<p>[washingtonpost.com</a> - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines](<a href=“http://washingtonpost.com%5Dwashingtonpost.com”>http://washingtonpost.com)</p>
<p>Your link gives me the front page of the Washington Post - give me a clue what I’m looking for. (My kid works for the gov’t. I want to know what I should be afraid of.)</p>
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<p>tsdad- those of us working for the government - at any level have an obligation to stand firm against the pressure to hide misdeeds. I am going through it now on the State level- it gets uncomfortable but you still need to do the right thing. Sometimes it is very clear what the right thing is.</p>
<p>I work for the Dod. several years ago, after complaining incessantly about us being overcharged while using an automated buying program, and being ignored entirely, I packed up my files and walked across the street to the IG office. they were happy to see me. Their investigation caused a ruckus and I finally got some action. Also, got a nice award check from the IG for my tip. </p>
<p>You have to have a big mouth and not give up to get anyone to take you seriously at all. I can’t fix the whole thing, so I pick my battles carefully.</p>
<p>Good for you Sue and Tom, but after 30 years it wore me out. Plus my situation was different. I worked in civil law enforcement. It wasn’t a matter of people cheating the government, stuff that could be documented. My problems involved how the political appointees chose to interpret the law; their decision, against the advise of career staff, to take complaints from one group that wouldn’t be taken if another group filed them; using complaints to go after recipients for ideological reasons; hiring staff based on their politics; and sitting on issues for years that they didn’t want to deal with because the outcome conflicted with their political views. </p>
<p>Much too frustrating and I got tired of being so aggravated that I couldn’t sleep.</p>
<p>I’m sure the judicial department is hell for those who actually want to enforce the constitution.</p>
<p>tsdad, your problem was not the main one that frustrated me during a long federal career at a largely-technical agency; I found the budget process worse. At least the appointed officials changed every few years; budget games just getting kept getting more complicated and wasteful.<br>
That said, every other aspect of working for the federal government was positive. There are great opportunities, unique jobs, working with other dedicated professionals, and fine benefits. I wouldn’t want to discourage young people from entering public service. At least initially, most new employees are sheltered from the small-p politics for a while and they should make up their own mind about less-desirable aspects of the environment–there are similar or worse issues in the private sector.</p>
<p>HHHmmmm, wonder who that “major aerospace company” is???</p>
<p>After the tanker debacle that has been so important to uis down here, I don’t think there is any way to ever know that contracts are fair and appropriate, and that taxpayers aren’t being cheated, before, during or after any contract is let - too many crooks out there.</p>
<p>Smdur:</p>
<p>There were some positive aspects–I earned a very decent salary. Like many people I came to Washington to do good and all I did was well. My pension is excellent, much better than new employees have with the Thrift plan. Washington DC and its suburbs, absent the traffic and the sometimes awful weather, was a great place to live. I enjoyed most, if not all, of my colleagues. Sometimes we were actually allowed to do the right thing. Finally, it did give me the background that my current employer wanted when they hired me, and it now allows me to live in a fine, progressive small city that has a Beltline and not a Beltway.</p>
<p>I am still, as you can tell, working on getting over the anger.</p>
<p>[Home</a> - Federal Contractor Misconduct Database - POGO](<a href=“http://www.contractormisconduct.org/]Home”>http://www.contractormisconduct.org/)</p>
<p>Government jobs sure pay well.</p>
<p>Contracts with the Federal government pay well. Jobs working for the Federal government aren’t bad, but not like contracting.</p>
<p>No not like contracting, but not like working in the private sector either
[Fed</a> pay: Rank-and-file tops private average, managers fall below - USATODAY.com](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-06-24-fedpay_N.htm]Fed”>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-06-24-fedpay_N.htm)</p>
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<p>As I said, Federal salaries aren’t bad especially at the middle and lower levels. They’re not so hot at the most senior levels. The Federal workforce includes a substantial number of highly educated professionals many of whom are performing skilled technical jobs with substantial responsibility.</p>
<p>As the article notes:</p>
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<p>Unions have little impact on pay (except perhaps for lobbying–pay ranges are not negotiable), which is determined by statutory formulas and/or by presidential and congressional actions. Health benefits are ok especially since they carry over into retirement. My current (public) employer provides much better benefits at a much lower price.</p>
<p>Again–I have no complaint about what I was paid, but sometimes I wonder if it was worth the pain.</p>