The Week in Comments: Security guards, women in combat and the perils of reorganization
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 Report portrays SSA contract security guards as Keystone Kops
That's what you get when you decide to contract out. WHY is this a surprise? It is the same with IT - contracted out and substandard service - at least within DoD.
On a positive note, it is a bit comforting to see an agency taking ownership over their contractor's behavior.
The contract should be terminated; it's called "fraud, waste, and abuse" and it shouldn't be tolerated by SSA. How pathetic and disgusting to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money on mediocre security. How old and educated are these guards? They should be grateful to have a job. Americans have become lazy; all they want to do is collect their paychecks every two weeks and not work. This type of mediocre work is a disaster waiting to happen.
On Lawmakers criticize military funeral protesters
Free speech, it's not like they're right in front of them. As an Honor Guardsmen, I've never seen them before at funerals.
With the supreme court ruling, I guess I can now shout, "Fire" in a crowded theater. It is "free speech."
Whatever happened to respect and common decency? Just because the Supreme Court says this is ok under the Constitution, it is still not "OK" folks! These young people are dying because they volunteered for this country and followed the orders of the officers appointed over them. The very least they deserve is respect from all of us at the time of their interment! I am willing to bet the majority of these so-called protesters have never served!
Unfortunately it's not possible to mandate decency. I served in defense of my country also and I firmly believe that everyone should be able to stand up for what they believe. Instead of trying to make people be decent human beings, maybe we should make a constitutional amendment making it illegal to protest at any funeral where military honors are given. Just an idea.
On Lawmakers propose improvements to intern hiring process
AGAIN?? Didn't we have to totally gut an intern program that was unfairly ignoring hiring and competition rules. Can we please quit kissing intern butt and allow them to apply and be hired like everyone else? I am sure they can move up competitively with the college credentials they are carrying into the workplace.
From what I hear listening to talk at work, the Intern Program and similar are used to circumvent the normal hiring rules. Primarily and especially they brag about using them to avoid hiring Veterans.
So we have to have a "special" program to attract the "best and brightest". Is that because federal workers are considered lazy overpaid leeches and the current administration and congress continue that perception with 1 for 2 hiring and frozen pay? You can't have it both ways.
The interns I have seen do feel an entitlement, a snobbery; perhaps that is because they all got in by being relatives of managers, not by any fair competition. Many have never worked before and do not have the social and professional and work skills that most of us have learned at different jobs, in different companies. They do not bring creativity and teamwork to the workplace. They should compete for jobs like anyone else. We don't need interns. This program is facade for granting preferences to family and friends, and pitifully -- even to pretty young things!
On OPM clarifies leave policies for feds
Wait a minute - this makes good sense. What's going on here?
What about those employees that are told what time to come into work and then are charged leave when they go home at their normal quiting time? They are later told they were only granted four hours emergency leave even though they could not get four hours of work in due to the ordered reporting time!
So how does this work? I am physically at work and they say I can leave 2 hours before my usual departure time. But I decide I want to leave 3 hours early. So I request unscheduled telework, go home and work for 1 hour regardless of the time I get home? How crazy is that!!!
that will be the day. come on OPM you know that our micromanagers dont even consider this an option even if it were coming from heaven above. it aint gonna happen !!!
On Commission calls on Pentagon to scrap women in combat policy
Nothing against the women serving in combat but there is a time and place where women are needed maybe helping out medically or something. But not actual war zones not unless you were called out to that war zone. You see women when they have children they either leave the baby or kids with the other parent or grandparents. That is a heavy burden on them. Its not like you get paid tremendous amount of money to do this and then you might come back all tore up. Loss of limb, sight etc. Then what are you going to do?
What happens to combat readiness when it's time to go to war, and the commanders realize that many female soldiers can't go, because they're pregnant? How about those who are mothers - who will take care of their children?
Don't laugh, it's already happening on Navy warships which have female crewmembers. When it's time to deploy, the crews are shorthanded, because there's always a percentage of female crewmembers who have to stay behind due to pregnancy.
It's very apparent to those who have fought in the war and those who know men and women who have fought in the war that women are in combat NOW. It's ridiculous that the policy exists and it's blatantly sexist because many women are in direct combat even when not on official combat positions. Folks who think otherwise lack experience and/or knowledge.
On The rocky road to reorganization, from Nixon to Obama
Of course if congress is involved it never is effective. Those clowns cna't organize a drinking contest in a brewery.
Our system requires shared sacrifice. The era of shared sacrifice ended around the time Mr. Nixon was elected, at least that's when it became most evident. It probably started around the time LBJ took the reins. Since then, we've been pulled so far away from the idea of "the common good" and "pride in service" that we have a long way to travel back. Government employees are just a reflection of the culture.
Reorganization can work IF you actually have a plan in place BEFORE you start. Doing the reorg on the fly never works, just look at DHS.
On OPM looks to boost hiring of military spouses
This special hiring authority is a slap in the face to every Disabled Veteran. It allows spouse, who have not fought or served, the same rights and points. This needs to be brought into federal court.
This is great news. However, it still does not go far enough. Along with the non-competitive appointment of spouses as stated in the article, spouses of retired service members should also receive some sort of hiring preference. If nothing else, they should be eligible to apply for the same posted openings as their military retired spouse. In most cases, the spouses of military members have had to forego their own careers due to the demands of the military on the service member. I think they have earned the right to at least be eligible to apply for internal openings rather than have to compete with all US citizens.
When will it stop? This is total bias and discrimination against anyone, let alone qualified to ever have a federal career. Besides what happens to any continuity within an organization if the military "spouse" keeps moving! Just because you're married to a military individual I believe does not entitle you to a job, why should they be so different, more than just military spouses need jobs too! So a way ahead to beat unemployment is to simply marry somein in the military! So much for love. Fed Up
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