GAO Study Finds Improper Burrowing During Bush Years

[babylonsister]

GAO Study Finds Improper Burrowing During Bush Years
Justin Elliott | June 29, 2010, 10:02AM


A study by the Government Accountability Office has found seven instances of improper burrowing -- political appointees shifting to career civil servant positions in a given agency -- during the Bush Administration, though none of the seven occurred close to the 2008 presidential election.

Regular TPMmuckraker readers will remember our reporting on burrowing back in late 2008 when several Bush Administration officials made eyebrow-raising shifts to career positions.

The GAO did an exhaustive study of these so-called "conversions" from political to career positions between May 2005 and May 2009. It found 139 conversions in that period, with the most -- 32 -- occurring at the Justice Department, and the second-most, 17, occurring at the Department of Homeland Security. The GAO found the vast majority, 117, followed "fair and open competition" and proper procedures to ensure that the conversions were justified.

In one of seven cases where the GAO found improper burrowing, a special assistant in the Office of Congressional & Legislative Affairs of the Department of Veterans Affairs -- who worked in that position from January 2001 to May 2007 -- became a program analyst in the Office of Information and Technology, despite "limited qualifications and experience." The GAO study concludes:

The vacancy announcement required one year of specialized experience, which was defined as a comprehensive knowledge of a wide range of qualitative and or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of agencywide IT program effectiveness or the improvement of complex management processes and systems. The eventual selectee's resume does not demonstrate that he had the specialized experience required, either in terms of the assessment or improvement of IT programs or the improvement of complex management processes and systems.

more...

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/gao_study_finds_improper_burrowing_in_bush_years.php?ref=fpb

[GentryDixon]

1. And people wonder why

this country is screwed.

The corruption from the Republicans is so deep and festering, I am beginning to wonder if we can ever overcome the mess we are in.

I have a real dilemma when I try to deal with my representatives as they are all Republican. Hatch is the only one who ever responds to my emails, but I am sure he has a "Republican talking points" form his aides use to respond to me. It is always the same. Conservative blather, blah, blah, blah. And while he is espousing these "values" he and his minions are working behind the scenes to do whatever possible to make sure Obama has only one term and Wall Street is protected.

It does get overwhelming at times.

[slackmaster]

2. My desert tortoise approves of this thread

He's an expert on burrowing.

[AtomicKitten]

3. I wonder if the Obama Admin can remedy this. nt

[LiberalFighter]

4. They need to be fired!

And anyone responsible for signing off on it.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

5. I work at a federal agency, and burrowing is all too common. Sadly,

most Americans do not realize that a change in political administration doesn't mean that civil servants also change. These people become career. We had several political appointees "burrow" themselves into cushiony jobs here.

Rather than the knee-jerk reaction to blame Obama, the president is not personally close to civil servants and cannot know who is responsible for what. Even the Secretary isn't that close with civil servants on a day-to-day basis, except for upper level management. I've only met my Secretary 3 or 4 times now, and only in meetings for which I wasn't a major participant.

In the case of Bush/Cheney, the burrowing in is by design. Politically loyal Bush appointees become career civil servants who cannot be fired. They are incompetent. The objective is to destroy govenment from within. If these people can make government in effective, they can then turn around and point the finger at government itself as a justification for cutting the budget, more privatization, less regulations and oversight, etc.

Sadly, because the Republicans have fooled most Americans, hook, line and sinker, by convincing us that government is bad and ineffective, their arguments win. Even many Democrats of all stripes repeat the same dribble.

It's interesting, too, because many federal agencies are now going through an audit by the Office of Management and Budget. These audits are routine. Here, the goal is to identify fraud and waste in government; to find ways to cut budgets in certain areas.

No one would ever suggest that a similar type of oversight be directed to the private industry. Oh, no. Government has no right to oversee businesses to ensure that they aren't gouging the American people or cheating on their taxes. No!! To even suggest such a thing is...well...socialist, Nazi, communist, fascist, etc. We cannot have that!! :sarcasm:

[babylonsister]

6. And I wish I could get hired by a federal agency; seems for

a lot of people it's who you know, not what you know.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

7. That's right. And there's a very conspicuous revolving door. If you compete for a government job

and get the job, you're basically in for as long as you want to be. And you can leave and come back easily. I had a former colleague who left the agency to teach at a University, wasn't happy; so, she came back to the agency, wasn't happy; so, she went private industry and wasn't happy; and now she's back at the agency. Each time, the agency welcomed her back. To be fair, she's incredibly competent, a brilliant researcher and scholar.

There are a lot of government jobs available, though. People look down on them, but one can do pretty well and the long list of benefits will be guaranteed to you and your entire family, including cheap health, a health savings account, a change to buy dental/vision insurance, and a fabulous 401K/retirement plan. Can also invest in private ROTH's and other options. Not to mention, guaranteed percent raises every year and a chance to advance to higher grade levels.

www.usajobs.gov