Posted on 11/29/2002 4:51:57 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Bush Cuts Pay Raises for Federal Workers, Citing National Emergency By Jennifer Loven Associated Press Writer
CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - Citing a state of national emergency brought on by last year's terrorist attacks, President Bush on Friday slashed the pay raises most civilian federal workers were to receive starting in January. Under a law passed in 1990, federal employees covered by the government's general schedule pay system would receive a two-part pay increase with the new year, a 3.1 percent across-the-board increase plus a pay hike based on private-sector wage changes in the areas where they work.
This law outlining federal pay kicks in because Congress has not yet passed the appropriations legislation directing a specific increase, said Amy Call, a spokeswoman for the White House's Office of Management and Budget.
The White House couldn't say exactly how many federal employees the change would impact, but said it would be almost all.
Bush's pay decision is yet another blow to federal workers, many of whom are facing big changes in job descriptions under the Bush administration.
Earlier this month, the administration announced it wants to let private companies compete for up to half of the 1.8 million federal jobs. Also, in the new Homeland Security Department, Bush won the broad powers he sought to hire, fire and move workers in the 22 agencies that will be merged.
In a letter sent Friday to congressional leaders, Bush announced he was using his authority to change workers' pay structure in times of national emergency or "serious economic conditions" and limiting raises to the 3.1 percent across-the-board boost. Military personnel will receive a 4.1 percent increase.
That means that the additional so-called locality-based payments would remain at current levels because "our national situation precludes granting larger pay increases ... at this time," Bush said.
The White House quietly released the letter to journalists via e-mail late on Friday, the middle of a long holiday weekend when most Americans were apt to be paying little attention.
Officials of unions representing federal workers could not immediately be reached Friday night for comment.
Call said the locality-based payments have rarely gone into effect since their creation in 1990, either because former President Clinton limited them or Congress prescribed other salary increases.
"The whole locality-based adjustment ... for the most part doesn't go into effect," Call said.
The White House estimated that the overall average locality-based pay increase would amount to about 18.6 percent. Bush said granting the full raises would cost about $13.6 billion in 2003, or $11.2 billion more than he proposed for the year - a cost the nation can't bear as it continues to battle the war against terror.
"A national emergency has existed since September 11, 2001," Bush wrote. "Such cost increases would threaten our efforts against terrorism or force deep cuts in discretionary spending or federal employment to stay within budget. Neither outcome is acceptable."
The president noted that the raises still amount to more than the current inflation rate of 2.1 percent.
"I do not believe this decision will materially affect our ability to continue to attract and retain a quality federal workforce," he said.
Blatant "coloradan" bias! You used to complain when Bubba-1 did this,but now that Bubba-2 is doing it,it's a admirable thing to do that shouldn't be criticised.
Just more proof that the following is correct. "See your new Bubba? He's just like your old Bubba.".
You are right,of course. Why should anybody pay any attention to the health of our national forests? They are only a bunch of damn trees,stupid animals,and water polluted with fish. As for the national weather service,life sure was a LOT more fun when hurricanes and tornadoes came as surprises! Not to mention how much more enjoyable it was for farmers to plan and plant their crops without long-term weather predicitons. Hell,this kind of gambling was the only fun farmers used to have,and here the gooberment was taking it away from them!
HorseHillary! Neither is even close to being competent to deliver anything outside a city. When I order stuff,I ALWAYS try to get them to ship it to me using the USPS,because they offer both safer AND quicker service. They also don't leave your stuff out in the rain if you're not home,and they don't require you to stay home ALL DAMN DAY to sign for something that has to be signed for. With the post office,you can just take off and go to your local post office to pick it up on your own schedule. UPS and Fed Ex don't even HAVE local offices. Hell,they don't even really have local phone numbers anymore. The closest UPS office to where I live is 55 miles away,and they have a unlisted number. Even if I could manage to get it,they wouldn't allow me to go there and pick up my package. I know because I've tried.
Your experience differs from mine, but it could be a local issue. My carrier, as friendly as she is, doesn't seem to want to put packages up on the porch where it is dry. UPS always does. I understand what you are saying about there not being a nearby UPS/FedEx office nearby, but if they had to deliver the volume that the USPS does and were required to provide a minimum service, they'd probably have a convenient office nearby. As for having to be home to sign for a package, I just sign the form and put it up on the front door for them to drop off the next day. Again, I am in a suburban setting so it may be different.
"From what I've seen, there's plenty of graft and corruption (not to mention inefficiency) there to cut costs in half."
And every damn bit of it is related to affirmative-action hiring,and fear of EEO complaints. You don't really think the affirmative-action employees will go away if the gooberment closes down the USPS,do you? What they will do is demand UPS and Fed Ex hire them at their old levels,or lose their mail-deliver contracts.
While my original post was a bit facicious, I am certain that private industry stands a better chance of dealing with AA/Quotas than does the government. Granted, there would be plenty of legal battles, but I've seen companies fight and win in many instances. I would think that the workload at UPS would be enough to get rid of half of the AA hires - they'd probably have heart attacks. :^)
This is all true, but the point was whether or not the forest service needs an architect and whether or not the weather service needs a historian. Both departments serve a purpose, but perhaps some justification may be needed for these two examples. Of course, like many jobs, the title doesn't always do justice to the work performed.
All government workers are not union and are not all liberals. I know, I am one of them or was until retirement.
It is done pretty much the same time and the GS has always been tied to the military increase.
Agree completely that its far easier today to rise to a GS-12 (or higher) than it was years ago when you actually had to do/know something to 'earn' that level. Now, at least in the DC area, its no big deal to be a GS-14. Recognize that the job security thing is a factor for many people in government, but many employees don't seem to want to acknowledge the extremely generous leave. When you retired, you were probably getting 2.5 weeks sick and over 5 weeks a year of annual--plus all the holidays.
Your carrier isn't even supposed to leave packages,PERIOD! Not unless you give her a note authorizing this,and then you have the right to specify WHERE the packages are left. Without this note,the carrier is supposed to leave you a notification that you have a package,with a phone number you can call to either schedule a delivery time when you will be home,or to arrange to have it left without you being there to receive it.
I would think that the workload at UPS would be enough to get rid of half of the AA hires - they'd probably have heart attacks. :^)
BAD assumption! The USPS is a dumping ground for AA and communist types,and will create positions to accomodate them. All you have to do to become a member of management your first day on the job is to be a lesbian,and a black lesbian who was fired from a previous job for being a Marxist is a sure-fire bet. Anybody who is covered by EEO laws are "golden". I know of one single female black letter carrier who complained that her system was too "delicate" to deliver mail after she gave birth to her fifth child,so they let her stay in the station all day to answer telephone calls. That's ALL she did! Meanwhile,other people had to deliver the mail on her route.
I also KNOW of letter carriers who were hired despite not being able to read,and some who couldn't even speak English. Seriously. Unlike the other "new hires",they were only allowed to deliver mail on certain selected routes,and even then only after they spent a few weeks in a special shcool that taught them how to recogonize the addresses.
In some cases, the only solution. Look at all the government agencies who rely totally on contractor services to manage and operate their computer networks.
Actually, the feds love contracts. They help justify many positions and can even support higher grade levels for the ones who 'manage' the contractors. Also, the feds don't have to actually do the work and can conveniently blame the contractor for anything that goes wrong.
Your observation about writing the contract correctly and managing performance is absolutely right on.
I think the factor at work here is these people are NOT being hired to be architects or historians,but hired as management trainees. It's not uncommon to hire a college graduate regardless of their degree to train for management positions,because the college degree symbolizes they have the ability to work and focus,and that they aren't "quitters".
Besides,how else do you expect people with degrees in vital subjects like "art history" to get jobs?(G)
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