The Week in Comments: Disaster spending, federal hiring and inappropriate political activity
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 Vermont senator: GOP call for disaster-relief offsets is 'absurd'
I'm happy to know that I, and every other homeowner in America can now cancel homeowner's insurance, earthquake insurance and flood insurance because the federal government is now responsible for rebuilding my home if it is lost or damaged. Cities too can drop their insurance programs, this will mean significant savings nation wide!
You can dislike Rep Kantor all you want, but his message is simple; huge deficits and lack of appropriation discipline (passing budgets) tie a country's hands. To do everything is financially untenable - the country has to come back to what it needs to be able to do, and what it can afford to do. Just like in our households, the country needs to ensure financial flexibility in meeting disasters and unprogrammed events without making the deficit and resulting payments an anchor on future choices or opportunities. Americans should recall and take heart with the profound words attributed to a certain individual - "You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need."
Offsets aren't absurd, Bernie. Let's face it, America is broke and bankrupt.
Nothing surprises me that Mr. Cantor was make such a ludacris remark. Will he make the same suggestion when VA is affected by a natural disaster, I doubt it! VA vote this man out of office!!
On FAA falls down on workforce planning
Well no kidding Sherlock. Combine this with a totally apathetic management, a federal pay freeze, constant budget crisis and furloughs and you had an accurate picture of the FAA today. The old guard has no interest other than feathering their nest to retire, there is no new guard. The average age to the FAA employee has to be at least 52. No new blood, even if there were nobody would notice them.
They have not had a budget passed since 2007, how are they supposed to plan when they do not have funding? What kind of company would run without a budge for over 4 years? Congress needs to do their job and pass a budget for the FAA. How many lives are at stake everyday?
The question is: what agencies are doing a good job with workforce planning? And how are unions helping to meet this challenge? With the usual kvetching and blame-Bush mentality that have pushed Obama so far along in his presidency.
On Legislation would mandate military custody of all terror suspects
Obama should apologize to Bush about Gitmo. Bush was right and Obama, as usual, wrong.
Tea is better for you than koolaid
It seems to me the issue is much less about who interrogates and helps prepare a case. The main issue is about which court system applies. The military could get around the Posse Comitas issue by signing an interagency agreement with the FBI stating that suspects in the FBI's custody are to be held and investigated by them when the suspect is in the United States, but turned over to the military for trial.
It amazes me that people are still fighting about political parties, when they are all controlled by those who are deliberately trying to create a New World Order. It does not matter on the party, because they are controlled by those who are destroying our country financially, our health, taking away our freedoms, and giving control to the corrupt corporations and industries that are controlling all world governments.
On House Republicans continue demanding Obama disaster-spending plan
I think "disaster relief" -- just like "military deployments" -- can and should be a budget line item issued in the fiscal year budget just like the Defense budget or the Agriculture budget or the welfare budget. It ought to be easy enough to make a pretty accurate estimate of the amount of dollars executed for disaster relief over a 10-year period, average it out, and include it in the budget. Once it's spent, it's spent. If it's not all spent (yeah, right!) it goes against the deficit. We ought to run all these little pet wars different administratiuons keep getting us into (Iraq, Libya) the same way.
Since WHEN does a POTUS NEED to produce a spending plan to give to Congress? Give me ONE instance when this occurred prior to this administration taking office please!!!!
This is why you can't have a "balanced" budget. You cannot predict exactly how much you will need for a disaster, no matter what "Mike J" thinks. You can estimate but one good hurricane (or two) and all bets are off. As for private insurance yes intelligent people have it, I do, BUT the deductible required by the insurance company would definitely cause me extreme financial difficulty likely causing me to lose my house without assistance. Of course I would have to pay it back but that would be over time and outside of the budget process.
On Employees punished for political activity
If the employees noted had been managers, they would still be in place. Only the little guys are punished severely.
Rightfully punished. We should not be paying people for political activities on our dime. When you signed up you knew the rules. It does not matter what your political views are. Do this stuff on your own time or find another job.
The Hatch Act should be completely repealed as it infringes on my rigths as a private citizen. If a person is using their political views and position to influence either an employee or a member of the public in doing their job they should be investigated and fired. Otherwise, there should be no issue. It's call integrity and that can't be nor should it be legislated.
On USPS to see $10 billion deficit this month
The Post Office is larded with management fat. Don't lay off the people who actually do an honest days work, lay off middle management who surf the net all day and have no duties.
Unions have their place, but they are killing the USPS and creating more national debt. They say it's despicable for layoffs. I think it's even worse to have a glut of well-paid workers with little work on their hands due to decreased USPS use by the public. I say the USPS should be privatized and run like a business. So much debt is shameful.
Communication is now a global commodity business. If the USPS can't compete against the likes of UPS, FedEx, email, smartphones, Twitter, etc., then it should go away. All I get in the mail these days is junk mail and coupons anyway.
On House set to consider legislation honoring federal workers
I smell politicians seeking votes next election. They certainly don't respect federal civil servants. We see right through snakes and their snake oil.
Such tribute is long overdue! At the same time, with all of the fed-bashing that has gone on, its starting to feel as if this is now what it takes to get Congress to care about federal employees. And thats a shame!
Instead of giving us a flag when we're dead, how about honoring us while we're alive, by adequately funding our agencies and not slashing our benefits?
Already getting one of those, can I have a raise instead?
Whether death is in the line of duty or not, Federal Employees should be recognized for their dedication to their agency with the tribute of a flag. This is a small gesture for their sacrifice to support the warfighter. I would certainly prefer pay while I am alive to support my family, but at least leave my family a small token, since they will get nothing else.
Bi-partisan want to eliminate jobs, freeze pay, reduce pension, but providing American flags at funerals is important why?
This is only a vote getting ploy. We all know how congress feels about civilian workers. With our country in financial disaster, this money would be better spent elsewhere. Listen up folks. Don't fall for this cheap I want your vote tactic.
On Obama to propose $300B to jump-start jobs
So, over a trillion being spent to jump start the economy and still no way to actually pay for it. Re-runs and remakes are for television and the movies. In real life they are repeated mistakes not previously learned from.
Yeah - coming from national defense no doubt.
I hope a tax is imposed on companies that export jobs outside of the US. The tax should be high enough that it will pay for them to bring those jobs back to the unemployed in the US. Example: There is no reason employees of the air lines, banks and newspaper customer call centers to be outside of the US.
Why doesn't the president use some of that money to preserve gov't term hires for their full term? That would leave the jobs they would jump into, open for those who have been unemployed longer, and saving separation pay as well. By their very nature temp and term jobs are self-limiting and will go away when the task they support is over. Republicans in congress need to stop drinking the Kool-Aid of government being too big - and Democrats in congress need to take an appetite suppressent.
On Federal hiring to decline in fiscal 2012, group says
But the report apparently did not address the individual that has passed the point of no return for retirement and are almost forced to stay in the government until they are eligible to retire. And three years is the end of the probationary period when the real feelings come out with impunity. The no brainer is that the longer you are with the government, the more your view of management changes. And don't discount the fact that many managers were promoted who do not have the skills or temperament to manage people. When the economy picks up, history shows (if you know history) that the younger employee will leave federal service with this on their resume and get a job outside which is the reason we have younger (under 10 years) and mature (over 20 years) Federal workers and very little in between.
Younger workers are just lucky to have a job, so of course they are happy with cleaning the toilets and scrubbing the floors. Federal workers don't have a clue about how bad the American economy is outside the Beltway. Neither do our elected idiots for that matter.
Geeze..where have you people been? Are you that deluded into thinking industry is so much better that federal employment? If you truly believe that then please go try it. The reason people become so dissatisfied with federal employment is the same reason as for those in industry and that is we have spawned generations of Americans who are selfish, greedy and ungrateful. It's all about "what's in it for me". Get a grip folks and be thankful for what you have because it is much better than most.
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