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TexasProgresive

(12,148 posts)
Sun Nov 8, 2020, 09:27 AM Nov 2020

My current concern is how pervasive was the loss of career civil servantsin government departments?

I was first thinking about the loss of many in the State Department, but I got to thinking that Education must be hurting as well. How about the other departments?

Paul Bremer was instrumental in the "De-Ba'athification" of the Iraqi civil service which totally destabilized the country. These people purged were the ones that were the organizational backbone that keep various services operational. Losing them led to major upheavals and a loss of stability. I doubt many of them were strongly political just one needed to be Ba'athist to have a position as a civil servant.

I think of people like the Vindman brothers. They are the most visible tip of what must be an enormous iceberg of people who were accused of being "deep state" and fired or forced to resign from their posts.

Maybe I am overthinking this, but it is a worry. The physical, civil and judicial infrastructure of our nation has been systematically diminished, adulterated and in some cases wrecked.

Biden/Harris will have a bigger job before them then maybe even they know.

6 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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My current concern is how pervasive was the loss of career civil servantsin government departments? (Original Post) TexasProgresive Nov 2020 OP
Time for a huge Government Job Fair. Bring them all back. bullimiami Nov 2020 #1
This is a huge concern russiamommy Nov 2020 #2
Thank you for your service. TexasProgresive Nov 2020 #3
That's why Biden is such a great choice. tanyev Nov 2020 #4
It is a big job chriscan64 Nov 2020 #5
Sadly, your concerns are only 44 year too late. Cartaphelius Nov 2020 #6

russiamommy

(244 posts)
2. This is a huge concern
Sun Nov 8, 2020, 09:45 AM
Nov 2020

Especially with his recent EO trying to politicize the civil service. I’m a former Fed. My old agency and other agencies they work with have lost a whole lot of great people to the private sector over the last four years. Fortunately there are a handful that have managed to survive. There is also a deep bench waiting in the wings to go back in and clean up the mess. It’s going to take time, but it will come back. Just thank God it was only four years. Eight would have completely destroyed the civil service.

TexasProgresive

(12,148 posts)
3. Thank you for your service.
Sun Nov 8, 2020, 09:52 AM
Nov 2020

My family has been in one form or another in public service. Even though I worked in the private sector I considered my work in telephony a public service. Those days seem gone forever as public utilities seem more interested in maximizing profit than providing service at a reasonable return.

Sorry to be a bit pessimistic in the time of great joy. I am happy at the results of the elections. I wish my state had elected a senator who would represent us, MJ Hagar. I nominate her for a cabinet position, maybe Army.

tanyev

(42,360 posts)
4. That's why Biden is such a great choice.
Sun Nov 8, 2020, 09:55 AM
Nov 2020

He doesn't have to learn the ins and outs of the job, he already knows it. He can bring back tons of Obama administration people who already know what to do. And many people who left because of Trump should be willing to come back and get to work cleaning up the mess.

 

Cartaphelius

(868 posts)
6. Sadly, your concerns are only 44 year too late.
Sun Nov 8, 2020, 11:25 AM
Nov 2020

In 1986, during the Reagan Revolution, the republicans
overturned the Civil Service Retirement Act created in 1920.

With its passage, the newly minted Federal Employees
Retirement System (F.E.R.S.) eliminated Federal Protection
in hiring practices opening the door to "less" qualified
individuals to be placed into the Federal Work Force. Thereby,
allowing formerly "unqualified" or "unvetted" individuals
to become part of the bed rock of the Federal Government.

The past practices designed to maintain the protection to our
Federal Government were stripped away allowing individuals
with contradictory beliefs about the nature of and necessity
for its future stability.

At the same time, republican politicians destroyed the commitment
given those who served their Nation and their fellow citizens ensured.
Gone was the FIXED Benefit retirement system which helped give
stability to the multi-facetted needs of our country. A promise to
Federal Employee's by a concerned nation, only to be replaced
with the F.E.R. System.

F.E.R.S. was "suppose" to "save" Social Security from bankruptcy. It
didn't, as history clearly demonstrates (another GIGANTIC republican
policy failure for protecting the stability of our Federal Work Force).
Because nothing says "stability" like hiring racists and religious zealots
to "work" to insure the future of our governments Constitutional
Mandate.

Also, the republicans "replaced" a retirement system designed to benefit
Federal Employee's for their unbiased dedication and commitment to
serve America as a whole. Under F.E.R.S. however, retirement benefits,
once the pride of America were reduced to a Defined Contribution System.

Under this Defined Contribution System, as stated above, Federal
Employees were required to contribute the Social Security in order
to some would argue, like me, make up for all of the money "borrowed"
from Social Security for whatever nefarious congressional project
that served the needs of others instead of the citizens that funded
Social Security in the first place. (Remember, no one with an income
of over a certain amount, $100,000 or more per year, were and STILL
are exempt from the Social Security Tax.

To expand the pain, suffering and damage to our Federal Employee's,
who, by the way, have ALWAYS been paid less for their work than the
average citizen, were required to fund their own retirement through
pay roll deductions which then, without representation or a voice,
were automatically 'invested" in the Stock Market.

We all know how the Stock Market works for the majority. So do the
politicians who to-a-person, benefit handsomely, from the Stock Market.

Today, the C.S.R.S. still exists. But only for a select few. Conversely,
the rest of C.S.R.S. employees have either retired or soon will retire,
bring to an end, a government OF the People For the people.

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