Posted on 11/16/2001 1:18:54 PM PST by staytrue
Edited on 09/03/2002 4:49:34 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
For the first time in its history, the National Security Agency is laying off more than 400 technicians and electricians -- eliminating an entire department -- and leaving them without a lifeline to private-sector jobs.
According to several agency sources, the employees, most with high-level security clearances and at least 15 years at the agency, have been told to keep quiet about the layoffs. Several employees said management told them in a unit meeting that their jobs would be eliminated by June.
(Excerpt) Read more at sunspot.net ...
This is why we must fight the federalization of airline security to the death. This is the mindset of federal employees. Overpay us or else we will get even and to hell with national security. The airline security personel can and will strike unless they get gay partnership benefits, affirmative action for all federal employees, and god knows what else. Can they hold the airline and travel industry and indirectly the entire country hostage ? You bet they can and they will. They will blackmail the country just like the NSA workers. They don't care what happens either. Write your congressman and defeat the federalization of the airline security industry.
Over paid janitors.
Sounds like they're doing a good housecleaning.
Start to worry when you hear they're laying off "engineers and analysts".
What you say is basically true. However as a retired federal worker, let me assure you, management, or burrowcrats will still be there in great profusion. In the end the money cost will be the same or greater. The only way to really cut costs is to eliminate an entire agency, but this has never happened.
Congress has just federalized airport security. Someone has to tell me where the "savings" are now.
I've been through some layoffs and this sort of stuff goes on in the private sector as well.
It was only a very courageous Ronald Reagan who stood up to the PATCO thugs who struck even though it was against the law to strike. The media was predicting numerous air crashes and the destruction of the US economy.
My point is that PATCO was willing break the law and hold this country hostage. The airline screeners could very well do the same and that's why the federalization must be stopped. The next president may not have Reagan's courage.
Maybe so, but do they have the ability to shut down the US airline industry and potentially cripple the economy ?
So since 1988, how many presidents have followed Reagan's example on anything ?
I have been throught this process many times over the past 29 years and would like to render my observations for what they are worth. A-76 is a politically mandated system and, in my experience, it is not a very good idea in matters that relate to Defense or National Security. It has a lot more to do w/the close alliances amongst the "Beltway Bandits," Defense contractor lobbiests and their allies in Congress (both Dems and Pubbies) than w/actually saving the taxpayers money.
While it all looks good "on paper" what you end up w/ are "low bid" contractors who do the minimum that the contract requires ...and most contracts the govt produces do not appear to be very well written or enforceable. (This may not be the fault of those who write the contracts so much as the nature of Defense/Security and the rapidly changing environment ...vis a' vis the current scenario vs pre- 11 Sep 01).
In my experience, you do not get the same level of dedication or knowledge from contract employees (many of whom are foreign nationals as well).
Further, turn over is very frequent w/contractors; hence, there is a constant and recurring learning curve. Cost overruns are the norm and I have not seen any evidence that the taxpayers are being saved any money or well served by this system.
I should also add that the conduct described of these employees in the article, if it is true, is despicable and should not be tolerated; particularly while the country is under attack. I would assume NSA employees take a Constitutional oath like DA and other DoD employees do. Their actions, as described, are reason for removal as well as possible criminal action in my opinion.
The answer, I believe, is to reform the Civil Service Act in order to make employees more accountable. Make it easier to fire a civil servant or discipline them. Give them incentives if they do an exemplary job; but, not just for longevity. No special privileges or considerations for any group (I would make one exception for military injured or disabled in the line of duty), race, sex or creed. Get rid of the dead wood pure and simple.
If we do more to demoralize or make vulneable our National Securiy or particularly our intelligence services we will only regret it in the long run. By reputation, NSA is one of the few that appears to still have some degree of efficacy.
(By the way, I realize these employees do not have duties that are directly related to intelligence gathering; however, they have daily access to areas that are vulnerable to all sorts of sabotage or espionage. The same issues exist here as with the mechanics and food service workers who have access to aircraft. I do not believe you can have a secure facility if you have God knows who running through it each day and the cast of players changes from month to month. I know I will be flamed on this issue; however, I have at least had some experience w/this situation and wanted to offer my honest convictions to the debate.)
That's pretty naive.
I'm not saying that the government isn't a bloated bureaucracy.
But an attitude that denigrates technicians and electricians as merely "janitors" is pretty foolish.
Everyone knows that these things should be implemented. And everyone also knows that for the last 50 years they haven't. And everyone also knows that hell will freeze over before these things take effect. That is why we must not allow the federalization of the airline security employees.
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