Don't really need these assaults on the Pendleton Act

[Safiel]

@WorldWatcher

I’m not sure I agree with the above.

I’m in Human Resources Information Systems and have had the same job for going on 22 years. When I took the job I knew there wouldn’t be any “upward advancement” and that was fine with me. It’s my second carrier, I did the politics and rat climb once in the military and didn’t need it again.

I’m a database coordinator and super user within the HR field and function as a force multiplier. The next “promotion” for me would “HR Manager” and I’d have to deal with people with all there problems. I had enough of that in my first carrier and hated being an Operations Chief with 180 sailors that worked for me as it seemed like I spent most of my time on personnel issues and evaluations.

Just because someone has a niche, does not mean they are “mediocre”.

WW

I would note that in a number of ways, the Civil Service is dissimilar to your experience, particular the General Schedule Service, which constitutes 71% of the total Civil Service.

Generally, a new employee will come in from GS-1 to GS-5, depending on their education level and initial position sought. GS-5 requires a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education/experience mixture, while GS-1 through GS-4 have lesser requirements. In most occupation specialties, there is a defined career ladder, involving promotions from one grade to the next.

It would not involve a leap to management, such as in your case. It would just involve moving up to a slightly more responsible position.

I am only talking about requiring 1 or 2 of these minor climbs over a period of 20 years.

For positions that have limited promotion opportunities, I would do away with that requirement. But for positions like clerical and administrative which have ample advancement opportunities, one or two promotions over 20 years is not a lot to ask.

And clearly, what I am asking for is MUCH more lenient than what the military requires. Enlisted much make it to E-5 or E-6 depending on service. That is 4 or 5 promotions over 20 years. An Officer must make it to O-4 to get to retirement.

So what I am asking is really very lenient.

[Rurudyne]

Random aside: recall how the federal ended up running a brothel because of taxes only to have the government later close it because it was losing money?

Now, all jokes about that aside I’ve long wondered about a few issues related to your post.

What was the GS level of a prostitute or of a madame? Did they have benefits? And when their, um, branch office was closed were they all reassigned to other government departments with their pay schedules etc intact?

In a way, with respect to the last, I hope those women did indeed escape prostitution though meant working for some more ordinary federal department.

[Supreme_War_Pig]

@Safiel

It should be easier to take out the trash, without destroying the fundamental nature of a merit based civil service.

Good God. This should be a Constitutional ammendment.

Tragically, comity and common sense have fled the republic.

[Safiel]

@Rurudyne

Random aside: recall how the federal ended up running a brothel because of taxes only to have the government later close it because it was losing money?

Now, all jokes about that aside I’ve long wondered about a few issues related to your post.

What was the GS level of a prostitute or of a madame? Did they have benefits? And when their, um, branch office was closed were they all reassigned to other government departments with their pay schedules etc intact?

In a way, with respect to the last, I hope those women did indeed escape prostitution though meant working for some more ordinary federal department.

Urban legend.

The Mustang Ranch was never run by the Federal Government. It was seized out of bankruptcy and operated for a short period of time by a Bankruptcy Trustee, but was never owned nor operated by the Federal Government.

[Rurudyne]

When, since I’ve been pondering such questions about this incident occasionally on different versions of this forum for the last two decades, did you learn this? I’m kinda hoping recently.

[Safiel]

@Rurudyne

When, since I’ve been pondering such questions about this incident occasionally on different versions of this forum for the last two decades, did you learn this? I’m kinda hoping recently.

The bankruptcy incident occurred in 1990.

Now the Brothel WAS forfeited to the Federal Government in 1999, but it was closed immediately and the Bureau of Public Lands arranged for the final remaining buildings on the property to be burned down in a fire training exercise. Ultimately, the land reverted to a natural condition.

But I have known this for quite a while.

But it is a common urban legend, widely circulated.

[Safiel]

Now I will say something that is not an urban legend.

Florida has mermaids on its payroll.

Specifically the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Dead serious.

[Rurudyne]

There may be a problem: the story I reference is IIRC older than 1990. Older than before my grandfather died in the mid 80s.