Democrats, Bureaucrats, Unions Fight Bush's Competitive Sourcing Plan

GOPUSA ^ | July 2, 2003 | Jeff Gannon

[The Old Hoosier]

One of the very few pieces of good news in the last two weeks. Too bad it isn't 800,000 jobs, like it was going to be.

[CougarGA7]

Of course Democrats would be against this. It involves spending Government funds responsibly. How are they supposed to keep people down (so they can play the role of savior) if there is an open competitive market for government work.

[Grampa Dave]

This is a good start and foundation to rid America of these card carrying rats in the Federal Government!

-- President Bush's Management Agenda, a plan that would put as many as 425,000 of federal jobs up for competitive bid to the private sector is under attack in Congress.

[Semper Paratus]

That's 450,000 involuntary contributers to the DNC lost!

[Smile-n-Win]

I was reading in suspense, wondering what in the world the Rats would use an an excuse to bash this initiative. I just couldn't imagine any way they could object to it. I have to grant Rats one thing, they sure do have an exceptional imagination:

The letter points to excerpts from an internal memo from National Park Service Director Fran Mainella to Interior officials that indicate "job competitions in the Washington and San Francisco areas may affect the diversity of our workforce."

[Smile-n-Win]

I guess my problem is that my thinking is constrained by things like reality and reason and morality. When you shed these constraints, you'll find you can call anything you don't like racist.

[yoe]

Euphemisms for big government, unnecessary government:

Federal procurement
outsourcing
professional expertise
inherently governmental
inherently Smithsonian
competitive sourcing
and so on..........

Downsizing the federal feather bedding, make work fancy name jobs and eliminating all unqualified people is going to make a big difference in this bloated federal government.

[Sabertooth]

One of the very few pieces of good news in the last two weeks

Agreed, I'm with Bush on this one. Hope he stays the course.

[FreeAtlanta]

Dims shouldn't worry. Bush will back down.

[BOBTHENAILER]

This is a good start and foundation to rid America of these card carrying rats in the Federal Government!

Agreed.

[hchutch]

425,000 jobs is better than ZERO jobs.

[Boss_Jim_Gettys]

Wouldn't it be easier to just raise taxes?

[CyberAnt]

If the dems are against it - it must be a good idea!!

[justshe]

It is my understanding that the 450,000 jobs is for the first year only--Phase 1 (competitive sourcing data information due this September from all agencies for Phase 1)with additional jobs to be targeted in coming years.

[ravingnutter]

I believe they are going to eventually include the other half...this looks like a "phase-in" type project:

May 2003 - The Bush administration announced yesterday a long-awaited policy to speed up a process to open up 425,000 federal jobs to competition from private companies to do the work that federal employees now perform. The administration has said that 850,000 federal jobs -- out of a total civilian federal workforce of 1.8 million -- are essentially "commercial" in nature and could be performed by nongovernment workers. It has set an ultimate goal of opening half of those jobs, or 425,000, to competition from private contractors. The administration's immediate goal, which Styles said will be met by a handful of agencies, is for 15 percent of the 850,000 jobs to be subject to private competition by the end of the current fiscal year.Under the revised process announced yesterday, these competitions will have to be completed in one year, although that deadline could be routinely extended by six months. The new process also creates a "streamlined" competition involving 65 or fewer federal jobs that has a 90-day deadline for completion that could be extended to 135 days.

Washington Post

[q_an_a]

"Over five years, over $38.25 billion could be saved." Waht if this was done by the whole government. Would we save 38 billion times 11 others which means 400 billion in 5 years and one trillion in 10. Sounds like a plan. Add to that a few less retirement packages paid at 20 years and out and you have some even bigger savings. ONe Trillion That is a big start.

[ravingnutter]

Was doing some research on this and found they also expanded the VERA (voluntary early retirement act) program under the Homeland Security Act...

The Homeland Security Act authorized agencies to offer early-outs to employees when necessary to restructure its workforce. Previously, this authority could only be given if it was necessary to reduce the size of an agency's workforce. So, for example, if an agency has too many administrative employees and needs to hire more engineers to accomplish its mission, it may offer an early-out to the administrative employees in order to restructure its workforce. Agencies do not have the automatic authority to offer an early-out. They need to obtain approval from OPM.

Source

From what I have read, 8000 postal employees have recently been offered VERA and the DOJ is also offering VERA to its employees. The DOJ announcement outlines the guidelines and can be found here.

[ravingnutter]

A few examples:

The administration cited five case studies including four at military bases in which competition saved the government money. In one case, competition reduced the costs of printing the president's 2004 budget request to Congress from $505,370 to $387,000 even though the work was retained in house.

McChord Air Force Base in Washington shaved more than 60 percent of its cost in refueling, maintaining and parking transient aircraft by hiring a contractor to do the work. And Goodfellow Air Force Base in Washington, which put facility repair up for competition, shaved its costs to $41 million from $59 million even though the work stayed in-house.

Source

[Squantos]

Park Service.......Bunny Huggers with a badge.........Stay Safe !