A Day In The Life

Government Job Spotlight: USDA Food Inspector

Andrew B. Einhorn — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:19:00 GMT

The mission: to ensure that the American public has safe and correctly labeled food.

The stakes: life and death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, food borne diseases are estimated to cause 6 million to 81 million illnesses and up to 9,000 deaths in the United States per year. With meat recalls and charges of humane handling violations in the news regularly, many would say there’s a crisis of confidence about our food. On the front lines of this crisis – whether real or perceived – is a law enforcement group within the United States Department of Agriculture charged with the seemingly impossible mission of protecting the American public health.

Food inspectors comprise the largest category of employees in the Food Safety and Inspection Agency under the United States Department of Agriculture, with over 7,500 nationwide. As a Food Inspector you will be providing the first line of defense by ensuring that regulated meat, poultry and egg product establishments produce safe products by executing appropriate inspection methods in privately owned meat or poultry slaughter and processing plants.

As a Federal official, you will be required to uphold the integrity of the regulatory process. You will acquire the skills necessary to balance industry desire for productivity against public right to protection against unsafe or inferior food products. Many careers are possible.

One career path for a food inspector is through the consumer safety inspector position. Consumer safety inspectors work in one or more privately owned meat, poultry, and egg processing plants. They ensure the plant is operating within its written plans for sanitation and processing. In addition, they conduct regulatory oversight activities inside the plants in matters relating to other areas of consumer protection like mislabeling.

Another career path for a food inspector is through the import inspector position. Import inspectors are stationed at ports and other points of entry to the United States. They make sure that products imported from other countries are as safe as those produced domestically.

To qualify for an entry-level position, you must pass a written test and have either a Bachelor’s degree or 1 year of job-related experience (in the food industry). This experience must demonstrate knowledge of sanitation practices and control measures used in the commercial handling and preparation of food products for human consumption. Qualifying experience should also demonstrate skill in applying, interpreting, and explaining standards in a food product environment.

To become an employee of one of the largest public health agencies in the U.S. Government, apply for positions on USA Jobs.

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Military health care program inadequacies revealed

Jaime L. Hartman — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:33:00 GMT

Abstracted for the WSJ - "After four years of providing care to military personnel, their families and retirees, I've had it.

The hassles of working with the Tricare program that covers health care for these people got the better of me. I've taken care of about 80 Tricare patients. But I won't be seeing them anymore.

I was one of a few physicians in the area to participate in Tricare. Patients sometimes came as far as 50 miles, bypassing several large hospitals and hundreds of other doctors who weren't in the network, to be seen in my small-town clinic.

One woman needed a colorectal surgeon because she had a fistula, an abnormal connection between her bowels and uterus. The specialized surgeons in our region weren't in the network, and the closest Tricare doctors who could help were in Indiana. She traveled out of state to get her problem fixed."

Spotlight: Lurita Doan, Administrator of the General Services Administration

Jaime L. Hartman — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:09:00 GMT

Lurita A. Doan served as Administrator of the General Services Administration for the past 22-months and survived pressure from Capitol Hill, investigations into potential Hatch Act violations, and allegations of interference in GSA contract negotiations. But according to multiple sources, a personal feud over whistleblower complaints with her agency's Inspector General (IG), Brian Miller, led to her ultimate demise.

Doan's early months at GSA were plagued by scandals. Over a year ago she was questioned by members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about reported efforts to award a sole-source contract to a personal friend as well as accusations that she was using her office for political purposes. Shortly after that the Office of Special Counsel ruled that she "should be disciplined to the fullest extent" for violating the Hatch Act, which limits political activity in federal agencies, by inviting a deputy of Karl Rove to speak at GSA. Lawmakers called on her to resign at that point, but the White House declined to get involved and so her profile was lowered.

That changed suddenly on April 29, 2008 when Doan was called to the White House for her first ever meeting with top administration officials. She was met by White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolton and Counsel Fred Fielding, who told her immediately that she was to resign.

Her accomplishments at GSA during a very short tenure were plentiful and impressive. She lead the largest reorganization in the history of the agency, culminating in the creation of the Federal Acquisition Service, without letting go of any employees to buyouts of Reduction in Force (RIF) actions. The agency advanced an expansive telework agenda. And she was aggressive about spending controls across the board. As one example, the Office of Assisted Services has gone from losing millions of dollars to now breaking even.

Doan took an unconventional approach to her role. At a recent dinner sponsored by a contractor trade group, she appeared on stage with arrows sticking out of her head, shoulders, arms, and legs, and used the arrows to illustrate the shots she had been taking from the media, Congress, and "others who represented the status quo."

Presumably, one of those "others" was IG Brian Miller, who she argued was retaliating against her for attempting to cut his budget and impose tighter oversight on his office.

Whistleblower complaints filed with the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) last year by four former IG attorneys alleged that Miller and former Deputy Inspector General Robert Samuels misused agency resources and abused their authority in order to retaliate against career employees who disagreed with their decisions. The PCIE dismissed the complaints in February, classifying them as an "internal dispute." Doan spoke publicly about the decision, saying that it "confirms the suspicions of many that the PCIE...exists only as a fig leaf to provide the illusion of oversight of IG misconduct, but, in fact, its real purpose is to whitewash any wrongdoing, avoid responsible action and ensure a blind eye to IG misconduct."

Last month, the Corporation for National and Community Service, who had agreed to review the case, said it found no wrongdoing by Miller or Samuels. Doan still refused to drop the issue, saying she would stay on the issue "like a dog on a bone" until she was sure GSA did not "harbor or tolerate behavior that creates a hostile workplace." Just days later, she was called in to the White House and told her immediate resignation was expected.

How appealing is public service? A new poll has the answer

Andrew B. Einhorn — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:22:00 GMT

A new poll released today revealed that 70% of those 18-29 years old and 53% of those over 30 years old considered a job in public service very or fairly appealing. Both age groups reported that the top motivators for considering a job in public service are opportunities for growth and advancement based on performance and having a flexible schedule and the opportunity to telecommute.

The poll was designed by the Council for Excellence in Government - a nonpartisan, nonprofit group dedicated to improving government - and conducted by Gallup to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week. The joint venture attracted responses from 895 participants via an online survey which were compiled into a report by the Council that we've attached to the end of this article.

The survey revealed that 60% of those under the age of thirty have never been asked to consider a job in government. The statistic reveals much room for improvement in the marketing of federal jobs - a critical effort as the "brain drain" in government heads closer to reality. Sure, everyone has seen a Marine recruitment commercial and many could reiterate the "few, the proud, the Marines" recruitment slogan, but when was the last time anyone saw an advertisement for a job at say, the Environmental Protection Agency?

Those jobs just aren't advertised, especially since 80% of new hires come from inside the government. This leaves little incentive to push an agenda for federal recruitment, or more broadly, for public service. But the times are a changing and the federal government - the nation's largest employer - is starting to come around.

This week on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., dozens of federal agencies have set up booths to showcase their programs for the purposes of public education and as a means of attracting new workers. One such agency is the dreaded IRS, whose exhibit showcases the agency's tax statistics website, complete with live tech support, and attempts to garner interest in the 100,000-person strong organization.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is also manning a booth on the Mall today in order to promote its e-commerce portal for repossessed and surplus government property called GovSales. Other agencies promoting their programs and recruitment efforts included the US Customs and Border Protection, Department of Transportation, Department of Veterans Affairs Career Transition Service, Department of Agriculture distance learning programs, The National Archives, and many more.

But the reality is these types of federal job recruitment fairs are fairly rare, leaving many people unaware of the incredible opportunities and benefits afforded to public servants. The good news is interest in public service seems influentiable. The Council for Excellence in Government poll showed that 33% of survey respondents under 30 would deeply consider a career in public service if asked by their parents to join the federal employ. Likewise, 29% of respondents under 30 stated they would give a great deal of consideration to a public service career if asked to do so by the next President.

Despite what appears to be a lack of awareness of government jobs by the general public, survey respondents expressed interest in certain government jobs, often over interest in similar private sector work. For example, more respondents stated a preference for being a Secret Service Agent for a Presidential candidate (57%) than a security guard for a rock star (43%); a public relations representative from the State Department (54%) than a public relations representative from Toyota (46%); and Director of the National Institutes of Health (54%) than the Director of the Mayo Clinic (46%).

In two situations, private sector employment was preferred. Participants would rather be the President of a major university (55%) than the Secretary of the US Department of Education (45%), and would take a job as a graphic designer for Hallmark (55%) over a post as a stamp designer with the US Postal Service (45%), but the latter may simply stem from the "dorky" stigma attached to stamp collectors.

The White House Office of Faith Biased Initiatives

Jeff Dubbin — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:43:00 GMT

Whether or not the existence of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI) is unconstitutional remains to be determined. Under a year ago, the Supreme Court almost tried to resolve this conundrum, but punted. Rather than asking whether the office violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause (which it may) or Separation of Powers (which it does, but more on that later), they summarily dismissed the case.

The Establishment Clause, which prohibits any "law respecting an establishment of religion," is notoriously hazy. Some read it and believe that simply using federal dollars to fund faith-based organizations clearly entangles the purse of government with the arm of religion. But interestingly, the phrase "separation of Church and State" appears nowhere in the Constitution-it is often misattributed to the Establishment Clause. In fact, the United States sometimes affords religion special protection. After all, the voting populace is religious, and there is no Democracy unless the people fashion a government in their own image.

Whether the OFBCI respects the establishment of religion is an open question, and not one the Supreme Court has yet examined. When George W. Bush created the OFBCI to "ensure a level playing field for faith-based organizations," the idea was to inspire equal treatment where there was none. In other words, older administrations, afraid of violating the Establishment Clause, pussyfooted away from faith rather than giving it a fair shake. At least, that is the premise of the OFBCI; apparently, faith has it tough in America.

Federal agencies have indeed imposed prejudices against faith based-groups for fear of violating the Establishment Clause, even where funding those groups may have fit within the courts' interpretation of that clause. And so the OFBCI eagerly reminds America: "No more! The time for being careful is gone."

So is the OFBCI an appropriate reaction to past injustice or overcompensation? This is the same question as ‘Is the OFBCI constitutional?' because the Constitution is the authority on what is ‘appropriate' in America.

Take the following example. The secular international organization CARE has partnered with the US government in humanitarian missions since World War II. In 2001, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded CARE $138 million to fight AIDS in Africa. This funding gradually shrunk to $50 million in 2006, disappearing entirely in 2007. Meanwhile, the President's New Partners Initiative (through the OFBCI) has phased in faith-based allies in the fight against AIDS, some of which offer abstinence-until-marriage education and some of which refuse to distribute condoms (like the Catholic Medical Missions Board).

According to legal precedent, the Constitution's Establishment Clause prohibits "excessive government entanglement" with religion (Lemon v. Kurtzman, 1971). Funding represents an excessive entanglement unless "the aid is offered on a neutral basis" and is "secular in content" (Mitchell v. Helms, 2000). This reflects earlier jurisprudence, which prohibited government aid towards programs with "specifically religious activities" or "explicitly religious content" (Bowen v. Kendrick, 1988).

The Supreme Court has flatly refused to review the constitutionality of the OFBCI, considering only one case that challenged the office. In Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation in 2006, the Court dismissed the case on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked "legal standing" because the claimed injury-having their tax dollars fund religious programs they object to on principle-did not constitute a "personal injury fairly traceable to...allegedly unlawful conduct," as required by the Court.

Clearly the Court interprets this standing rule too narrowly. Even if CARE or a similar group challenged the OFBCI in the Supreme Court, it might have standing to get its money back-to fix that specific injury-but not to challenge the office itself!

The Hein dismissal, of course, was declared a rousing "victory" by the OFBCI. Still, the decision hinged on the observation that "the expenditures at issue were not made pursuant to any Act of Congress, but under general appropriations to the Executive Branch to fund day-to-day activities." In other words, if Congress was running the OFBCI, the plaintiffs would have had standing, and such religious expenditures would be overturned.

To reiterate, the Supreme Court will only refuse to review an office when that office's funding (which in this case totals over $14 billion annually) comes directly out of the President's discretionary funds. Constitutionally speaking, this is like not allowing a knife into evidence because it is too bloody.

Justice Souter's Hein dissent explains why the Court's ruling-and the office itself-burns constitutionality at the stake. "...if the Executive could accomplish through the exercise of discretion exactly what Congress cannot do through legislation, Establishment Clause protection would melt away."

According to the majority opinion, says Souter, if the OFBCI were an actual national church, no one would have standing to challenge its obvious unconstitutionality. Three other justices agreed.

Congress controls the purse strings in America under the absolutely essential need for checks and balances. Yet, when it comes to the OFBCI, Congress cannot check the President, and the Court refuses to do so. Unchecked and unbalanced, the Executive branch has crawled into bed with religion and no one else in government seems to be even raising an eyebrow.

Related Articles:

How faith-based is the White House?

Government Job Spotlight: Air Traffic Control Specialists

seniorexec — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:46:00 GMT

Do you like being in control? Are you disciplined, tough-minded, meticulous and driven? Did you actually like the John Cusack movie "Pushing Tin"? If so, you should think about becoming an Air Traffic Control Specialist.

Established in 1958 by the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, the FAA is responsible for the safety of civil aviation. They operate the world's largest aviation system and are responsible for the safety and certification of aircraft and pilots, for the around-the-clock operation of our nation's air traffic control system, and for the regulation of U.S. commercial space transportation.

It takes some work to get there, but the FAA will give you the training and support you need for a great career. One of the few government jobs that has a defined training program, you will work with other FAA controllers and expert staff dedicated to keeping our skies safe. They teach you how to play (and win) the giant video game that is air traffic control.

If you are a U.S. citizen, there are three ways to become an air traffic controller:

Path 1: You have prior experience as an air traffic controller
Path 2: You have no prior air traffic control experience
Path 3: You want to enroll in an Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) Program

Path 1: The FAA values and hires men and women who already have air traffic control experience. They hire three types of experienced controllers:

Veterans with military air traffic control experience
Retired military controllers
Current and prior civilian air traffic controllers

At a minimum, experienced controllers must have: 52 consecutive weeks of air traffic control experience in a military or civilian air traffic control facility that shows you have the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform air traffic controller duties and a comprehensive knowledge of air traffic control laws, rules, and regulations

Path 2: If you have no prior air traffic control experience and want to be selected you must:

Be a United States citizen younger than 31
Achieve a score of at least 70 on the FAA pre-employment exam
Three years of general work experience, a four-year degree or any combination of education and experience equaling three years of general experience
Pass a medical and psychological examination
Pass a security background investigation
Speak English clearly enough to be understood over communications equipment
Complete an interview

Path 3: The FAA has partnerships with many colleges and universities. These schools offer two- and four-year non-engineering degrees that teach basic courses in air traffic control called the Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program. The program is designed to provide qualified applicants to fill developmental air traffic control specialist positions.

The FAA will give you the training and encouragement you need to keep our air traffic system running smoothly. Qualification is challenging, but the support and satisfaction you will receive make this career worthwhile.

If this sounds like you, then help the FAA remain as the world leader in aviation and apply through www.usajobs.com.

Government Job Spotlight: Office Manager

seniorexec — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:14:00 GMT

Behind the scenes of every well-run office is the office manager. While not as glamorous as a gun-toting, door-kicking federal agent, policy adviser, or emergency responder, it's a key position that is often over looked and essential to the day-to-day operations of the government. Without the office manager, the special agent has no bullets, the policy adviser doesn't get the policy approved, and the responder doesn't have a way to contract backup support.

The position of office manager typically falls under the Administration and Program Series (GS-0301) within the government and can range from a GS-5 to a GS-15 in some cases ($35,000 - $149,000, depending on location). This series requires individuals to perform, supervise, or manage nonprofessionals, and calls for analytical ability, judgment, discretion, and knowledge of a substantial body of administrative or program principles, concepts, policies, and objectives.

The office manager's job is constantly changing and the responsibilities are broad and challenging. Office managers are responsible for planning and providing management and program services essential to the effective accomplishment of the mission of the particular organization. These responsibilities could include: (1) analyzing, evaluating and improving the efficiency of internal administrative processes, organizations, and management of the office; (2) interpreting and providing advice to others on administrative management of personnel, funds control, travel, etc. (3) planning, scheduling and coordinating case handling processes with other personnel; (4) writing performance appraisals, training staff, and recruiting support staff employees; and (5) aiding in the procurement of goods and services to support mission-critical functions.

Like many jobs, the better an office manager is, the less you hear about the position. But get a bad office manager and your job will become substantially harder, your paperwork will topple your desk, and you'll never hear the end of how disheveled the workplace is from your chatty coworkers.

Office manager positions may be found on USAJOBS.gov.

Life on the "Big E": Where Government Works!

seniorexec — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:00:00 GMT

I was provided the opportunity of a life-time courtesy of the US Navy. Along with 1200 other civilians, I embarked aboard USS Enterprise “Big E” for the last stretch of the ship’s six-month deployment, known as Tiger Cruise which immerses family and friends of the deployed members into Navy life: eating, sleeping and experiencing firsthand what Sailors and Marines experience while living aboard a naval vessel.

While on the monstrous aircraft carrier, we observed a variety of events to demonstrate the skills and training used to defend this country, including an air show featuring aircraft launches and recoveries, a 50-cal. machine gun live fire exercise, tours of the ship, and a rescue demonstration. I recorded the videos below, the first of which shows a helicopter rescue exercise.

This was my first time on a military ship, which gave me a better understanding of the hard work and professionalism these Sailors and Marines display throughout their deployment. During their six-month tour, the strike group conducted operations in the Persian Gulf to support troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and patrolled the coast of Africa.

These sailors and aviators, whose average age is in the mid 20s, demonstrated how they launch, fly, and recover over 20 aircraft within a 2-hour period on a floating airport just over four acres. When I compare the difficulty I've witnessed in getting a one-page Agency health policy signed (12 months) to the remarkable synchrony needed to accomplish this work, I become sick to my stomach. More impressive than the demonstration were the statistics of their combat tour where these young professionals launched over 1,600 sorties without a single injury or mishap.

Just as impressive as the aircraft operation was the smooth logistics to cloth, feed, and care for over 5,000 crew members. I was very fortunate to have my own quarters, but most Sailors and Marines spend their sleeping time in vertical bed racks in quarters smaller than a single bed.

After realizing the scope of their success, and the day-to-day challenges faced by these young Sailors and Marines, I gained a greater appreciation for our men and women in uniform as well as a tangible observation of Government working well. It was also great way for the Navy to show its gratitude to the families who have supported these war fighters and made sacrifices of their own while their loved ones were deployed.

For the families and friends, it was an early reunion. For all hands, the Tiger Cruise meant one thing: the Enterprise made it home!

Government Job Spotlight: Immigration Enforcement Agent

seniorexec — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:41:00 GMT

Immigration is on people's minds across the country, and a group of government workers spend their days on the front lines of this issue. They are Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, a part of the nation's security forces that until recently lived in the shadow of the FBI, DEA and ATF.

The job description for ICE officers touts "ever-changing challenges, doing necessary work that protects the welfare of American citizens." Though increasingly identified as the immigration raiders, the ICE also fights human trafficking and child exploitation, investigates cyber crimes, hunts fugitives, and protects intellectual property rights.

Part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement utilizes the government's second largest cadre of law enforcement officers to ensure the nation's economic, transportation, and infrastructure security. ICE enforces immigration and customs laws and protects federal facilities. The workforce identifies criminal activities and eliminates vulnerabilities that pose a threat to our nation's borders. Some of the career opportunities include:

Detect and expose identity and benefit fraud
Investigate the illegal export of U.S. weapons and sensitive technologies
Combat human smuggling and trafficking operations
Fight child exploitation by utilizing the technology of our cyber crimes center and working in partnership with law enforcement agencies around the world
Protect critical infrastructure and ensure fair labor standards at key worksites like nuclear and chemical plants
Investigate financial crimes
Investigate all types of contraband smuggling

Before you go buy your hand-cuffs and gun, you will need to qualify at the GS-9 level. So if you possess one year of specialized experience that equipped you with the skills needed to perform the job duties, such as: searching and analyzing information from records/databases to confirm the identity of individuals arrested or detained; interviewing individuals (e.g., criminals, detainees, aliens, witnesses) to obtain and verify facts; securing signed statements, affidavits and documentary evidence to be included in reports or case files; writing reports concerning apprehensions, interviews, and other law enforcement-related activities; and performing law enforcement support duties such as taking fingerprints and photographs, conducting interviews, and responding to general immigration inquiries, go to www.usajobs.com and apply.

Investigation into ICE Halloween party proves ridiculous

Andrew B. Einhorn — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:43:00 GMT

Yesterday, the House Committee on Homeland Security released - get this - a 22-page report entitled "The ICE Halloween Party: Trick, Treat, or Cover-up?"

The report explores the 2007 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Halloween party where an employee who dressed as a Rastafarian prison inmate, complete with black face, was awarded a prize for "most original costume" by Assistant Secretary Julie Myers and other senior ICE officials. You may remember our coverage of the event back in October.

The short version of the story is that some employees found the winning costume offensive and Secretary Myers admitted, after getting a slap on the wrist, that granting an award for the costume demonstrated "a bad judgment call." Case closed, right? Wrong.

For the past four months, members of the House Committee on Homeland Security have been "investigating" the incident. Apparently, they had nothing better to do with their time, like say, helping pass immigration reform or improving homeland security. Instead, they put their energy and your tax dollars into what seems like nothing more than a well documented witch hunt to get rid of government executive whose appointment was subjected to great debate in Congress.

So what did they find out? Not much really. The first 15 pages of the report merely summed up the events of the case. However, it does state that Myers ordered the destruction of photographs from the party to conceal the details of the party.

Myers contends she "instructed [her] Chief of Staff to direct ICE’s official event photographer to delete all photos of the employee in the inappropriate costume so they would not be placed into the agency’s photo archive and inadvertently used in future publications.”

The action seems like the logical thing to do. After all, why hang on to photos of a costume others found disturbing unless you want to continue disturbing people?

The report ends by recommending a "full investigation into any and all actions taken by ICE officials that either led to or were meant to lead to the concealment of this incident." Talk about conspiracy theories! It was a costume in very poor taste by people who admitted their poor judgement, not an act of terrorism!

And apparently, in four months time, the Committee was unable to meet its own definition of a full investigation.

OhMyGov!

The infamous picture of Myers with the award-winning costume.