| Comment Number: | OL-10501253 |
| Received: | 2/24/2005 12:28:17 PM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Being a rank and file member of the Civil Service for ten years, along with 20 years of Military Service in the United States Air Force, I have concerns about the integrity and implementation of this kind of system. I'm concerned this will turn into something like what was described on the book "The Chinese" by Jasper Becker. We seem to be in conflict with converging ideological concepts. Corporate thinking demands bottom line performance, cost cutting, lean inititatives, streamlining at every level. Public sector thinking is significantly different from the private sector. Public sector thinking is in my opinoin, service above self, integrity, accomplishment of the task at hand, adapting to changing conditions as needed, meeting the needs of people, accomplishing the mission. I see in my workplace this dichotomy of converging concepts. Do you like to see stress in action? Try what I have described in a practical work environment. I see "you need to accomplish this inspection on this aircraft in accordance with these directives" along with, "well we can't get this or "we can't get that" but "we need to be lean", or "no money for this", "I want this fixed now, we need to fix this aircraft!" or "sorry lean initiatives gutted the logistics and supplies we need to perform the way we know we need to perform" or "Does the pilot need this to fly with?" and I'm sitting here at a Depot Overhaul facility watching us play lean logistics like an abacus machine, while the aircraft doesn't get the spare parts, the real attention it needs. We're so focused on the concepts like a corporate mindset so much, I feel we lose sight of what we are truly here for. I've seen this implemented at the FAA. How does it work there? I'm seeing this from my perspective of an aviation mechanic/electrician. Is this really the kind of thing we want fully implemented across the board? I'm in no position to answer this. You are in that position. I see wanting to a good job, have some sense of job satisfaction, knowing I matter in the big grand scheme of things. I'm a precision processor type of person working in a real environment where it doesn't get used much. Like so many people who are frustrated at times with the system they deal with every day, this is another source of aggravation we put up with. It seems to me we've struggled for the right balance of these things. It seems to me we're just pawns in a much larger more complex chess game going on. I try to believe in the "American Dream" I lived it for the most part. I am doing what I dreamed about as a kid. Is this going to sour my optimism so much I decide it is not worth it any more? I feel we are playing with fire in the future with these games that go on all the time in the corporate, private and public sectors. What is your stress level like? Do you like your job? Do you enjoy what you do? For the most part, I have enjoyed what I do, I sure beats the crap out of some professions I've seen. I've watched the aviation industry get pounded and budgeoned recently. It was and still is one of America's best industries. Aviation as a whole isn't even mentioned as a positive industry to be in now. I feel down about this in light of 9/11. I've watched corporate thinking operate at American Airlines, negotiating significant pay and benefit reductions for the pilot's machinist, and flight attendant's unions, then turning around upon contract ratification, submit earnings reports to the SEC. For the shareholders, stockholders, those types of people it's great., For the rank and file, how do you think they feel? I see some of the same things here, there more subtile and less noticeable at times, but there still there. Maybe I'm on the wrong end of the "totem pole". It takes real intelligence and innnovation and creativity to make a system responsive to everybody, along with excellent leadership, settting the example, seeing all aspects, informed decision making. A challenge in itself.