Name:   Talullahhound - Subject:   MM's wish list Date:   1/10/2018 2:16:17 PM

MM, tell me how much you think the average government worker gets paid.  I have a feeling that you are way off in your thinking of what the compensation really is.  I've heard people in industry complain before about government.  The truth is if you don't pay a good salary, you will not get the good people.  Now I have heard you argue before than people in goverment are the "lessor" people who couldn't make it in private industry, but that is really not the truth. That is your perception, but it is not necessarily correct.  

As far as people being able to stay and not perform, that just isn't true. Yes, there are avenues to fire people and most managers and supervisors would say that they believe they are way too cumberson and take too much time.  But in the larger scheme of things, these laws were put in place to protect govenrment employees from being fired on a political whim, or because of a personal vendetta.  And honestly, I have known some dead wood in industry.  People who were hired for their contacts and just kept on when the contacts just ran out.  Before I became Deputy Director of our agency, the position was held by a retired AF colonel - who ran up against mandatory retirement at the big company he worked for.  He got free membership at the country club, and the Army/Navy Club in DC, he got a free car, and a very good salary (6 figures + bonus).  and what was his job with his company?  Escorting visitors around, playing golf.  Was he contributing to the bottom line of the company? No.  He was kept on by some Retired General who was his boss.  

Hodja is right - the govenment workers didn't make the rules.  Congress passed these rules a million years ago, and I have not seen an attempt by Congress to seriously overhaul these rules.  Different Departments have tried to pass workarounds, but they are very expensive, they are rarely successful, because the infrastructure does not support it.  

And BTW, I fired someone the last year I was working.  He misappropriate government monies and he was gone in 3 months.  But you can withhold step increases, you can make life unpleasant enough for them that they quit.