| Comment Number: | OL-10504622 |
| Received: | 3/9/2005 8:36:14 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:
My concern is that the NSPS is too subjective and lends itself to abuse. It will only widen the gap between the haves and have nots, the abused and the abusers. Just like the crises of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and social security program , so is the crisis with the Civil Service System (CSS). NSPS, rather than address the real problems of CSS, will instead worsen it. I submit that the main problem is not and never was with the civil servants, rather the problem is ineffective, abusive, biased, and/or incompetent managers/supervisors. They often can't or won't do their jobs. If a military unit commander were to have this problem, the focus would be on the commander; and the question to him or her would be, "What is your problem?" The troops are not primarily and consistently blamed for inefficiency, low morale, waste, etc. Because IF things are that bad, common sense dictates that the leadership should be scrutinized. The lowly civil servant is blamed by Congress, Secretary Rumsfeld, the President, SESers, etc., for the failures of management. We are a convenient puppy for kicking around and the public, not having all the facts, buys this. The public sees us as the problem rather than the individuals who write the laws and/or have responsibility for executing and implelmenting them. The public usually doesn't know a congressperson, the President, or Cabinet member on a personally level. But they know civil servants, so we receive the brunt of all their frustration. Our leaders take full advantage of this by pointing their fingers at the lowly civil servant. My years as a government employee has shown me that that only way to truly advance in the government is to be a participant in something similar to the telephone company's "MCI Plan." The MCI Plan provided special deals for family and friends. However, the government's version of that plan also includes special relationships. Many of these managers (who primarily are from the same limited economic, social background) don't PRACTICE such things as equal opportunities for all, inclusiveness, respect, etc., EXCEPT amongst themselves. Now the NSPS comes along to encourgage and intensify this type of behavior and treatment while simultaneously taking away significant employees' rights. The feeling or emotion generated by this one-sided system will be, "I have no mouth, but I must scream." There must be a way to release this emotional pressure. It will be relieved one way or the other. The problem could have been more easily fixed by ensuring that managers DO THEIR JOBS, enforce the rules, comply with the law, share information with ALL employees (whether they like them or not), confront and counsel problem or subpar employees, write up deficiencies. They should be given reduced or no bonus for poor performance. Right now, managers (especially the more senior ones) receive bonuses like CEOs of failing companies. I'd like to see what they would get if they really accomplished something besides sweetenening the money pot for themselves and members of the MCI Plan.