Re: The Next Administration

One item, that most don't remember for some unknown reason, Clinton gave Federal employees was a zero pay raise because of his "economic emergency" (left side of his mouth) while simultaneously praising his "wonderful economy" (right side of his mouth).

Another was dismantling the military, which required the next president, the hated Bush, to activate the reserves and "send our children" to Iraq to be killed and maimed. Wonder why our military is so overstressed? Why our intelligence was so unreliable?

I caution everyone to be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it, but not in the form you expect. I'm reminded of the parable about the man with the deformed arm, "God, let my arms be alike!". Then, Whoosh, God made both arms alike - and the man saw that _both_ his arms were then deformed.

I wonder what havoc may be wrought for Feds if Obama and a sympathetic congress actually get the chance to attempt to carry out the list of impossible promises he just made.

Re: The Next Administration

Everyone please relax. I have been at this for 23 years. And I can promise you that with all the talk of CHANGE no real change-no matter who wins- will come. I promise you.

Re: The Next Administration

Clinton gave us great raises. Where were you? Asleep or in another universe? We also got overtime to get the work done.

Re: Real Life Reform Impacts

The Partnership EO had no teeth, no enforceability--the Supreme Court said so. It was a warm and fuzzy thank you to Labor that meant nothing. The unions interpreted it to mean they co-managed the Agency. President Bush was right to rescind it. If you can't work together in your own right, a piece of paper won't make it work either.

Re: Real Life Reform Impacts

EMP DOD
With the executive order that Clinton had and Bush rescinded, you had teeth, almost everything was up to bargaining, and could be added to contract. Without there is alot less that is negotiable, meaning employees get screwed.

Re: Real Life Reform Impacts

"With the executive order that Clinton had and Bush rescinded, you had teeth"

and of exceptional note is that neither Clinton nor Bush is running for office.

Re: Real Life Reform Impacts

ATCS, you obviously don't understand the difference between mandatory subjects for bargaining and permissive subjects--and the permissive subjects for bargaining were only at the election of the agency. You were misled to believe everything was open for negotiation. When the unions complained they weren't allowed to negotiate the subjects they wanted, the Supreme Court said sorry Charlie, I can't help you.

Re: An exciting new world

And you want to return for four more years in Bushistan, where contractors are getting rich, there's huge national debt, pay-for-performance is coming to you, the Justice Dept is selecting government attorneys based on their brand of Christianity, and the National Guard continues to deplete itself occupying a country that had weapons of minimal destruction? What does McCainistan promise that's different?

Re: An exciting new world

Fly, you must have slept through the Clinton Era and all the "good" he did for the Federal employee. Can you say, "Reduce Federal employment, contract out"? I voted for Clinton, but he was no friend to the Federal employee, and he was sneaky about it. Apparently, you didn't notice.

Re: if you dont know quit assuming

Without corporations and their interests we will have no country. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Re: if you dont know quit assuming

Well said. Corporations create jobs and wealth. The government costs jobs, diminishes wealth and is a burden to the taxpayers.

Re: if you dont know quit assuming

well if you're so enamored of the almighty corporation that is willing to shut down any labor organizations and rob their worker's retirement funds (if they even have a plan in the first place) as the ceo's go skipping off to the bank i guess you deserve what you get. And if you like them so well why aren't you working for them instead of the govt?

Re: if you dont know quit assuming

Corporations create jobs overseas and wealth for themselves. The people who do the real work do not get paid the money that they are worth, but the CEOs are another story. There's your coffee!

Re: if you dont know quit assuming

Civilian Navy and Engineer HUD...WTF is wrong with you?
Huge, monopolistic corporations are responsible, in large part, for the financial crisis we are in now. They've shipped production overseas to cheaper labor markets and weakened the driving force behind America's rise to economic power. Have you noticed how many things are now "Made in China"? Have you heard who is suddenly a formidable economic power - China! Big business eliminates competition through mergers and buyouts = no more Mom & Pop stores, only huge megaWalmarts with everything "NOT Made in USA". Actual producers of real goods (farmers, factory workers, etc) struggle to make ends meet while those that "manage", "lead", and make money just by moving money around live lavishly. There's something fundamentally wrong with that system. A greed driven business model will always lead to a financial catastrophe, as we are in now. Wake up and smell the coffee? I think that is red Koolaid you're drinking...

Re: if you dont know quit assuming

If the large banking, insurance, and auto corporations are "too large to fail," then they just might be too large to escape being named as monopolies, subject to being broken up into smaller units. This might not be as "efficient" in terms of administrative costs, etc., but it would mean that bad decisions would tend to be more limited in scope. Sub-prime would not have taken down EVERYONE.

Same with government. The more we put all our trust in one monolithic entity, the more likely that bad decisions could take down all ability to govern well, andwe watch our tax money flush down the drain.

We now have a different elected leader in that monolith...but the basic idea of government taking care of everything is basically the same.

Enact balanced regulations to keep the game clean then let the successful continue and the unsuccessful fail. Don't tax the productive out of wanting to remain productive. It will be hard medicine, but may be the only way to re-enliven the economy

Re: Fed Employees and the Presidency

I didn't see anything in the article that indicated we should be afraid or excited--just that there are likely to be efforts to change the federal system (again) as has been done in the past. It also says there may be more personnel cuts in DoD as was done under Clinton and under Carter. That is probably true based on what we have seen in Obama's comments.

If you liked the NPR process, and thought it was useful, it will be a good thing. If you hated the process, it will be a bad thing. Each person can assign his own judgment to what is likely to occur.

I liked the article; especially the comparison to the Clinton 1992 speech. I did not realize they were so similar in content and philosophy.

Re: Fed Employees and the Presidency

This is for LR Specialist Dod Agency, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Bush Sr. is the one that got the ball rolling on the cut backs in DOD, Operation Cobra", prior to leaving the white house. Everything was in place before Clinton took office.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

Totally uncalled for.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

The fact that this forum is anonymous makes you feel comfortable making such slurs. How sad that many of us readers probably work next to or under you. Thank you FedSmith for NOT censoring this comment. It shows that unfortunately, racism isn’t dead in or society, a fact that many who aren’t on the receiving end of it are unaware of

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

With comments like these, I'm surprised that you were able to formulate the words and put them down on paper. If you only knew how narrow minded you really sounded you would think before you ever opened your mouth to speak. You must have been wearing headphones when Obama spoke about his "white" mother and grandparents who raised him. Other than a photograph of him with his "black" father did he pay homage to his black ancestry. This is the 21st Century and some of you still think that we are living in the Jim Crow era. If African Americans who have consistently voted for one white male or the other since being allowed to vote thought that they would be put back into slavery by voting for a white male, I don't think that they would waste their time going to polls to vote. All I can is feel sorry for you and others who are sick with racism and discrimination. God help your sick soul.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

....One might also note that in terms of access to medical care, America already IS a 3rd world nation, and in terms of infrastructure, soon will be.

I'm not a big fan of Obama, but I honestly don't see how either he or McCain could do worse than the politicians we currently have in power.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

Shame on FedSmith for even publishing such a bigoted and racist comment. Speaking as a white American, you and an embarassment to our race.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

Hey! Editor! How come Grunt can make a racist comment but I'm not allowed to tell him "What a maroon"? Bugs Bunny and I dissent!

Can I tell Grunt he's a jerk?

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

We routinely disapprove (or at least edit out) names directed to another specificially at another reader or author ("idiot," "moron," "Nazi" seem to be the most common).

We are also occasionally accused by some of only approving comments with which we agree. Our experience has been that anyone who takes time to read comments will quickly realize many of the comments on the site reflect diametrically opposed views and are still published.

The comment in question has irritated or even angered some readers. Obviously, this comment will offend some readers. However, we do not want to delve into eliminating comments that reflect an unpopular, politically incorrect, or a point of view that some will say is reprehensible.

Publishing the comment is likely to have the opposite effect of the writer's intent. We do encourage free expression (and usually get a wide range of opinions on some topics) as it exposes people to the views of others that they may not be expressed in the workplace for fear of being unpopular or even fear of disciplinary action. As the comment in question demonstrates, there are underlying issues in the campaign that are not widely held or articulated but it does not mean these opinions do not exist. We do not view our role as preventing everyone from being offended. Each person is free to his or her opinion. Others are certainly free to disagree--please just refrain from name calling.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

I agree with the poster's comments. The hiring and promotion of unqualified minorities however is nothing new. In 1987, the EEOC issued MD-714. This document stated that minorities and women were to receive preferential treatment. It implemented a quota system. White males were not allowed. The result is that the government now has more functionally illiterate employees that at any time in its history. HUD is an excellent example of this. The number of over graded Blacks and Hispanics who cannot perform their jobs is staggering.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

To Grunt: If you don't like the man, for whatever reason, just vote against him. There is no needed for comments like your's - they only detract from the serious debates that are being held around the country about who can best get us out of the messes we are in and improve our daily lives . As for FedSmith - why did you publish these comments? Hopefully it is not because they echo your feelings.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

This is the most racist and idiotic thing that I have ever heard. Since childhood I have heard that the one thing that racists fear is that one day Blacks will get into power and do the same things to whites that have done to Blacks for years. I pity this fool.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

To Grunt: You must be uneducated and was passed up for promotion for you to say something so stupid. People like you are the reason we have Affirmative Action.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

Grunt,

I see why you are in the field, if you have no political knowledge then its ok to not say anything. As they say, if you don't have anything intelligent to say, zip your lip.

Re: A BHussainObama-Biden administratin

I sense a lot of anger here. Grunt: instead of blaming other people for your shortcomings and making yourself a victim, take some responsibility and be a man.