The Week in Comments: Furloughs, reinstatements and pay -- again
The best in reader reaction to recent articles.
A roundup of some of the comments received this week in the GovExec.com Mailbag. All comments are presented in their original, unedited form.
On Contractor performance database goes public in April
I hope GSA would include a field for conflicts of interest, DC law firm, lobbyist and political contributions of the firm.
Finally! Good grief, this has been a long time in coming. Contrary to what the above article indicates, this website has NOT been available to all people who have the authority to spend government money. Now, if we could only get such a list of deadbeat grantees and make it public too. The Government Grant Officers need some leverage to stop the practice of throwing good money after bad to grantees who do not use the money as intended.
Wonder if they will find out that us governments do the work, the contractors twick it and take credit for it! What will they do without us???
On TSA union election tentatively set for March
The quickest way to gridlock will be for union representation. Now just wait until they decidetostrike over something and it will bring total chaos to the traveling public.
This has been a long time coming. I worked for TSA for one year and quickly discovered that it is considered the "arm pit" of the federal government--a place where folks with low (or no) education/experience go in an attempt to break into federal service. Most of the management/leadership is either incompetent or corrupt thus the need for reform with the introduction of the union to help out the rank and file. This agency has been my litmus test for Obama's administration's resolve in fixing goverment; he will actually lose my vote over this because it has taken too long (it was almost two years to even get a new leader appointed). I cashed in (got a nice salary increase there) and moved on to another federal agency where I am much happier. Concidently, TSA leadership was so happy recently when it was announced the agency was a "great place to launch a federal career" ... one can definately launch a career there but you have to then get out or risk insanity ...
On Wisdom of two-week furlough proposal is subject to debate
I am in favor of Congress taking a 2 month furlough. Maybe Mr. Coffman could propose that rule and lead by example.
It just makes sense that we federal workers should make same concessions as state and other government workers. For federal workers to think they are different and do not need to make cuts while others are is just unfair.
Eveery worker furloughed should burn off two additional weeks of sick leave to teach these guys what can happen.
A perfect earmark to this bill (H.R. 270) would be the implementation of Term Limits for all Senators and Congressman.....
No wisdom in the furlough proposal! If management were getting government work done effeciently we wouldn't need the furlough. Why try to take it out on the workers? Descipline in spending and management control are needed.
On Interior to reinstate ousted Park Police chief after eight years
Typical of the bush regime. You tell the truth and you lose your job. Glad those days are behind us.
MSPB upholds 80% of Agency actions against employees. The Agency actions that are allowed to go forward and the cost to the taxpayer are cause for a significant amount of concern. The 80% could go higher if you weeded out the political vendettas such as this one.
What I see is a person that saw a problem and did something about it. She more than likely told everyone in her management chain what was wrong. And more than likely everyone in her management chain gave her lip service and sat on there hands and did nothing. Just because you are a federal employee doesn't mean that you check in your freedom of speech when you walk in the door to go to work.
On Promotions and pay increases decline for many workers
You can keep the meaningless award certificates and the other phony nonsense. If you can't come across with some money or paid leave, don't waste my time. Also, how much expense and time is wasted on the moneyless awards?
The survey also found that most organizations do not communicate promotional opportunities to current employees---that's because "The Good 'Ol Boy Network" is still alive and well! Though it will be denied by the higher-ups, pre-selection still exists as well as nepotism...Additionally, in my agency, job descriptions in job announcements are blatantly tailored to a specific in-house person guaranteeing that he/she will get this job...
The only incentive that works for me is an annual pay raise!
At the federal department I work it is common practice to heap work from several different jobs onto the new guy or the one who can handle it. When that employee become stressed to almost the breaking point and reports the abuse, managers label them as rude and disrespectful. This labeling prevents promotions.
On 'Put your pom-poms on': Report details Hatch Act violations
As usual, the big fish get away with murder. Let some small fry so much as put up a political pin in his cubicle and he will be punished within an inch of his life. Political appointees abuse federal tax dollars and even fly on the federal dole for their political benefit and nothing happens. There is no justice in this country anymore.
Great job Mr. Brodsky, you could not be no more bias if you tried. You fail to mention that the initial report on this investigation mentioned that these so-called pep rallies have been common in most all administrations. At least I heard that mentioned. You must carry grudges for excessive lengths of time or you are really digging for a story you believe to be worthy. No problem, your Liberal friends that seem to always leave out significant details will grab this and run like crazy.
On Obama pledges massive overhaul of government
Shrink government? Corporate tax reduction? Tax simplification? When did Obama become a conservative?
Wasn't "Limited government..." what led to the predicament we're in today? I seem to recall a watered down SEC etc. Capitalism is greedy and needs watchdogs that WATCH not foxes guarding the hen house.
It's good to vent here, but I can almost guarantee that the politicians are not reading these posts. We need to be more visible (media) to get our concerns addressed. My biggest concern is that the politicians making decisions on OUR healthcare get their healthcare FREE... for LIFE! Times that number by how many congressmen/women? That's where are dollars are being wasted. Millionaires (the majority of them I would venture to guess) that don't pay for healthcare. Shameful.
A government overhaul is just what is needed. We will experience some aches and pains up front, but in the longrun we will be stronger and more efficient. This has been too long coming.
If Congress would not initiate new programs every year with no federal staff to implement and manage, smaller government would make sense. What the Republicans are after is "contracting out" federal jobs. I've seen it in action....it is twice as expensive and ineffective, at best.
Some of the posts on here flabbergast me. The president talks for an hour about how he is going to push the wheelbarrow, how fast he's gonna push it, and where he is gonna take it. A number of bloggers here want to label that progress. However, I want to see him lay his hands on the two handles and make something happen. SOTU message is, always has been, just a dog and pony show for the terribly naive. Country will continue to decline so long as congress keeps kicking the can down the road. We're all in this together, and made this mess together by electing officials that don't know (or worse, don't care) what accountability means.
On Military pay, benefits top federal civilian compensation
Gee, can you tell the the Congressman has NO military background! Talk about creating a mess for the military pay folks to try and deal with!!! Do you think he even has a clue that Military people rotate, get orders and are not always serving in a battle zone... and the folks at home and overseas in support roles.. I suppose they are not as important... sure just send the Soldier or Marine to the front but pay the folks less that give him or her the tools to do the job! Steny, I've seen Sleepless in Seattle, and you are "Clueless in Congress"!
Regarding the military's "better" compensation - I would guess that the average Federal civilian employee is not unvoluntarily assigned to places where they face death as a condition of employment.
And they didn't include the salaries of women because???? What career patterns are they talking about? Women now have to work irregardless of whether there are children at home. Financially, it would be suicide for our families if we didn't.
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