Re: This is all ----'s Fault

yeah---and we ALL pay taxes on our earnings, too.
As opposed to those 'recruits' that Obama and his crew bring in to win HIM an election!!!!!

Re: This is all ----'s Fault

You bet your boots that Ron Paul was right all along. And every day that we have to watch Obama shred our constitution and government, the more right Ron Paul looks to everyone who knew anything about him.

Re: This is all ----'s Fault

I agree with "Engineer FAA".

I contribute the rotten economy because I want what I want when I want it at the price I want to pay...

I have 100 pairs of shoes because they are cheap to buy made by cheap foreign labor. I should be buying "American" goods made by skilled, decently paid Americal labor. Cheap foreign goods should not be so available. I'd have a cleaner closet to boot (no pun intended).

Re: Poor Attempt at Attention Getting Headlines

de-clare [di-klair] Show IPA verb, -clared, -clar-ing.

–verb (used with object) 1. to make known or state clearly, esp. in explicit or formal terms: to declare one's position in a controversy.
2. to announce officially; proclaim: to declare a state of emergency; to declare a winner.
3. to state emphatically: He declared that the allegation was a lie.
4. to manifest; reveal; show: Her attendance at the rally declared her political allegiance.
5. to make due statement of, esp. goods for duty or income for taxation.
6. to make (a dividend) payable.
7. Bridge. to bid (a trump suit or no-trump).

Re: Poor Attempt at Attention Getting Headlines

A national emergency continues to exist because the govt won't end the wars. Thats the biggest drain on our GDP. In fact it promotes negative GDP. And now some are crying for free health care for all. It sounds good but whos going to pay for it. I actually regret voting for obama now and not because of the 2 percent. But did we all forget our average raise has been much smaller than the private sector when compared to equal type jobs. At least we got some job security.

Re: Poor Attempt at Attention Getting Headlines

Sorry for the typo..."declaring"...I was angry when I wrote this...

Re: Recruit and Retain - Definition needs to be clear

Yes they know the system, they know how to get over on the system! I was hired as an FCIP, part of about 150 new hires in my office. When we got here there were about 500 "senior" employees. There was also a backlog of work slated to last us 18 months to two years based on current work flow. After less than a year we started running out. We worked faster, but funny thing was, so did the old-timers. They didn't want it to look like we were better, so they worked harder, why didn't they do that to start with? Would have saved countless millions of dollars in hiring, training, and equiping new employees who got their hopes up for a new career. One major problem with the system is it is ridiculously hard to cut excise useless employees simply because they have been sitting at their desk doing nothing for 30 years. I say fire them and hire people who work to earn a job!

Re: Recruit and Retain - Definition needs to be clear

To the SSA Program Analyst -
I feel your pain about the "retention" incentives. Although this does not apply to the entire government, the Air Force is accepting applications for the new "Civilian Acculturation and Leadership Training (CALT) Program". The criteria is - Air Force civilians in NSPS pay bands 1 and 2, GS grades 1 through 13, and DCIPS pay bands 1 through 3, must have a Bachelors degree and no prior military service. I am not positive about the demographics of the Air Force but I tend to think there may be at least a few baby boomers with prior military service in the GS grades 1 through 13 with leadership potential. They are “branded” ineligible for the purposes of this program. I would think there might be another way to attack a "retention" issue.

Re: Recruit and Retain - Definition needs to be clear

Annoyed Citizen,
Know exactly how you feel,but not all long time em-ployees neglect their duties. While it may be difficult to fire a federal employee,it's not impossible. I've seen in happen several times in my 25-year career. It can be done,but supervisors need to pick up their pens and document insolence. Many supervisors are reluctant to counsel employees who do not perform. The more re- luctant they are and the longer they wait to do some-thing about it,the more difficult it becomes to remove that nonperforming worker. Seems impossible because they've condoned the behavior and really will face an uphill battle because they've allowed it to go on. IMO it's more of a supervisory issue. If supervisors demand performance by demonstrating that they won't allow subpar performance to go unchecked,employee performance will improve. Worked with a few lazy employees who supervisors complained about, but did nothing to correct and then gave them an incentive award. Sends a mixed message.

Re: National Emergency

Hey Civil Engineer from VA, do you not keep up with current events? Or did you conveniently missed all the recent reports that the bailout for the banking industry netted the federal government a $4 billion profit thus far?

From http://www.tampabay.com/news/in-surprise-bank-bailout-makes-4-billion-profit/1032393

"The profits, collected from eight of the biggest banks that have fully repaid their obligations to the government, come to about $4 billion, or the equivalent of about 15 percent annually, according to calculations compiled for the New York Times.

That does not include the roughly $35 million the government has earned from 14 smaller banks that have paid back their loans."

Pretty nice return at 15% don't you think for such a short loan?

Re: National Emergency

I see that Scientist convienently didn't mention this portion of the news article:

"The government still faces potentially huge long-term losses from its bailouts of the insurance giant American International Group, the mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the automakers General Motors and Chrysler.

The Treasury Department could also take a hit from its guarantees on billions of dollars of toxic mortgages."

Re: National Emergency

Hey Scientist the FE just put $6TRILLION of new loan bailouts on their books that won't be paid back, couple with the fact that the bank bailouts amounted to $1 Trillion. Nice return seeing as how the taxpayers are paying INTEREST on the loans from China there is NO return.

Re: SLAP IN THE FACE COST OF LIVING INCREASE

AMEN! Same here! I am sick of hearing about how gravy federal jobs are, and how good our benefits are as compared to the private sector. When the economy is doing well we are lucky to get 3%, when the economy is bad we are lucky to get 2%. In the private sector when times are good 10% isn't unheard of! Yes private sector employees do take cuts in bad times, but not all. The Prez is worried about 19 billion to give us a little more of a raise? Why wasn't he worried about money when he was pissing it away giving it to the banks and auto companies? Chase got billions and STILL raised my rates. US Bank got billions and they don't give a crap if I can't afford to pay my mortgage.
As employees of the worlds largest employer, our pay is an economic force in and of itself. If we have money to spend, then we are putting more into the economy as a whole. 2% is yet another poor decision, following many and preceding far too many more by this "Joker".

Re: SLAP IN THE FACE COST OF LIVING INCREASE

Simple, stop slopping at the federal trough, and go to the private sector for those great benefits and salary.

Re: Balance budget

If you are working and stiff, retire, give the job to someone who is able to work. Apapre3ntly, you are too stiff to work.

Re: Balance budget

Just another example of taking it away from the workers and giving to the free loaders and programs that support them. They continue to be rewarded for living beyond their means. How many different ways can Obama find to accomplish this task?