Civil Servant Bonus Bill Passes House

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- Federal agency heads would be able to offer employees bonuses of up to 100 percent of their annual salaries as an incentive to join or stay in the federal work force under legislation the House passed Wednesday.

The measure, aimed at helping the government recruit and retain highly qualified people who might otherwise join the private sector, passed on a voice vote and now returns to the Senate for a final vote before going to the president.

It limits recruitment, relocation and retention bonuses to 25 percent of an annual basic pay in most cases but allows for up to 100 percent for employees who meet a "critical agency need" and agree to work for the government for a specified period. Political appointees are not eligible for the bonuses.

Among other incentives offered in the bill, it gives compensatory time off for time spent in travel on official business and counts time spent as a military academy cadet or midshipman in calculating civil service retirement rates.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-federal-bonuses,0,4078682.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[aquart]

1. "Critical agency need." Uh huh.

Girlfriend. Brother-in-law. Best kickbacker.

And who polices it?

[luaneryder]

2. Man, you are so right

Nepotism rules in the government. SES (senior executive service) spouses always seem to "find" positions within the agency I worked for when their hubby/wife transferred in; even when departments were overmanned or other employees were trying to get out of one department into another. The Human Resources Department of each agency will most likely "police" it which makes it absolutely laughable.

[MADem]

6. This is so....

....a whole pantload of Bush political appointees who are already on the job can switch from the "political" track to the "career" track AND get a HUGE BRIBE for so doing. Gotta keep the foot soldiers loyal!

Then, if the chimp loses, the GOP has loyal moles in the outfit. If he wins, he can appoint brand spanking new rightwingnuts to the "political" slots, and further extend his influence into the civil service--which, if this shit keeps up, will soon look like the western "Ba'ath" Party--if you aren't in the club, you won't get a job.

Expect the civil service in DC to curiously get whiter as time goes by if this goes into effect and that weecowboy steals the election again. In this economy, I cannot believe that they can't find qualified personnel for specific slots without having to offer enormous compensation. There was no problem during the Clinton boom, why is there one now? This is yet another example of weewee's crew gaming the system to reward cronies.

[saigon68]

3. Disgusting

Like those security service guards now getting extra $$$$$ for protecting various puppets in hostile areas.

[ladybugg33]

4. This is another windfall that will be abused by political appointees

There will be all kinds of fake new job offers to pretend a jobe elsewhere just to get this bonus. And guess who will be using this the most? The upper and mid-management levels who are already making a huge salary. It's supposed to be about 'public service.'

[DenaliDemocrat]

5. Don't Worry About it

I am an engineer for the government and while we are "eligible" for all of this crap, it never happens, YOUR GOVERNMENT IS OUT OF MONEY!

We never get training, bonuses, tutition reimbursment, nothing. Of course Bush does give bonuses to his political appointees (a practice Clinton outlawed) at every opportunity. So basically this will let bush reward those people who already make $150,000 a year.