The Federal Diary gets a lot of reader reaction, some of it fit to print. Occasionally, we give readers a chance to speak out by publishing a few of their remarks, which have been edited for clarity and length.
A column that said across-the-board cuts to federal agencies is not the smartest way to trim the budget drew contrasting reactions that were posted online:
This is so logical you have to wonder why politicians can’t get it. We have decades of experience that shows hiring freezes and arbitrary percentage cuts don’t work unless you don’t care about the mission of the agency. Of course, it is pretty clear that Republicans don’t value anything the government does except invade other countries so, in that case, an across-the-board cut of all agencies except Defense is consistent with their ideology. We need a debate about what the people, not just Republicans, want the government to do, and then build a staff to effectively carry out those missions.
cdierd1944
Of course across-the-board cuts are reasonable and should be put in place immediately. Government is too big, too intrusive and too resistant to change for anything else to work. Taxpayers must starve the beast. It is true that good programs will suffer along with bad, but there are so many wasteful programs and so many drones in federal government that, proportionately, we’ll be cutting more fat than muscle.
hill_marty
Out of context
This reader didn’t like a line in a column about federal buyouts that said, “While Republican presidential hopefuls are talking about pink slips and the joys of firing people . . .”
Nice jab out of context over what Mitt Romney said. Too bad, however, the government has not learned that firing people who do not perform is part of running an effective enterprise. These early buyouts are nothing but the coward’s way out of taking care of business.
Pilot1
Note: That line referred to talk within the Republican campaign surrounding Romney’s comment. I specifically did not mention him in the column because I did not want to contribute to the misinterpretation of his comment.
Maternity leave
Please highlight the fact that federal employees do not receive the same maternity leave benefits as the private sector. After spending 23 years in the private sector and the last two years working for a federal agency, I was very surprised to find out that my pregnant colleagues need to use their accrued vacation and accrued sick time for their maternity leave. In many cases they do not have ample accrued time. I think a piece on this issue may debunk what is assumed to be a very lucrative benefit package for federal employees as well as possibly informing others to change this policy.
Michael Nardacci, Arlington
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had this response:
It is correct that the federal government does not have a separate maternity leave policy. For additional information, please see the following Web page — www.opm.gov/oca/leave/HTML/childbirthfs.asp
— which provides information on all of the options available for leave and work scheduling flexibilities available for childbirth.
Jerome D. Mikowicz, deputy associate director, pay and leave, employee services
Diversity
Columns about increasing diversity in the federal workforce always attract critics.
I don’t suppose OPM Director John Berry has the ability to ignore an executive order, but I’m nonetheless disappointed to read that “Diversity is among OPM chief’s top goals.” The goal of OPM should be to ensure the most qualified and most effective federal work force possible, regardless of ethnicity, gender, age or any factor other than effectiveness. I’d like to see Mr. Berry advocate a goal of eliminating deadwood and poorly performing employees. This would open new positions for which ethnically diverse applicants could compete, while at the same time providing a more effective and efficient government. No one should be hired or promoted to a position for which they are not highly qualified.
Bob Meyer, Herndon
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