Name:   Talullahhound - Subject:   Trumps plan for civil service reform Date:   11/29/2016 4:39:40 PM

 I don't surscribe to name calling, but I do have a problem when people refuse to take responsiblility for their screwups, and those that get on the defensive when it is called to their attention. 

In talking about federal employees, they are accountable to the tax payers.  I had a job at one point that involved a lot of interface with Defense industry.  The export of Defense articles is subject to U.S. export control at State, although they rely on Defense to tell them what is okay and what is not.  The Export control system can be long and tedious.  So industry reps like to call and find out the state of their export requests, because they are mostly on a schedule.  State would not take their calls.  So naturally they would call Defense to find out what was going on.  Mostly they were getting pressure from their Marketing people or Senior management - as some of these potential sales were in the upper millions. So I had a boss who decided that if State didn't talk to industry, we shouldn't either.  Totally ridiculous because sometimes a meeting among technical parties on both sides could turn a "no" into a "yes".  He got pretty ticked off with me, because I still talked to industry, arranged meetings, and if need be, flooded State with emails about the need to expedite a request.  I was appalled at the State Department attitude, not only for export control, but in general.  When you work for Defense, you are expected to lean forward and keep from things from becoming problems.  I can't is just not in the vocabulary.  But when I have interfaced with Social Security and the VA as a private citizen, I am shocked at the attitude and total lack of caring.  IRS has become marginally better after they got in trouble a few years ago for not being responsive.  I think some of the agencies must be as bad as SS and VA, and to me, the duty is to serve the public. 

But as an aside, I was in Publix today in Montgomery.  The cashier was BSing with some friend of hers, and after I had unloaded my cart on the belt, I, as a customer had a wait until she finished her personal conversation.  Even the bagger said something about it to her and she just blew him off.