Friday, March 21, 2014

The Great Charade: An attempt to put the Postal Service in the most damaging financial straits possible?

Article Title: The masquerade continues: Playing politics with the Postal Service's unfunded liabilities
Snippet of Article: "...The fact is that the Postal Service is in the situation it’s in today largely because Congress created funding schedules and funding levels for pension and retiree healthcare obligations that exceeded standard accounting practice. Only the most naïve or ideologically predisposed observer would believe that the way these obligations have been presented and accounted for represents anything other than an attempt to put the Postal Service in the most damaging financial straits possible. ..."


Source: www.savethepostoffice.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, funding levels for pension and retiree healthcare obligations [/tag]

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The USAJobs modernization will start in fiscal 2015

Article Title: OPM wants to retool USAJobs to make it work better with agency hiring systems
Snippet of Article: "...Some of the new features for USAJobs will include a resume-mining tool so applicants can upload their information without typing in details as well as new reporting and analytic tools for agency recruiters monitoring responses to job posts...."


Source: www.fiercegovernment.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Sunday, March 16, 2014

No federal background checks for pot license applicants in Washington

Article Title: FBI won’t run background checks on pot license applicants in Washington
Snippet of Article: "...The Justice Department declined to explain why it isn’t conducting the checks in Washington when it has in Colorado. Stephen Fischer, a spokesman for the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, referred an inquiry to DOJ headquarters, which issued a statement...."


Source: www.reviewjournal.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Monday, March 10, 2014

What is the Automated Continuing Evaluation System (ACES)?

With the announcement from the news media of plans of the United States to use a new system to constantly monitor habits of federal employees and contract workers with secret clearances, you may want to educate yourself on an already developed program to do so. It is called an Automated Continuing Evaluation System (ACES). Most of you with security clearances are already familiar with the background check process so this isn't any surprise to you, but maybe it will serve as a reminder of the the importance of keeping your s_ _ _ together as well as a reminder to be careful as to what you or your significant other posts on social media.

Article Title: Automated Continuing Evaluation System (ACES)
Snippet of Article: "...The system, as it currently stands, can query over 40 different government and commercial database records to identify cleared personnel who appear to be engaging in behaviors of security concern that may indicate personal vulnerability (e.g., substance abuse, criminal behavior, or financial problems) or possibly espionage-related activities (e.g., unexplained affluence). Additional databases are currently being added or evaluated for their productivity of security-relevant information. ACES utilizes sources of information pertaining to ..."


Source: www.dhra.mil

[tag] Define: Automated Continuing Evaluation System (ACES) [/tag]

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

TSA travel tips to get through screening faster


TSA Travel Tips
TSA Photo
Article Title: TSA Travel Tips Tuesday: Packing Smart to Get Through Security Screening a Little Faster
Snippet of Article: "...Tips for Non TSA Pre✓™ Lanes: One of the biggest causes for delays in the checkpoint lanes are bag checks. When a bag must be searched, the..."

Source: tsa.gov
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, TSA Travel Tips, [/tag]

Friday, February 21, 2014

Some cities have simply refused to cooperate in federal security clearance checks information requests

Article Title: Issa Wants to Issue List of 450 Jurisdictions That Aren’t Cooperating in Clearance Checks
Snippet of Article: "...About 450 jurisdictions aren’t cooperating with the Office of Personnel Management when it asks for information about federal security clearances, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman, said during a Feb. 11 hearing, citing a committee report...."


Source: bloomberglaw.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Friday, February 14, 2014

Federal Guidance Provided To Permit Financial Institutions To Provide Services To Marijuana-Related Businesses

Article Title: Federal Guidance Provided To Permit Financial Institutions To Provide Services To Marijuana-Related Businesses
Snippet of Article: "...All of this basically relates to issuing guidance to clarify Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) expectations for financial institutions seeking to provide services to marijuana-related businesses. This FinCEN guidance clarifies how financial institutions can provide services to marijuana-related businesses consistent with their BSA obligations, i.e. due diligence. ..."


Source: bankerdailybriefing.blogspot.com

[tag] FinCEN guidance [/tag]

State of economy may slow federal retirements

Article Title: Federal retirements may not come in a wave
Snippet of Article: "...The GAO report similarly tied economic conditions to retirement decisions. It noted that the overall retirement rate averaged about 3.5 percent in 2004-2007, fell to 2.5 percent in 2008-2010, then rebounded to pre-recession rates starting in 2011...."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Lack of transparency in how the Postal Service conducts its business — and with PRC approval to boot

Article Title: Premature motion: PRC dismisses bid to view non-public Amazon docs
Snippet of Article: "...The deal to deliver for Amazon on Sunday thus raises several questions. Why is the deal being offered only to Amazon and its customers? How is it appropriate for a government monopoly and a giant corporation to broker a secret deal? Why should the Postal Service be making special deals like this one — or the NSA that gave Valassis special breaks — that favor certain large commercial entities? How does this NSA conform to the promise of uniform service under the universal service obligation? ..."

Source: www.savethepostoffice.com
[tag] Amazon, Postal Service, PRC, NSA [/tag]

Monday, February 3, 2014

OPM hasn't decided whether to suspend or debar U.S. Investigative Services

Article Title: OPM undecided whether to suspend, debar USIS after DoJ complaint
Snippet of Article: "...DoJ's complaint alleges USIS began "dumping" or "flushing" cases — transmitting cases to OPM and falsely representing them as completed — in 2008 to maximize the company's revenues and profits. ..."


Source: www.federalnewsradio.com

[tag] U.S. Investigative Services (USIS), [/tag]

Friday, January 31, 2014

President takes stand to help Americans earn a decent wage

Article Title: Obama to raise minimum wage for some federal workers
Snippet of Article: "...I'm proud to have a president who will stand up for a living wage because the workers themselves decided to take a stand."..."


Source: www.usatoday.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Military Deposit for Retirement Credit: Text from recent OPM webcast stream. Excellent Information

Article Title: Military Deposits
Snippet of Article: "... the payments for the military deposit have to be made to the agency and they can be done in a lump sum or installments, and again, I will be harping on this -- because this has to be made at the agency, you cannot walk in the month before retirement and expect to do installments on a military deposit. It will not work out. If you are moving into retirement, or you're within six months of retirement, you will have to make a large installment, or lump sum payment, because it has to be finalized before that date...."


Source: recapd.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Friday, January 17, 2014

United States 'Turtle' Service: Delaying your junk mail to better serve you ...is your First Class mail next?

Article Title: Fewer Jobs, Longer Wait Times: The New Postal Service Slogan?
Snippet of Article: "...The proposal would keep the Monday delivery day for mail dropped off on Thursday. But mailed dropped off on Friday at such post offices would be delivered on Tuesday, while the Postal Service would deliver Saturday drop-offs on Wednesday...."


Source: www.govexec.com

[tag] slowing mail delivery, mail service standard changes, Destruction of the Postal Service, Postal Service, [/tag]

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Postal Service had to be forced to reinstate Purple Heart recipient who was fired for military service

Here is a horrific story about an agency that pretends to support veterans. The Postal Service employs a huge number of veterans, of course only because they are forced to do so due to military veteran preference rights afforded veterans seeking employment. However, the agency is obviously veteran unfriendly and non-supportive. Here is just one example of that:

It is unclear the Postal Service will abide by the most recent ruling

Article Title: Postal Service ordered to reinstate Purple Heart recipient fired for ‘excessive military leave,’ report says
Snippet of Article: "...The U.S. Postal Service was reportedly ordered by a federal board this week to reinstate a National Guardsman and give the man $2 million in back pay after he was fired from his job for taking "excessive military leave."..."


Source: www.foxnews.com

[tag] Veterans Rights, Merit Systems Protection Board, [/tag]

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Robert Gates book: "Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War"

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War

Article Title: Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War
Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War
Snippet of Article: "...From the former secretary of defense, a strikingly candid, vividly written account of his experience serving Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before Robert M. Gates received a call from the White House in 2006, he thought he’d left Washington politics behind: after working for six presidents in both the CIA and the National Security Council, he was happy in his role as president of Texas A&M University. But when he was asked to help a nation mired in two wars and to aid the troops doing the fighting, he answered what he felt was the call of duty. Now, in this unsparing memoir, meticulously fair in its assessments, he takes us behind the scenes of ..."
Article Source: Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Rasmussen National Survey: 48% oppose selling the Postal Service to a private company like UPS or Federal Express

Article Title: 35% Think U.S. Government Should Consider Selling the Postal Service
Snippet of Article: "...The U.S. Postal Service has been plagued with financial problems for years, but fewer adults now believe the federal government should sell the Postal Service...."


Source: www.rasmussenreports.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Save the Postal Service [/tag]

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Negotiate my a**! Go get our American brother now!

Article Title: VIDEO: American held hostage by Al Qaeda for two years begs U.S. for help
Snippet of Article: "...“Nine years ago I came to Pakistan to help my government and I did so at a time when most Americans would not come here,” said Weinstein, sporting a beard and appearing lethargic. “And now when I need my government it seems I’ve been totally abandoned and forgotten.”..."


Source: www.nydailynews.com

[tag] Forgotten American Hostages[/tag]

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Your Tax Dollars At Work


Article Title: Brothel tax breaks and $124,995 pizza: How your tax money was (mis)spent this year
Snippet of Article: "...Among the exemptions allowed by the IRS include "free passes" for some visitors and breast implants and costumes for workers. Nevada's 19 legal brothels claimed some $17.5 million in these tax breaks last year...."

Source: al.com
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Monday, December 16, 2013

Mail volume up; Mail delivered late; some residents see no mail service

Article Title: Residents report late mail deliveries
Snippet of Article: "...Willard Lemonds of Cape Girardeau has not seen his mailbox flag pushed down over the last couple days because his mail has not been delivered. He recalled seeing a mail truck broken down on a road near his home during the recent winter weather. Lemonds worried about the delivery of his bills and leaving undelivered mail in his mailbox overnight. ..."


Source: www.semissourian.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Union membership growing after government shutdown

Article Title: Federal Employee Unions Gain Members Post-Shutdown
Snippet of Article: "...The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union, gained about 1,100 members in November, after suffering a net membership loss during the shutdown itself...."


Source: www.govexec.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Hiking federal employees’ share of their pension contributions on the table

Article Title: Federal employee advocates: No pension hikes in budget deal
Snippet of Article: "...one proposal involves hiking federal employees’ share of their pension contributions by 1.2 percentage points over three years...."


Source: www.federaltimes.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Friday, December 6, 2013

Microsoft pledges to enhance encryption, unhappy about government snooping


Article Title: Microsoft blasts "government snooping," pledges to enhance encryption
Snippet of Article: "... Xbox maker says it is "alarmed" by recent allegations of government's attempts to collect private customer data, vows to expand encryption for products and services. ..."

Source: www.gamespot.com
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service,government snooping, encryption,  [/tag]

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

System for Award Management (SAM)

Article Title: System for Award Management (SAM)
Snippet of Article: "...The System for Award Management (SAM) is combining federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one new system. This consolidation is being done in phases...."


Source: www.sam.gov

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, System for Award Management (SAM)[/tag]

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

NSA could use online porn habits of individuals against them


Article Title: NSA spied on porn habits, HuffPo reports
Snippet of Article: "...Among the vulnerabilities are "viewing sexually explicit material online" and "using sexually explicit persuasive language when communicating with inexperienced young girls," according to the NSA document, dated Oct. 3, 2012...."

Source: www.usatoday.com
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, NSA, [/tag]

Monday, November 25, 2013

Hourly federal workers would receive same January pay raise as salaried workers under proposal


Article Title: Bill would ensure blue-collar federal workers get 1 percent pay raise in January
Snippet of Article: "...1 percent pay raise for salaried federal workers, the first such increase in three years. The raise will take effect Jan. 1 unless blocked by Congress. Under current law, hourly federal workers, including 174,000 that work for the Department of Defense, aren't eligible for the increase. ..."

Source: al.com
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, 2014 Federal Employee Pay Increase, 2014 Federal Employee Pay Raise,  [/tag]

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

US Treasury department FinCEN and Bitcoin


bitcoin.org
bitcoin.org
Article Title: Treasury Department official says money laundering crackdown isn't part of an anti-Bitcoin campaign
Snippet of Article: "...US Treasury department FinCEN — which handles enforcement of financial crimes — turned its eye towards the world of virtual currency. The bureau published guidelines for how the federal Bank Secrecy Act..."

Source: www.theverge.com
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Friday, November 15, 2013

'Public-Private Employee Retirement Parity Act' would rob younger generation of pensions


FERS
FERS
Article Title: Senators Propose to End Defined Benefit Pensions for New Federal Employees
Snippet of Article: "...Senators Richard Burr (R-NC), Tom Coburn (R-OK), and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) have reintroduced legislation that would end the defined benefit pension portion of the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) for new federal government hires..."

Source: www.fedsmith.com
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, Public-Private Employee Retirement Parity Act [/tag]

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Did NSA secretly mine data connections between Google and Yahoo’s data hubs?

Article Title: NSA’s Keith Alexander questions Washington Post report
Snippet of Article: "... the NSA secretly mined the connection between Google’s and Yahoo’s data hubs. The project, code named MUSCULAR and targeting data centers located around the world..."


Source: www.politico.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Younger workers shying away from federal employment

Article Title: Young workers souring on federal careers
Snippet of Article: "...No one has compiled statistics on the number of federal workers quitting their jobs or looking to do so. But public employees say the chorus of dissatisfaction among young people is reaching record decibels...."


Source: www.washingtonpost.com

[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, [/tag]

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Some federal employees must return unemployment pay


Article Title: Furloughed federal workers must return unemployment pay
Snippet of Article: "...Most federal employees who filed for unemployment compensation while they were furloughed are being asked to pay that money back..."

Source: www.washingtontimes.com
[tag] Federal Employee News, Federal Civil Service, federal employees and unemployment compensation [/tag]