Federal Managers Aren't Happy with Obama's Change Agenda
Politicians love to run on “change,” as Barack Obama did with success. But that doesn’t mean everyone will agree with all of the changes he wants to make.
A group of federal managers, for example, doesn’t like one aspect of the President-elect's proposed changes. The Government Managers Coalition sent a letter yesterday to John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama transition team, to oppose one of the planks in his change platform.
An Obama campaign document, called “The Change We Need in Washington,” says “Barack Obama will thin the ranks of Washington middle managers.”
That’s hitting pretty close to home for the five organizations whose leaders signed the letter. They said their coalition represents 200,000 federal executives and managers and it “strongly disagrees that thinning the ranks of federal managers is the most effective way for President-Elect Obama to achieve his goals and to tackle government reform.”
The group suggested having the General Accountability Office study earlier management cuts to determine the impact they have had on the performance of agencies.
“Based on our observations and feedback from our associations’ members, the negative impacts of these cuts on the remaining managers and the ability of federal employees to meet agency critical missions has been long-lasting,” the letter said.
The organizations in the coalition are the National Council of Social Security Management Associations, the FAA Managers Association, the Federal Managers Association, the Senior Executives Association and the Professional Managers
By
Eric Pianin
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December 18, 2008; 3:20 PM ET
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Posted by: darmar40 | December 19, 2008 7:14 AM | Report abuse
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"The organizations in the coalition are the National Council of Social Security Management Associations, the FAA Managers Association, the Federal Managers Association, the Senior Executives Association and the Professional Managers"
Does this surprise anyone? We have too many Chiefs and not enough Indians! The SES positions needs serious scrutiny and most of those fat-cow pugs need to join the unemployment line and find a REAL job! Most are unqualified and got there because they were in the "good ole' boy" group. And who are they to send a letter to Mr. Podesta? I can't send a letter to him without getting the FBI/CIA on my trail. This is corporate greed and sheer political b.s.
I agree that we need management in our federal ranks. But it is bloated with slugs and thugs who operate their activity and agency and dept like they are God! And there are too many of them.
The same with field-grade and higher military officers. They are just too many of them. And many of them hold too much power and control too much wasted money.
Look at the waste in the Navy with their so-called NMCI. It is a bloated over-cost corporate run IT system that does not work! The admirals and SESs that control and decide upon it don't see how broken it is. Because they are too busy using their private blackberries and other outside devices. If they used the NMCI every work day, they would have pulled the plug years ago.