a chance.
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83103
To get "the best and brightest"--as OPM claims to want to do--first you have to know how to treat them.
As a fed of 25+ yrs of service, I too can say that many feds are loyal and dedicated public servants. But poor management, more than anything else, has undermined the federal workforce, which is why so much "corporate knowledge" flees out the door. Any time the federal workforce gets truly good workers, they're either held back from the full scope of their jobs, or literally hounded right out of the workplace--especially as you creep toward age 50. Little wonder why EEOC has reported a "plague" of age-discrimination complaints--and it can only get worse.
If OPM offers NSPS and P4P as a means to hire B&B, doing so will surely accomplish the opposite...
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83102
I came to work for the National Park Service as I believe in JFK's quote of public service. I have done my job to the best of my ability and working for the NPS is working for one of the best government agencies around.
But in the last eight plus years I have watched dedicated caring employees being torn down, attacked and just beaten on has been frustrating and made it hard for me to sometime continue working with such dedication and caring to public service. It is time for a change.
And to Jeff, we know who we work for and guess what we work for ourselves also as our taxes pay our salaries and after 20 years of hearing "I pay your salary" I do tend to get a little frustrated because of that attitude towards government employees. It is wrong, most of us know who we are working for. In the NPS we strive to provide the best vistor services we can. In the agency we know we would not have a job without visitors but don't toss it our faces on a constant basis. Instead of being negative maybe take the time to thank a federal employee for doing their job. Many of us believe very deeply in the mission of our agencies and why we do it.
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83101
I came to work for the National Park Service as I believe in JFK's quote of public service. I have done my job to the best of my ability and working for the NPS is working for one of the best government agencies around.
But in the last eight plus years I have watched dedicated caring employees being torn down, attacked and just beaten on has been frustrating and made it hard for me to sometime continue working with such dedication and caring to public service. It is time for a change.
And to Jeff, we know who we work for and guess what we work for ourselves also as our taxes pay our salaries and after 20 years of hearing "I pay your salary" I do tend to get a little frustrated because of that attitude towards government employees. It is wrong, most of us know who we are working for. In the NPS we strive to provide the best vistor services we can. In the agency we know we would not have a job without visitors but don't toss it our faces on a constant basis. Instead of being negative maybe take the time to thank a federal employee for doing their job. Many of us believe very deeply in the mission of our agencies and why we do it.
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83096
"Perhapse if these "civil servants" had a better customer focus and realized who is really funding their pay checks, us, Joe citizen, they would not be scorned for their lack-luster performance." - Uh, Jeff, in case you don't know, every federal employee pays income taxes on every penny they earn. Which means they are funding their own paychecks. (And MOST are hard-working, dedicated people who have been maligned for decades. One bad apple here and there and ... let the jokes begin.
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83095
Saying that federal employees need to be valued isn't enough. One must walk the talk, not just talk the talk. "Human capital" was the buzz word when I retired four years ago -- and "talk" is all that human capital was about. I keep remembering a conversation that I had on a plane trip home late one night from yet another audit visit. I happened to sit next to a bona fide Navy boatswain's mate. This Navy salt worked in a purple suit command comprised of members of various branches of the military. As the boatswain spoke of a friends recent retirement ceremony, he became increasing animated and angry over what he considered to be the lack of respect shown to his friend by the Air Force lieutenant who headed the retirement ceremony. When the lieutenant called "Jim" up to receive his retirement certificate, the boatswain's mate nearly shouted out loud saying, "How dare he call out to Jim instead of Senior Chief Petty Officer Jim ----!" I have never forgotten that conversation -- perhaps because the boatswain's outrage over his friend's casual treatment reflected something that I too would have liked to receive on the job. That missing ingredient is respect, something that has been in ever decreasing supply in my 32 years of federal service. I think all federal employees would appreciate being treated with respect and having their contributions recognized for what they truly are, rather than the hype and jokes that are ever typical today.
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83090
"OPM is a small agency." They have always been small minded, but what they do belongs under the Department of Labor. There are already way too many government agencies and just too much overlap.
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83088
I understand the frustrations of the employees who have been loyal government workers. They need to get rid of this good old boy system. They have their ways of doing illegal things legal. They they wonder why the morale is so low. They are looking out for their buddies and family members that is why where I work all you have to do is follow the family tree. Then they don't want to give anyone training because the more they know about something the better they look and if they do send you to class all the instructor does is bash or rag on our President (which is very unprofessional). I am tired of it and Berry needs to come here under cover and catch all these people. He would be shocked to see what he finds.
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83086
Berry is of the mark. Most of us don't care what the Republicans say; they are just blowing hot air. We DO care, though, when SES supervisors don't bother to read our reports or send them forward, when people are allowed to change the language in our memos and reports because they think their language "sounds better" (note, the facts were not in dispute), and when the priority is on not making waves instead of trying to improve the system. It is the culture at the SES level that is broken. I'm tried of seeing the SES surfing the web or chit-chatting all day.
They are runining morale a lot more than the Republicans are!
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83084
It's about time someone recognized the stellar efforts of government employees. We, the government workforce as a whole, should be the shining example - and in most cases we are. Thank you Mr. Berry.
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83083
If Mr. Berry wants to 'walk the walk and talk the talk" regarding his fight to gain respect for civil servants he should start by creating and instituting a process by which those who served their nation for their entire adult life can look forward to receiving "timely" annuity payments when they retire. Civil Servants showed up each and everyday of their adult lifes on time and ready to do the right thing, the least OPM can do is ensure that they receive a "full annuity payment" no later than 30 days from retirement date. In todays era of technology how difficult can it be for them to get this right, it is very disrespectful to their lifelong service for a retiree to have to wait 2-4 months to receive a full anuuity payment and a greater disgrace that they have to live on savings and lump sum annual leave payments (which they should be able enjoy on other things rather than basic necessities)because the decades old/antiquated process of calculuating accurate retirement payments has never changed. Step up Mr. Berry and set the example, and perhaps others will follow....
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83080
I appreciate Director Berry's comments, he is right on the mark.. I was a federal employee for 38 years (USDA-Forest Service) and it became obvious to me that most Republican Administrations thought the federal workforce was too large, lazy, and inefficient. Most Federal employees are dedicated civil servants (and employees) regardless of the Administration. Just let them do their job and show them some appreciation...
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83073
I agree we need to get a better attitude toward those who have given their best years to the government. They are being penalized and held back for higher paying jobs that they are capable of doing and some have been doing for years, just because they are eligable to retire. Those in the older retirement program was either pushed into the new system or their old system was taken away and they were penalized for working for the government when they added the new system. Now they want to give the new system employees some of the benefits we in the old system have, but they do not want to give the old system employees the benefit of getting their social security and spouse portion that they should be entitled to.
Now they are hiring people off the street and paying them more, sending them to training and the older workers that can and have done the work have not chance to go to a higher grade. Those at a Grade 7 in Logistics have no interventing grade. The next one is an 11.
I have tried to get a grade 9 for which I was not qualified for, but I did and was doing the work and they develeped a new position and put the person in at a grade 11 and gave her the work I was doing. Now this is why the moral is so low. Unfair treatment to the employees.
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83072
I would take that dog to the vet. No dog wants fleas.
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83068
The better attitude could start with his boss's administration. CIA called liars, Inspector Generals fired for revenge.
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83066
Berry can walk the talk by working to kill NSPS. Also, as a non-lifer fed, my earned 11 years of soicial security will be almost wiped out because I will get a CSRS pension. He can work to fix that too.
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83062
As a retired fed, I wholeheartedly agree with John Berry's management model reflected in this article. The current management model based on fear and blame undermines the credibility of federal workers, and creates a crisis of confidence to all but the few who fit into this psychologically disturbing model.
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83060
Was this directed specifically at Skeeter? Good luck with that!
But really, we COULD use a little good, even just decent, PR.
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83057
The reason there is a negative attitude towards the federal workplace in general is exemplified in Berry's liberal "whining" in this article.
He blames "verbal attacks" on feds as reasons government is not productive.
Oh my!
We truly do have a cry-baby nanny state in action with the Obama administration and its appointees.
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83053
Perhapse if these "civil servants" had a better customer focus and realized who is really funding their pay checks, us, Joe citizen, they would not be scorned for their lack-luster performance.
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83052
Not sure the attitude can get any better. Until about a month or so ago and AF civilian was considered an "Airman" and made us feel we are part of something bigger than just a name. Now, guidance comes out and civilians can't be called an "Airman"....not that big of a deal, but makes one feel we aren't good enough. We very much part of the fight and play an important role, regardless of what people think.
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83046
After 32 years of dedicated work for the federal government, I can say that I DID MY JOB to the best of my ability.
I am finding now how little that devotion was appreciated... by the American public, the politicians in the Congress and Senate, and the agencies for whom I worked so hard for all of my adult life.
No, not ALL federal workers do their best... many are just riding the gravy train, but many, many take their jobs and responsibilities very seriously... adhere to principles of good stewardship of the public trust, are honest, hardworking, and never ask for more than a good job, decent retirement, and a little respect for a job well done.
But the era of the dedicated federal employee is nearly over. What you have now are under trained, under paid, under evaluated men and women, who need good leadership and a good standard on which to base their work.
The Administration, the Congress, and the American Public view the federal worker as a leach who feeds at a gigantic trough, and does little for the generous benefits they receive.
I didn't sign on for this, but this is what I got for my government service.
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83039
Berry lives in a parallel universe. The issue most Americans have is not with civilian federal employees. It's with the pitifully dishonest, ineffective, incompetent, and corrupt outcomes, or rather non outcomes, of many govt. programs. I think most taxpayers have a realistic view of the civilian federal workforce: 20 percent Best and Brightest, 50 percent public spirited, moderately competent, and nose to the grindstone type folks, and 30 percent slugs. Unfortunately, a substantial percentage of the slugs are federal managers who are self perpetuating. Honest and competent program leadership is an endangered species. Berry's own agency is historically one of the least competent, least relevant, poorest managed, most transparently corrupt and wasteful in the federal sector. It's not a flea, it's a blood sucking tick on the body politic. You had a far higher character quotient among your charges at the zoo than at OPM Johnny.
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83030
The toxic attitudes to Civil Service are personified in the FERS legislation which replaced CSRS. A few examples: Even though CSRS, Military, and Social Security will get annual COLA, FERS retirees will not until age 62 when they will belatedly receive a "diet" cola. In contrast to CSRS, make FERS employees work longer before qualifying for retirement, while cutting their actual retirement to less than 50% of CSRS. Do not allow FERS employees to have any credit for unused sick leave. Refuse to allow FERS employees to redeposit retirement savings after a break in service if they request a withdrawal. Offer a pittance with TSP matching and watch the stock market vaporize it. But in the meanwhile expect Civil Service employees to deploy to war zones, but not give them any benefits unless they specifically apply for it, tax them 100%, and deny them any military health care for combat injuries, until of course it gets to be too politically embarrassing. When a terrorist bombs the Federal Bldg in Oklahoma, blame missing victims by accusing them of playing hooky from work.
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