The Week in Comments: Contribution disclosure, debt relief and buyouts
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 Administration set to order contractors to disclose campaign contributions
I would think that politicians would already know who has given them money and who has not. Gosh, I'd hate to think that contractors wouldn't still give freely to political candidates if the donations were public. And why would they stop giving freely. After all, the only reason for a contractor to give money to further a political cause is a patriotic and benign exercise in the political process, with no thought or hope of the contractor receiving any future benefits from the transaction, right?
I thought the US Supreme Court said that they can do this and they do not have to tell where it came from. It is unconstitutional to rquest the info they ask for. Strange time to do this in the third year of office.
Contracting professionals are too busy navigating cumbersome policy and struggling with an under-experienced workforce to worry about this meaningless proposed legislation. What are Contracting Officers supposed to do with the results? They can't make a decision on political affiliation. This amounts to a waste of taxpayer dollars at a time when we should be reducing Government spending.
There are enough problems maintaining Procurement Integrity. If this passes, the courts will be filled with Procurement Integrity issues. It would appear to me that the current administration is setting this up to feed contracts to contractors that support the Democrats. Let's face it, this administration has pulled off more crap than any other that I can remember.
On Bill would forgive debt for some disaster assistance recipients
Plaese tell me you're joking. The recipients should have enough common sense to return the money on there own. But no, let's just say that's ok, just consider it another entitlemeent. The honest, hard working, law abiding taxpayers in this country will take just so much of the goverments blunders, and the congress acting with such idiocracy. Where does it end?
You can't have it both ways. If the government waives the debt then the amount paid out should then be considered as income and federal taxes be paid on it since it has become, essentially, a gift. Of course there are some economic Luddites that would say that taxing the payment is wrong.
On Air Force to survey some civilian employees on buyouts
Hope EPA surveys its workforce. I think there would be at least 10,000 takers! Voluntary Early Out Authority should be applied to all government agencies. At least half of the entire federal workforce would accept!
Buyouts are an excellent tool to reduce the workforce with dignity and preclude running a RIF. They save funding if executed in the first quarter of the fiscal year. They also give management the ability to restructure the remaining workforce to face the new threats facing the nation. I think buyout incentives are a good management tool.
People are never happy or satisfied. A while back many were posting that if the $25K incentive were offered, they would retire. Now, people are complaining that it needs to be $50K or even $100K. Get real folks. The government doesn't owe you a thing. You're lucky they are considering any incentive at all and by the way, none has been offered yet.
On Poll: What is your agency doing for Public Service Recognition Week?
Well, last year we got muffins in the lobby. I figure this year we'll have to pay to get in the building.
I didn't even know that their was Public Service Recongition Week. DHS has definitely made any mention of it or plans to celebrate it.
Same thing it did last year...nothing. Oh wait, no, we got a "Thank You for your Service" email.
On Boehner signals willingness to look at big oil's tax breaks
Gee, I thought the reason gas prices go so high is because of the reason that the media and weak minded professed during President Bush's administration: The President was making deals with his oil buddies. So I guess President Obama is making those same deals, right?
Even forgetting to kiss the oil industry's derriere rhetorically is a big mistake on Boehner's part. Big oil runs this country, and don't you forget it. And if you think Obama or the Congressional Democrats will get anywhere attempting to tax, regulate or do anything that big oil doesn't want him to do, you've got a big, bad surprise coming. The energy business owns all of them, lock, stock and oil barrel. (Writing to you from the oil soaked beaches of the Gulf Coast).
Either way the price rises at the pumps...cut subsidies without constraining profits is pointless.
On GOP senators push back on campaign contributions order
Anyone wanna guess which party is the biggest beneficiary of HUGE political dollars from federal contractors?
So they contribute $4999 instead.
No surprising that proponents of big business are wanting to shield the corporate bigwis from the public seeing what they support politicly
This Exec. Order is typical of the way the Obama administration works. Favors for Demos. and union companies. Ever wonder why the federal overnight mail contract was changed in 2009 from FedEx to UPS? UPS is a union company, FedEx is not.
NEXT STORY: 2,000 Postal Managers Take Buyouts