Comment Number: OL-10509310
Received: 3/15/2005 2:25:22 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:

I am writing to you because of my concern about the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) scheduled for implementation for more than 700,000 employees of the Department of Defense over the next year. NSPS was authorized under the 2004 Defense Authorization Act, passed by Congress in November 2003. There is, however, a significant difference between the skeletal authorities that Congress approved and the sweeping new authorities that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is now claiming. During congressional hearings on this issue, the Secretary asserted that the Pentagon's broad mission requires greater "flexibility" in hiring, disciplining, compensating and assigning civilian personnel. What he failed to mention is that the majority of the failure of flexibility lies with those in charge not those who try and execute executive decisions that are doomed to fail such as the LMP system. Exactly whose idea was it to ear mark billions of dollars for a contractor supported database that would contain a vast amount of security information and to date has at it's first fielding failed to perform what the old system and an Department of the Army civilian workers have managed to accompilished. What we need is a system that will stearmline operation of supply logistics. This system is incapable of performing at a viable level and should be canceled and the old system continue with an orcale conversion that was in the works years ago. The NSPS system is just a way to get shoot and salute instead of problems solved. When I fail I get the blame when my management fails I get the blame. Why? is it no one ever looks at the interjection of common sense and say's this is wrong. Only the worker bee's question management never seems to do so Why! because they only care about their own promotion possibilities. Seem to me there is no change to current status quo just now the pay scale will be inflated with all the rewards that they will be granting each other for some one else's work as usual. In short, the Secretary wanted the same "chain of command" authority over civilian personnel as he enjoys over uniformed military personnel. Neither the Secretary nor his subordinates offered any concrete examples to explain how union rights might have impinged on the Pentagon's mission in the past. There will be no whistle blowers in the future because if what we the workers purpose it will be ignored as usual and when it hit's the fan for management in action who will get the blame? Who elese those of us that work our buts off to support the serviceman and or women despite the current in effectual management. ENRON on a large scale here we go! Although Congress acceded to the broad requests lodged by the DOD, it attached certain strict conditions--including a specific requirements that DOD observe legal requirements of labor relations statutes and that they involve duly elected unions in the development of the new system. The Pentagon has done neither. Nor will they do so for they do not uphold them now!. all this will allow them to do is put out more Bovine Scattering that can't be supported and call it an executive decision. If you think I am irate you are right I see stupidity come across my desk daily along with miles unnecessary of red tape and most of it come from DA and AMC and DOD. Although DOD has convened a dozen or more meetings to "brief stakeholders" and to "solicit the views" of unions, there has been no information sharing from DOD and absolutely no response to repeated union requests for specific information as to exactly what problems management wishes to address with the adoption of NSPS. The answer is that they can't stand the idea that they are not truely in charge. Why not because if we let them in charge of everday supply problems they would blow their toes off. If Mr. Rumsfield is so knowledgeable I will challenge him to trade jobs for one month. I can make changes that we solve most of his problems but I know he can't do my job but I can do his. I am certain that one of the Pentagon's objectives in advancing NSPS is to construct a so-called "pay for performance" system. This is another case of deceptive labeling. Various government agencies have been testing performance pay systems for more than 20 years and invariably, the results have been that the majority of workers feel cheated when advancement, promotion and pay decisions are given over to the sole discretion of a supervisor. The process typically reduces salaries and morale. It is too autocratic and eliminates any redress for decisions made on the basis of considerations other than merit. Absolutely correct that has always been the objective this mess looks more like something out of the left wing side of the house than a conservative reasonable approach. If he has problems maybe he needs lessons in communication skill as required yearly for all civil service employ's For these reasons, I oppose the implementation of NSPS and I urge you to act to instruct the Secretary of Defense to halt any further development of NSPS unless and until the Pentagon is willing to substantively address the issues raised by the United DOD Workers Coalition. This is to include all AFGE unions as well for removal of grievence processes will leave the workers in the same boat as the air controllers in Regan's adminstration when the only way to bring attention to a life threatening problem is to leave it to management to solve.