The Week in Comments: Telework turned 'tele-run errands,' farewell to KSAs and bathroom humor
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 Burning Question: Where's the best place to work for Uncle Sam?
We worked in a very small town in mid america, far away from a city of even 50,000, and for families, it is the very best place to have a fed job. We lived even farther out in the rural countryside on a farmstead. Most of our colleagues appreciate the same remoteness. The rest of you who have to live in a city and have people around you, you can have it.
Sigonella Sicily, great people, places to live, wonderful history and a quick hop to mainland Europe. A tad toasty in the summer but worth it every day.
I know people will laugh, but Washington DC is the best. Why? There are a tremendous amount of government jobs here, making it easy to move between jobs and agencies if you want. While I would love to live in my hometown of St. Louis to be closer to family, the thought of being stuck in a government job there with fewer opportunities to move around if I don't like it, keeps me here in DC.
On Telework bill comes up short in the House
Am I hearing a cry that government is too bloated to handle the traffic in DC? The solution is to let the workers stay home 20% of the time? Wonder if the telework/office split will increase as the size of government grows with insourcing as the new way ahead?
My supervisor feels he won't be able to tell if we would be working while teleworking. Yet he can't tell how many of his employees actually work while in the office. With appropriate training and work plans this shouldn't be an issue.
This was a bad idea..Telework no way telestayhome now your talking telerun errands.. teletakethekidsto school
On Pentagon faces major hurdles in meeting greenhouse gas targets
I wish my government would STOP spending MY money on a hoax. This is criminal.
I just wonder how long it will be before they determine that the individual humane should be taxed on the quantity of carbon dioxide they exhale in each breath cycle. They could also include any mammal that a humane owns. We could then say that we are actually charged for breathing. The Dems should be happy with that....
Why, what an opportune time for our military to get all environmentally correct. After all, what else do they have to spend time and money on? . . . except for two wars, overstressed troops, and resulting medical costs.
Dittos to what "me" posted first -- stop wasting billions of taxpayer dollars seeking to reduce so-called greenhouse gasses. The real scientists have already proven that climate change is directly related to solar storm cycles and not atmospheric conditions. The real scientists were then silenced with threats to cut off all their research funds. The greenhouse gas kool-aid drinkers are wittingly or unwittingly pushing the world toward world socialism by making everybody equally poor. Kum bah yah.
On GOP senator blocks disaster relief funding
The spending has to stop! The Federal Government can not keep bailing out states every time a storm blows through town. States are responsible for taking care of their people; especially when they build entire communities in a flood plain or a tidal surge plain! There are ample insurance options for people who choose to gamble and live in those areas.
I do not understand why the GOP would not block a non emergency program like aid to agricultural interests but chose to block such a vital program such as disaster aid?
It's easy to say "no" when things are going well. Hope the shoe does not get on the other foot!
I live on the Gulf Coast, and yes we need money for the oil spill clean-up, but I agree with Sen Coburn, we need to be able to pay for it before we let our leaders turn us into the next Greece. Congress can't pass a bill that says take care of the devastated areas such as the Gulf Coast and the flood/storm ravaged areas only, no they have to add a bunch of stuff we don't need to be paying for right now like work programs and fixing potholes. Americans need to get out and vote for people who can manage our money and not vote for politicians who worry about catering to the voters. Our leaders need to do what is right and not popular.
On Gates seeks cuts in Defense bureaucracy to fund weapons systems
Good, maybe he'll cut my office and some of the arrogant people in it. They are hard to work with and I could use an early retirement!!!!
Is this the same Gates who distributed a hard quota for insourcing 30,000 people performing already contracted work, without regard to cost, technical competence or performance?
We have 700 bases in 170 different countries. Let Europe and Asia pay for their own defense. World War II has been over for 65 years people! While we're at it we should reduce our dues to the UN and cut all foreign aid (Bribes) to countries for their food and health care/immunizations. Re-negotitate NAFTA and GATT to level the playing feild for the American worker and bring back our manufacturing base from abroad.
As long as this is across the board and does not target civilian employees for this entire thing, no problem. He needs to look at the General Officers and the SES's first - there are more of them that do nothing and get paid big bucks for doing it than you can shake a stick at.
On Obama chooses executive branch veteran for Supreme Court slot
Seeing as the right wingers have been filling the federal appellate judge positions with conservative activists for the last 30 years, it's good to see a person selected for the Supreme Court outside of that right wing group. As for the expected backlash from the Obama haters, diversity or opinions that are different than their own will never be tolerated, so we should just ignore them and let them rant and rave like the spoiled brats they are.
Does she know the law? The answer is definitely yes, so what is all the noise about? I'm a Republican, but I believe when you get to be a Supreme Court Justice it's about interpreting the law, not about political leaning. Presidents may try to politicize the court, but it's about personal character, and I believe she has character.
Were there no veterans that were qualified?
Now why should a little thing like NO experience be an issue? Look who has the White House.
An excellent choice to counter the right wing hacks currently sitting on the bench. Hopefully, the Supreme Court can begin to reclaim some of the respect it lost in 2000, when it became a tool of the corporatist GOP.
On Essay-based job applications are on the way out
Boy things must have really got out of hand since I was hired more than 30 years ago for these rules to have been reissued. Either that or this is pretend manaagement initiatives by the Prez, i.e., he is reading the rule book as if he developed it.
We can only hope the resumes will be vetted prior to hiring. California hired a "scientist" to the CARB based on his resume alone. Turns out his degree was purchased online from a guy printing deplomas in his garage. The "scientist" wrote a report about diesel emmissions that changed business rules and closed down companies employing a million people. Turns out the report was about as real as his deploma. After he was discovered, he was punished with pay. Still works for them by the way. CARB maintains the report still worked for them and the rules stand as written.
This is a great day for those of us who are Vets. I for one have applied for 322 Civil Service jobs since retiring in 2005. I have all but given up on getting into a Civil Service position.
No instead of looking for keywords in KSAs, HR will be looking for keywords in resumes. Don't have the right keywords? HR will file your resume in the circular file.
Great! Let's just hire more people in government who can't compose a sentence or paragraph properly, spell or punctuate!
Lots of luck getting managers to get any work done now. They'll be too busy wading through the hundreds of thousands of resumes that will be dumped in their inbox.
If we don't ask for KSA's we will wind up getting more "highly qualified" individuals sent forward in the pool who don't possess the basic qualifications to do the job. We already get a few non-architect/engineer people sent forward for these positions who wind up embarrassed in interviews because their experience and qualification do not qualify them for the open positions, simply because they can write creatively and get past non-technical staff in personnel. Is it time to ask "Who is John Galt?"
Eliminate local hiring. Centralize HR. This will eliminate pre-selected candidates, nepotism, and politics. Hiring based on qualifications, not who you know.
On Private employees face barriers entering the federal workforce, observers say
The hiring process is broken. It takes over 6 months to hire employees through the expedited hiring process.
Another needed reform is notification that a job applicant has not made the cut along with their score. Too often, the applicant is never notified about their status. The federal government should be the model employer.
Five years ago people looked down their nose at you when you told them you worked for the federal government. Now those same people want your job! They'll be the first to leave when the economy turns around.
I have been a government worker for 10 years. I had been in the private sector for many years. I have helped many people file for government jobs. I found them not difficult if you follow instructions. Yes they are different. As far as being Cumbersome as one person complained, I feel that is an excuse to have the application streamlined to fit their needs. So what if the application asked the same question more than once. If you want a job work hard at getting a job.
When I graduated college in the '80's I sent out over 400 Resumes, received 397 rejections letters, 3 interviews, and 1 job offer from the govt. I took the job. I have heard nothing but jokes about federal employment since then. And now, with the soured economy, federal jobs look pretty damn good from the outside, BUT the paperwork is TOO HARD to figure out. IT CAN BE DONE.
I went through the hiring process less than 2 years ago...I don't see what all the fuss is about? The KSA's are not rocket science. I applied to 5 different agencies, made the well qualified list on 2 and the best qualified list on 2 others. Interviewed 3 times and was ultimately hired. Granted, it took 6 months, but I was determined. If you want the job, you got to work for it! The USAJobs website had plenty of help on the hiring process, the website, KSA's etc. You just have to be willing to invest your time and be committed. It makes me think that those of you that complain are just lazy! And, don't throw the Vet thing around - that is just not true. Yes, they get points, but unless there are 25 vests that are well-qualified going for the same position as you - you won't get knocked off the list - Instead, maybe you are not as qualified as you presume? I do not get veterans preference and I made it. Also, I have been on rating panels since then - the Vets may have made the list, but they don't exclude others...what are you people thinking?IR_Fed
On Lawmakers call for more steps to thwart terrorist attacks
Can't control the money, better control the borders. Maybe re-run the back ground checks on the citizens sworn in over the last 10 years. Start reading the Taliban bomb ingredients and start data bases with companies selling the critical stuff to see who is buying it. The Times Square bomber had a pattern, find out who else of his ilk is following the same pattern. As for Senator Bond, please don't wait for the building to fall around your ears before you call the fire department. If it walks, swims and quacks like a duck.....
Terrorism just another excuse for big brother to take away more of your freedom, be more intrusive and make sure you don't evade taxes!
Why does the govt allow people to transfer money to other countries, anyway? Want to stem terrorism and illegal immigration?? - simply stop allowing easy currency transfers. Ridiculous.
On Customs and border chief faces scrutiny over household staff
Lets see, we now have the head of the agency protecting our border with hiring apparently illegals and lying about it. We have the head of Treasury (which oversees the IRS) as a tax cheat. Not to worry, the guy who was in charge of writting the laws the IRS was enforcing also a cheat. Anyone see a pattern?
Nothing unusual here...liars, frauds and tax cheats are what make up the Obama administration. The law means nothing to these people.
On Lawmakers push potty parity
Congress needs to get a life! There are far more pressing issues than potty parity in the Federal workplace. Terrorism, greening the planet, and oil spills, for instance. Why not make restrooms unisex, with private stalls? Aren't we becoming a transgendered culture anyway.
Dawn, to state that earlier legislation on this topic had "stalled" was a great turn of phrase. You should truly be flushed with pride at that. Your-in-all star punster and on a roll.
This is so absurd, it doesn't deserve a response. Why not inventory butts and prceed accordingly.
Are you kidding...those folks don't have a clue what is important....vote them all out... replace everyone of them
You can tell the negatives are written by men. The VA Hospitals have always been run by a majority of women [nurses, etc.] and the patients families consist of women that do the majority of visiting. However, even though there are many newer hospitals the bathrooms are still for men and non-handicap people. Most womens bathrooms have only 1-2 stalls. Public bathrooms do not always have a handicap access and I personally have seen women with walkers and wheelchairs have to sit with the stall doors wide open while they do their business. This is humilating for them and certainly no way to treat our female veteran population. Management has been made aware of this when there has been funding for changes, but as indicated by the male population, it is not important enough!
Hay, Washington! Its the economy that is in the toilet! You made the rules and laws that put it there! Vote, November 2010, Americans can really clean up the real potty problem.
Another problem to this is the facility is not disability friendly (ADA compliant). Doors are way too hard to open. Once inside I get upset over the lack of paper-towels and toilet paper. Not to mention the mess. I don't think women would want to share a restroom that is dirty with stains on the floor and the smell! Even with my condition, I have to take the time to make my way to a building next door in order to peacefully use a clean and adequately supplied restroom. I also require a larger stall, my workplace restroom has one normal size and 1 even smaller stall. There is two stand-ups, and this for over 200 members, not that they all work at the same time. Some days it is a wait to use the restroom, especially if you need a stall. Building was revised about 1998 and no upgrades were made to the restroom, Nor was the addition to the building for a friendly disability access. Only the front doors are on ground level. These doors are also very hard to open. Auto opening doors would be great and appreciated addition, along with a bathroom revision. With my problems I would be able to use the restroom with a female in the same room.
A disabled person's point of view. Thank you.
I can tell you about potty parity. I work in a federal building on the first floor. Approximately 14 other females work on this floor. We have one bathroom approximately 4' X 4' with small sink and one toilet. I think prison cells have better facilities.
What a waste of time!
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