Reader comment roundup
Reader comment roundup: Fixing government, Lower salaries, Military health care and more.
Seeking fixes to gov reform
Regarding “Paul Light’s government score card”: Where have you been all of my 23 years of civil-service life? I'm going out to buy your book and spread your word.
Thank you for saying everything I've always wanted to say but was afraid to do so. You are so correct. Now, what can we do to fix things?
Anonymous
Legislation necessary
Regarding "Full medical jacket": A key problem with utilizing this type of system for the Air Force Military Treatment Facility (MTF) is that it is PROHIBITED in AFI41-210, 2.7.2.
This would indeed be a great tool for both the provider and the patient, unfortunately, it is not lawful at this time.
It would be nice to have all MHS on the same page.
Regina Osment,
HIPAA Administrator
Pay cuts hurt the poorest
Regarding "Also in the news: A pay cut for Ca. state workers?": Now this is ridiculous. The governor is lowering the [salaries of the] lowest paid people. I can guarantee you he isn't reducing all state salaries to $6.55. If, in fact, he is reducing ALL state employees' [salaries] to $6.55 then that is reasonable; however, to further punish those already living in poverty and keep other employees at high pay is criminal.
Flora Newsom
Help for identity theft victims?
Regarding “Advocate pushes IRS to confront identity theft”: I'm dealing with identity theft issues now. Without going into specifics, the system for dealing with identity theft is woefully inadequate. Not only is the information (regarding process to deal with identity theft) hard to find, but the steps are overly burdensome. In addition, the credit card companies have no incentive to "help" -- it's easier to threaten the victims with lawsuits (for late payments) than to go after the criminals.
What can I do to help "influence" policy?
Anonymous
Pay change: Use bottom-up approach
Regarding “Execs rewarded under pay for performance”: I think the testing of the pay for performance [system] should be focusing on the lower-grade employees versus the SES. This is typically where you have the greatest disparity in performance between peers.
This would provide an incentive to improve performance, create productive competition, and reward with increases in pay. These are the people who need the money and where morale is suffering. With lower-grade personnel buy-in perhaps the unions may start to back-off some.
Anonymous
What do you think? Paste a comment in the box below (registration required), or send your comment to letters@fcw.com (subject line: Blog comment) and we'll post it.
Regarding “Paul Light’s government score card”: Where have you been all of my 23 years of civil-service life? I'm going out to buy your book and spread your word.
Thank you for saying everything I've always wanted to say but was afraid to do so. You are so correct. Now, what can we do to fix things?
Anonymous
Legislation necessary
Regarding "Full medical jacket": A key problem with utilizing this type of system for the Air Force Military Treatment Facility (MTF) is that it is PROHIBITED in AFI41-210, 2.7.2.
This would indeed be a great tool for both the provider and the patient, unfortunately, it is not lawful at this time.
It would be nice to have all MHS on the same page.
Regina Osment,
HIPAA Administrator
Pay cuts hurt the poorest
Regarding "Also in the news: A pay cut for Ca. state workers?": Now this is ridiculous. The governor is lowering the [salaries of the] lowest paid people. I can guarantee you he isn't reducing all state salaries to $6.55. If, in fact, he is reducing ALL state employees' [salaries] to $6.55 then that is reasonable; however, to further punish those already living in poverty and keep other employees at high pay is criminal.
Flora Newsom
Help for identity theft victims?
Regarding “Advocate pushes IRS to confront identity theft”: I'm dealing with identity theft issues now. Without going into specifics, the system for dealing with identity theft is woefully inadequate. Not only is the information (regarding process to deal with identity theft) hard to find, but the steps are overly burdensome. In addition, the credit card companies have no incentive to "help" -- it's easier to threaten the victims with lawsuits (for late payments) than to go after the criminals.
What can I do to help "influence" policy?
Anonymous
Pay change: Use bottom-up approach
Regarding “Execs rewarded under pay for performance”: I think the testing of the pay for performance [system] should be focusing on the lower-grade employees versus the SES. This is typically where you have the greatest disparity in performance between peers.
This would provide an incentive to improve performance, create productive competition, and reward with increases in pay. These are the people who need the money and where morale is suffering. With lower-grade personnel buy-in perhaps the unions may start to back-off some.
Anonymous
What do you think? Paste a comment in the box below (registration required), or send your comment to letters@fcw.com (subject line: Blog comment) and we'll post it.