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Have You Failed to Pay Your Debts? It Could Cost You Your Federal Job

another headline

HR Specialist
USDA
Thu Mar 8, 2007 8:40 AM

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The headline for this article could have read:

"Federal Employee Debt is Okay Because He Was in Jail When He Borrowed the Money?

Arguments like the one used by Ms. Sapin to contort the facts to show that failing to pay a $50,000 debt does not reflect on the integrity of a federal employee are astounding. this person is reviewing decisions of a federal agency to fire a person? How much can we distort facts to keep a person's job? Do we have to have any integrity in order to be a federal employee? Apparently not according to some of the "leaders" at the MSPB who will justify just about anything. Thank God she is in the minority.

hmmmm

Employee
Federal
Thu Mar 8, 2007 8:41 AM

Post Reply

So, let's fire someone because they are struggling to pay debts. Now, the debtors will for sure never see their money.

Re: hmmmm

Analyst
commerce
Thu Mar 8, 2007 8:59 AM
I am not sure you took the time the read the article. In this case, his method of paying off his debts was to let the statute of limitations ensure that he no longer owed the money.

In other words, according to the entire case that I took the time to read, he had no intention of ever paying off the debt. He was sticking it to the people he owed and got away with it--not the same thing as outlined in your note.

Re: hmmmm

HR Specialist
Small agency
Thu Mar 8, 2007 9:11 AM
Let's see, he can pay 15% of his salary into the TSP, but he can't be bothered to pay his debts? Instead, he is waiting for the statute of limitations requiring him to pay them to run out? This is someone who takes no personal responsibility for his actions. I don't want someone like that having access to my personnel/personal information.....

Re: hmmmm

EMPLOYEE/LABOR RELATIONS SPECIALIST
DECA
Fri Mar 9, 2007 10:32 AM
I guess the federal government was responsible for the employee incurring the debt in the first place?? That is exactly what is wrong with this country today too many liberal people who are quick to place the blame on someone else. GROW UP and start accepting responsibility for your own actions. If you incur a debt then do the responsible thing and pay it or don't incur it in the first place. Comments like the one you made are the reason companies like McDonalds had to place warning labels on their coffee, to protect the idiots from burning their mouth.

when you sign on the dotted line....

Rural Development Specialist
USDA/RD
Thu Mar 8, 2007 8:48 AM

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THe right action was taken in this case. I am in the credit business and for the last 26 yrs have seen people who don't care about who they owe and how much. Too many people over indulge in purchasing *things* and then when it comes time to pay they want it to go away. I am so glad bankruptcy laws have changed. When you sign that you will pay for the debt whether it is a mortgage, credit card or rent to own, you enter into a contract. People who don't pay make the rest of us pay for them. What ever happened to buying things when you can afford them? I am not saying don't use credit but the instant gratification need has caught up with this society. Should this person have lost their job???? Probably, if they got denied computer access and it is needed for the job. and no, it does not go away off the credit unless it is zeroed out, they may not be responsible for it but the blemish remains til it has been paid off.

Re: when you sign on the dotted line....

Claims Representative
ssa
Thu Mar 8, 2007 9:49 PM
Actually, credit whiz. the debt falls off after 7 years unless it is bankruptcy which falls off your credit report in 10 years. So, the debt does not remain on your report.

Re: when you sign on the dotted line....

Rural Development Specialist
USDA/RD
Fri Mar 9, 2007 7:08 AM
Actually you are wrong. If the account goes into collection and is not paid, the person is not responsible for the debt after the statute of limitations is up and the creditor can no longer go after them which is why there are collection agencies that take collection accounts over. This way since the account (debt) is transferred it *starts over* with a new date. So, unless it is zeroed out (mr or ms know it all), it WILL remain on the credit report as a collection. Once it is zeroed out it will be removed after 7 years.

Why'd they take the computer?

HR Specialist
ED
Thu Mar 8, 2007 9:00 AM

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Maybe I missed something here--How does one's failure to pay their debts result in an agency taking away the equipment needed to perform the job?

Re: Why'd they take the computer?

Rural Development Specialist
USDA/RD
Thu Mar 8, 2007 9:19 AM
Maybe because the employee uses the computer to shop online? or has access to private info on other people (being in personnel) and could get desperate to get credit..Have you heard of embezzlement...Identity theft??

Re: Why'd they take the computer?

Supervisory IT Specialist
US Coast Guard
Thu Mar 8, 2007 9:32 AM
They took away his computer rights because of his lack of responsibility, accountability and integrity. I DO NOT want someone like that operating within my computing environment, with the possibility for mischief or mayhem. His answer is to let the indebtedness DIE because it cannot be collected and on top of that he is counseled to lower his contribution to the TPS to be able to afford to make payments on his debt. FIRE THE BUM!!

Re: Why'd they take the computer?

HR specialist
retired
Thu Mar 8, 2007 12:37 PM
I think his indebtedness made him a security risk, i.e. someone who might be tempted by money to sell valuable personal data in order to pay off existing and future debts. A wise move on the part of the agency.

Ready? Set? Charge!

Federal Employee
Agency that Audits Others
Thu Mar 8, 2007 9:07 AM

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Failure to pay your debts does not disqualify a person from being employed by my current agency. The amazing thing? At least one person here has declared bankruptcy twice, both times because they are an out-of-control shopper. I would be more understanding if these debts were related to medical expenses or an accident, but the inability to STOP SHOPPING? My sympathy is zero. Clearly Mr. Adams had the financial capacity to pay his debts if he is funding TSP to the tune of 15% per paycheck. Guess he knows his retirement accounts are safe from debtors in a bankruptcy filing.

And I agree that the Ms. Sapin is out in left field. Clearly she is not a store owner who is having to absorb the costs of folks who refuse to pay their debts. Like the rest of us, though, she has to pay for these deadbeats through higher overall prices for goods and services since merchants have to pass along the costs of doing business with those who won't pay their bills.

Barbara Sapin

consultant
HHS
Thu Mar 8, 2007 9:08 AM

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Who is this gal? Do we really have dedicated communists on the board, or is she just an old hippie that doesn't believe in personal responsibility.

returning to union job?

LR Specialist
DoD
Thu Mar 8, 2007 9:11 AM

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I noticed on the MSPB website that Barbara Sapin's term expires this month. Perhaps she wants to return to her job as general counsel or legal counsel for a union and just wants to build up her credibility as a defender of the poor, the downtrodden and the formerly incarcerated so that one or more of the fed unions will pick her up as a stringer.

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