Letters

Regarding your article citing successes with the IMPAC purchase card (Executive Memo, November), the Veterans Affairs Department has experienced other significant benefits. In addition to streamlining the procurement process, VA has been maximizing rebates from the IMPAC program. During the latest six-month rebate period, VA received about 80 percent of the governmentwide rebates (about $800,000 out of a little more than $1 million in total rebates) with only about 11 percent of the total purchases.

VA was able to achieve this with its Credit Card System (CCS). The system accepts a daily transaction file from Rocky Mountain BankCard System (RMBCS), automatically posts it to VA's accounting system and makes a daily electronic payment. The process allows VA to receive the highest possible rebate ($6.60 per $1,000 in purchases). With VA's goal of converting 95 percent of its micropurchases to the IMPAC card, VA expects rebates of more than $4 million annually.

The CCS recently received the National Performance Review's prestigious Hammer Award for maximizing rebates and streamlining processing.

With VA's participation in the Franchise Fund Pilot program, the CCS is available to other federal agencies. CCS became Internet accessible in January.

For more information on VA's Austin Finance Center and CCS, contact Dee Busenlehner at (512) 389-5224 or David Kubacki at (512) 389-5177.

Harlan R. Hively
Austin Finance Center Director
Veterans Affairs Department

SHAVE MORE OFF THE TOP

Judging from most of the articles in your November issue, it seems that recent downsizing, which, by and large, has had a very positive impact on the morale of the federal workforce, hasn't gone nearly far enough. In many instances, incompetent managers remain in authority.

Let's face it. For generations, the traditional bureaucratic system, which is modeled entirely upon medieval feudalism, brought us nothing but decay, stagnation and putrefaction. For the most part, anyone interested in doing good work either for the sake of doing good work or for the sake of serving his country either left government service or at least left the Washington area long ago. Many federal managers in Washington (particularly at the Census Bureau) only care about exercising control and lording over increasing numbers of properly obsequious subordinates. One cannot gain stature, prestige, more money and a higher GS/GM-level other than through expanding the number of souls under one's dominion. Competence in anything other than political astuteness has nothing to do with ascending the Washington bureaucratic hierarchies.

For most agencies, roughly 70 percent of the positions could be eliminated without jeopardizing essential functions. Without so much management overhead, the 30 percent that remained could accomplish a great deal more than the current setup.

Willy Losinger
Mathematical Statistician
Agriculture Department

JOB HELP NO JOKE

In response to Klaus Grimm's "Job Placement a 'Cruel Joke'" (Letters, September), the Office of Personnel Management already has a comprehensive job bank. Agencies are required to list all competitive service vacancies. The job bank is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by phone or by computer. Job seekers can also review comprehensive federal job listing on OPM's new USA JOBS Web site at www.usajobs.opm.gov.

Like the Priority Placement Program at the Defense Department, the new governmentwide regulations on career transition assistance mandate that agencies select surplus or displaced employees who apply and who are well-qualified for vacancies. The current rule applies within a commuting area, but the final rule may extend eligibility beyond the commuting area.

The difference between DoD's Priority Placement Program and the federal career transition assistance program is that under the former, employees are referred, and under the latter, employees apply directly. Our experience is that referral systems work fine within an agency, but are not as effective on an interagency basis. The Interagency Placement Program referred people, but they often declined job offers. By applying directly, people get considered for the jobs they want. Employees in the interagency program who are targeted for RIF separation must be given selection priority for internal vacancies for which they apply and are found well-qualified. Displaced federal employees in the community may likewise apply for vacancies when an agency recruits from outside its workforce. If they are found well-qualified, then they too, are entitled to selection priority. We believe this "empowers" employees to better guide their careers.

OPM provides oversight of the career transition assistance rules and follows up on complaints. We also evaluate compliance during agency oversight reviews. If an agency fails to provide selection priority under the regulations, we want to know.

Mary Lou Lindholm
Associate Director for Employment
Office of Personnel Management

CHEAP SHOT AT DOLE

I have read your publication for years and feel it's a fine unbiased presentation.

I fail to see why you had to degrade your previous fine efforts by trying to justify in your December Editor's Notebook that the media, with emphasis on the New York Times, is not biased.

Even I, a common unsophisticated government employee, can see the liberal bent in the news of some major dailies, including the Times.

Your cheap shot at Bob Dole was uncalled-for even from your liberal biased point of view.

Felix L. Foss
Agriculture Department