jclalor 12 #1 January 24, 2017 That didn't take long. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/24/trump-hiring-freeze-includes-veterans-affairs/96999464/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 634 #2 January 24, 2017 Draft dodgers are usually unconcerned with military affairs unless they can make profit from sending us to war. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 200 #3 January 25, 2017 Those of you who loved to slam Bush for creating a mess for Obama to inherit certainly don't seem to mind it when Barry leaves a mess for Trump to clean up. Quote“When you have a system that’s not working, and then going out and hiring additional people doesn’t seem to be the most efficient way of solving the problem,” he said. “What we need to do, whether it’s the VA or any other agency, is make sure that we’re hiring smartly and effectively and efficiently.Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,447 #4 January 25, 2017 >Those of you who loved to slam Bush for creating a mess for Obama to inherit >certainly don't seem to mind it when Barry leaves a mess for Trump to clean up. Bad on Bush for screwing the economy so badly. Good on Obama for fixing it. Bad on Obama for not fixing the problems with the VA. Bad on Trump for making it worse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 200 #5 January 25, 2017 He didn't make it worse. It's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians.Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,447 #6 January 25, 2017 > I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians. So the way to fix that is . . . . make sure you can't get more indians? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DougH 270 #7 January 25, 2017 Well the solution certainly isn't to push through a fix like The Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014 which had a ridiculous implementation deadline that basically left if dead on arrival. I can't comment on the hiring freeze, but money and effort that could have been spent on lasting fixes has been repeatedly wasted in the past."The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,069 #8 January 25, 2017 Hi airdvr, QuoteIt's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. As I have posted on here numerous times, the VERY first thing Pres. Reagan did when he went into the Oval Office was to enact a hiring freeze. He said, 'Gov't is not the solution, gov't is the problem.' When he left eight yrs later, there were more gov't employees than when he entered office. I was a fed employee thru that entire time-frame. As to ' WTF is wrong ' do you actually think The D is capable of knowing? Jerry Baumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil1111 923 #9 January 25, 2017 airdvrHe didn't make it worse. It's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians. Aug, 2015 "About one in three jobs are vacant at eight of the nation’s regional Veterans Affairs health care systems, leaving veterans waiting weeks to get care. Nationally, one in six positions — nearly 41,000 — for critical intake workers, doctors, nurses and assistants were unfilled as of mid July, in part due to complex hiring procedures and poor recruitment, according to critics of the nation's network of 139 hospitals and clinics that treat veterans." http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/08/20/half-critical-positions-open-some-vas/32003103/ And here is how trump screwed things up some more. Perhaps Mattis would take on both jobs. Defense Secretary and VA. "While most want to get rid of disorganization within the Veterans Affairs Department, some think the only way to fix the problem is to add a little more “Chaos.” A petition is calling for Marine Corps. Gen. James Mattis to serve as the new head of the VA. The general, whose call sign was “Chaos,” retired in May 2013 after a 41-year military career marked with milestones such as serving as the commander of U.S. Central Command and the NATO Supreme Allied Commander." http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/22/some-want-chaos-marine-gen-james-mattis-lead-va/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,263 #10 January 25, 2017 airdvrHe didn't make it worse. It's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians. You make it sound like he had the best interests of the VA at heart when he signed the freeze order. Of course he didn't. He wasn't even thinking about the VA. It's a publicity stunt pure and simple, and if it does happen to fuck over the VA or any other agencies and departments they really don't care. If there's one thing that's been categoricaly proven time and time again over the course of Trump's career it is that he doesn't give a shit about the little guy.Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RonD1120 58 #11 January 25, 2017 airdvrHe didn't make it worse. It's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians. Absolutely correct, the VA is overstaffed with incompetence. President Trump is on the right track.Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 200 #12 January 25, 2017 jakee***He didn't make it worse. It's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians. You make it sound like he had the best interests of the VA at heart when he signed the freeze order. Of course he didn't. He wasn't even thinking about the VA. It's a publicity stunt pure and simple, and if it does happen to fuck over the VA or any other agencies and departments they really don't care. If there's one thing that's been categoricaly proven time and time again over the course of Trump's career it is that he doesn't give a shit about the little guy. Can I use your crystal ball sometime?Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,447 #13 January 25, 2017 >Absolutely correct, the VA is overstaffed with incompetence. President Trump is on the right track. If Obama had done exactly the same thing, you would have stated "BHO has just spit on veterans again and proven he has no respect for them or their sacrifices. He does not deserve to be president." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 634 #14 January 25, 2017 After they would have first complained about King Obama and his Presidential Decrees. He never had the right to sign them, but Trump is their new king, so it's ok now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RonD1120 58 #15 January 25, 2017 billvon>Absolutely correct, the VA is overstaffed with incompetence. President Trump is on the right track. If Obama had done exactly the same thing, you would have stated "BHO has just spit on veterans again and proven he has no respect for them or their sacrifices. He does not deserve to be president." Nah! I work with veterans and the VA sucks in many areas. The doctors and nurses are generally competent. The menial work is handled by many that just do not care because they cannot get fired.Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,263 #16 January 25, 2017 airdvr ******He didn't make it worse. It's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians. You make it sound like he had the best interests of the VA at heart when he signed the freeze order. Of course he didn't. He wasn't even thinking about the VA. It's a publicity stunt pure and simple, and if it does happen to fuck over the VA or any other agencies and departments they really don't care. If there's one thing that's been categoricaly proven time and time again over the course of Trump's career it is that he doesn't give a shit about the little guy. Can I use your crystal ball sometime? So, you think when Trump signed a hiring freeze covering the entire US government he was thinking specifically of how to help change the VA?That's pure speculation. Trump's willingness to screw over the little guy just because he can is a well documented pattern of behaviour.Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 200 #17 January 25, 2017 jakee *********He didn't make it worse. It's a hiring freeze until he can see WTF is wrong. I guarantee you what is wrong is too many chiefs and not enough indians. You make it sound like he had the best interests of the VA at heart when he signed the freeze order. Of course he didn't. He wasn't even thinking about the VA. It's a publicity stunt pure and simple, and if it does happen to fuck over the VA or any other agencies and departments they really don't care. If there's one thing that's been categoricaly proven time and time again over the course of Trump's career it is that he doesn't give a shit about the little guy. Can I use your crystal ball sometime? So, you think when Trump signed a hiring freeze covering the entire US government he was thinking specifically of how to help change the VA?That's pure speculation. Trump's willingness to screw over the little guy just because he can is a well documented pattern of behaviour. My point is I don't know and neither do you. Pure speculation. What I do know is many areas of DC are FUBAR. Run by beaurocrats and empire builders. As I understand it a hiring freeze means no new positions. I doubt it stops them from replacing those who leave. And if you failed to notice business in the US is about winners and losers. Like many successful business persons he didn't get where he is by playing nice. Sad but true.Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,069 #18 January 25, 2017 Hi airdvr, QuoteI doubt it stops them from replacing those who leave. It did under Pres. Reagan's hiring freeze. And re: 'As I understand it', just how do you understand it? Jerry Baumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 634 #19 January 25, 2017 What we do know is these exec orders are literally just campaign promises now with a POTUS signature, let's see how they fare legally. #Unconstitutional #Thanksminefuhror Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jclalor 12 #20 January 25, 2017 JerryBaumchenHi airdvr, QuoteI doubt it stops them from replacing those who leave. It did under Pres. Reagan's hiring freeze. And re: 'As I understand it', just how do you understand it? Jerry Baumchen I have a coworker RN who was in the beginning process of getting a job at the Pablo Alto VA... not anymore. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,263 #21 January 25, 2017 airdvr As I understand it a hiring freeze means no new positions. I doubt it stops them from replacing those who leave. No new positions and no currently vacant positions. It stops them replacing those who have left. Which they badly need to do. Quote Like many successful business persons he didn't get where he is by playing nice. And you think he's suddenly going to change his spots? Only Trump can stop bastards like Trump? Yeah right!Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,447 #22 January 25, 2017 >Only Trump can stop bastards like Trump? Well, he has made that a plank of his campaign. He outsources most of his purchases for his properties. But he says that if someone would only stop him, he wouldn't do it. He doesn't pay any taxes. But he's said that's the fault of the system. Why won't someone force people like him to pay their fair share? So he is effectively demanding that government step in and take away his freedom to do those evil things. (Oh, and he's also for less government regulation.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GeorgiaDon 340 #23 January 25, 2017 QuoteI doubt it stops them from replacing those who leave. It is a hiring freeze, not a "freeze on net new hiring". If people leave they are not replaced, the workload just gets shifted onto the people who are remaining. The problem with this is that it takes no account of the importance of the job, nor if the unit was understaffed already. For example the VA currently has 1,400 vacant positions. Somehow the VA is supposed to improve customer service and significantly reduce wait times, while working with 1,400 fewer people. Perhaps they will have to cut doctor visits to a maximum of 3 minutes? On another note, the President just signed an order to greatly accelerate environmental reviews for pipeline and other projects, and now he's signed an order barring the hiring of personnel needed to actually carry out those reviews. I'm reminded of a tactic used by the Harper government in Canada a few years ago to fast-track an oil pipeline across the Rockies and other mountain ranges. Every point where the pipeline crossed a river or salmon stream, hundreds of places in total, was supposed to get a separate environmental impact review. They mandated that the reviews be completed in an impossible time frame, stipulated that any reviews not completed in time would be taken as approval of the project, and then slashed the available staff to do the reviews by 1/3. Nice way to ram through a pipeline! Hiring freezes are the brainless way to cut payrolls, just as sequestration was the brainless way to reduce spending. The harder but more productive way is to decide what functions are necessary and fund those, getting rid of the less mission-critical functions. Of course that takes time, attention to detail, and it runs the risk that you might discover there is very little "fat" left to be trimmed. Don_____________________________________ Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996) “Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 200 #24 January 25, 2017 OK. It's 90 days. Not forever. Just until we can get a grip on the cesspool that is DC. Trump’s hiring freeze annoys unions — but could save billions for taxpayers and future generations Liberals and unions are outraged, but limiting the power and privilege of public sector unions makes economic sense QuoteTrump was elected on a promise to “drain the swamp.” That would seem to include the top four richest counties in the United States, all of which are in the Washington suburbs, according to U.S. Census Bureau data measuring median household income. Among the top 20 wealthiest American counties by that standard, nine are in the D.C. metropolitan area. As my colleague Matthew Rozsa reports, Trump’s move has drawn howls from union bosses. If you can judge a man by his enemies, then Trump is on solid footing to score wins not just for hardworking, business-owning taxpayers, but also for the working class. http://www.salon.com/2017/01/25/trumps-hiring-freeze-annoys-unions-but-could-save-billions-for-taxpayers-and-future-generations/ Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,447 #25 January 25, 2017 >OK. It's 90 days. Not forever. Just until we can get a grip on the cesspool that is DC. True. Heck, Trump will barely be able to refill the cesspool in that time, much less gut the VA. Although with his cabinet he's made a good start. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
