Name:   Talullahhound - Subject:   Careful hound Date:   8/8/2017 11:45:38 AM

Most people don't really interface with the federal government, yet they seem to have the impression that they know so much about it.  I've had similar horror experiences with SS, but then I have also had good experiences, like when I got a letter from the IRS telling me that my name and SS weren't connected.  The guy I saw at SS was really helpful.  But when I went to the local SS office here, because my SS number had been compromised, I was ready to choke the crap out of the guy who was so unhelpful.  And if you have ever dealt with the agony of dealing with the VA, you would wonder how such indifference is possible. 

Yes, Lois Learner was clearly in over her head, and her only thought was to save her butt.  When I read about the people at GSA who spent an outrageous amount of money on some stupid conference, I was pretty ticked off too.  There are hundreds of stories where government employees ran amok, and seemingly were allowed to retire or resign, with no real consequences.  As a former Fed, I can tell you it rankles me too.  And i have worked for some political appointees who were just dumb as rocks, but still got their jobs, because they did something for a campaign.  It bothers me to see our taxpayers money wasted or treated in a cavalier manner.  i worked in international for years, and it still ticks me off when I see someone like Obama promise Africa a billion dollars, knowing full well that the money would not go for the stated purpose, but into some despots pockets.  And I have sat through some contract negotiations where I thought the government was woefully inadequately prepared to negotiate from a position of strength. 

I'm almost 11 years retired, and I now view "government" from a much more removed distance.  And having been on the "inside" I probably view certain things that I see as the failure of the top leadership and failures of the staff to adequately prepare top leadership.  It makes me mad.  But when I think of all the people I have worked with over the years, the good people, the ones who work hard and do their best and always go the extra mile, it seems to me that the worst offenses, the ones you read about, are merely a few rotten apples in a basket of good fruit.