Comments for GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Comment on GAO Access to Intelligence Information Obstructed by 1988 Justice Dept Legal Opinion by GAOUnionAdmin

GAOUnionAdmin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:11:03 +0000

See GAOUNION.org Jul 27 post: Pelosi: ‘How Dare The Administration’ Threaten To Veto Intelligence Reform, including increased access for GAO to intel info

Comment on GAO’s own study reports major problems & widespread dissatisfaction with Performance Appraisal System (PAS) in GAO by GAO Union issues report on how management implemented GAO Human Capital Reform Act by GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:34:35 +0000

[…] [2008 and] 2009, GAO conducted a Performance Appraisal Study (PAS) which found that the agency’s performance system violated federal regulations; did not meet its […]

Comment on Re-evaluating GAO’s performance appraisal by GAO’s own study reports major problems & widespread dissatisfaction with Performance Appraisal System (PAS) in GAO by GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:30:14 +0000

[…] For more, read the PAS Report, which includes a 6-page Executive Summary. To view the history of the study, see GAOUnion post: Re-evaluating GAO’s performance appraisal […]

Comment on GAO Union Requests Staff Comments on GAO’s Human Capital Legislation by GAOUnionAdmin

GAOUnionAdmin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 22:33:30 +0000

See GAO Union issues report on how management implemented GAO Human Capital Reform Act - Aug 7, 2010 @ http://gaounion.org/?p=1190

Comment on GAO Union issues report on how management implemented GAO Human Capital Reform Act by GAOUnionAdmin

GAOUnionAdmin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 22:25:15 +0000

See GAOUnion.org post @ http://gaounion.org/?p=1162 on GAO Union Requests Staff Comments on GAO’s Human Capital Legislation - June 8, 2010

Comment on Re-evaluating GAO’s performance appraisal by GAO Union issues report on how management implemented GAO Human Capital Reform Act by GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:17:58 +0000

[…] [2008 and] 2009, GAO conducted a Performance Appraisal Study (PAS) which found that the agency’s […]

Comment on GAO Lacks Standing to Sue the VP for Documents according to Federal Judge by McCaskill’s GAO Bill Moves Forward by GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 12:58:01 +0000

[…] 2002 court decision limited the GAO’s ability to access information from government agencies necessary to […]

Comment on Freshman Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill’s ambition: making government work for less money & become the GAO senator by McCaskill’s GAO Bill Moves Forward by GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 12:42:32 +0000

[…] For more on Senator McCaskill’s long-standing interest in promoting government efficiency and GAO, see GAOUnion post: Freshman Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill’s ambition: making government work for l…. […]

Comment on McCaskill’s bill to strengthen GAO access to information moves forward; bill would remedy Walker v. Cheney decision that misconstrued authority & role of Comptroller General by GAOUnionAdmin

GAOUnionAdmin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 12:27:17 +0000

For more on Senator McCaskill’s long-standing interest in promoting government efficiency and GAO, see GAOUnion post: Freshman Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill’s ambition: making government work for less money & become the GAO senator - Karen Rutzik, GovExec.com - Feb. 2, 2007.

Comment on House passes GAO Improvement Act of 2009 by McCaskill’s GAO Improvement Bill Moves Forward by GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:44:28 +0000

[…] You can read the GAO’s letter of support for this legislation here. Also see the previous GAOUnion.org post on House passes GAO Improvement Act of 2009 - Jan. 13, 2010. […]

Comment on Rep. Platts says he had been told unofficially he is unlikely to get GAO nomination by shirley

shirley — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:57:28 +0000

So is Linda Bilmes going to be appointed? Is the White House afraid to appoint two women Harvard professors?

Comment on Re-applying the Lipstick: The Next Generation of Merit Pay by Howard Risher

Howard Risher — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:57:37 +0000

I think you mistated my point. Yes, i am an advocate. I for one would not want to work in an environment where my value was not recognzied and I didn’t benefit from my work efforts.

The issue with NSPS is that the implementation was flawed. Certain elments of the pay and performance system design were flawed. My writing occasionally prompts email messages eiher agreeing or disagreeing with my statements. In the case of NSPS, the way pay increases were determined was a fatal flaw. A basic and essential issue in pay for performnace is that employees need to know what they can expect. I did find evidence that there was a widely shared rejection of the basic philosophy. It was the NSPS system that was rejected.

Comment on Age Discrimination at the Nation’s Auditor. Public Information filed yesterday, being published by interested GAO clients by GAOUnionAdmin

GAOUnionAdmin — Thu, 20 May 2010 03:25:44 +0000

An Opportunity to Rectify 25 Years of Age Discrimination at GAO by Using the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 @ http://gaounion.org/?p=981

Comment on Age Discrimination at the Nation’s Auditor. Public Information filed yesterday, being published by interested GAO clients by GAOUnionAdmin

GAOUnionAdmin — Thu, 20 May 2010 03:22:27 +0000

Latest Developments in Age Discrimination Case Against GAO (updated April 24, 2010) @ http://gaounion.org/?p=1058

Comment on Comptroller General Candidate Ira Goldstein supports dashboards by Lance Coardill

Lance Coardill — Sat, 15 May 2010 03:20:59 +0000

That Ira, one smart dude. psychobabble.

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by huwowen

huwowen — Mon, 10 May 2010 23:06:04 +0000

Linda Bilmes is pretty HOT!!

Check out the photos and TV appearances … no offense to Gene, Ira and Mr. Platts, but Ms. Bilmes is MUCH easier on the eyes than you guys.

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by Recovering analyst

Recovering analyst — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:21:41 +0000

GAO Retiree said: “…Dodaro was CG Walker’s #2 and participated in all the Walker sins against GAO’s staff…”

Yep, Gene Dodaro was a Dave Walker enabler. I personally heard Gene Dodaro make incredibly inaccurate and thoughtless comments about staff who were demoted to Band IIA during the Band II split. As a career GAO employee, he definitely knew better but, as with the rest of GAO’s SESers, he continues to prove that he has no backbone. Is a current or former GAO SESer really “change we can believe in”?

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by humphrey2075

humphrey2075 — Mon, 10 May 2010 02:19:36 +0000

Ms. Bilmes is well known for her persistence, tenacity and charm, and for her passion for cost accounting. She would make an ideal leader for GAO. She would also help us to recruit from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and similar institutions. She is a lovely woman, gracious and cultured, who is popular with her students and extremely kind.

Obama is not going to choose Platt — Republican Congressman who voted against his signature health care bill. Nor is he likely to pick Gene Dodaro, who has been here performing adequately-but-not-brilliantly for 30 years. So its really a choice between Ira Goldstein and Linda Bilmes. It strikes me that there are already a lot of people in the administration who are like Mr. Goldstein — similar in background, skills, and expertise. Professor Bilmes would be a breath of fresh air … dare I say, “change we can believe in”….

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by shirley

shirley — Mon, 10 May 2010 02:05:09 +0000

I cannot understand Mr. Light’s essay. First he says that Professor Bilmes is “stellar” — but then he fails to endorse her because of political reasons. Why is he so spineless? I happen to know Dr. Bilmes, who was my professor at Harvard. Believe me, we would be incredibly lucky to get her here. She speaks about 10 languages. Her father was in the Army. She is beloved by veterans, she is also really smart, caring and mentoring to her students and totally non-political. (In fact the only bad thing you could say is that she is a bit of a nerdy accountant. ). She has a great life at Harvard, with summers in Cape Cod and all -why should she come take this job when political hacks like Paul Light are going to dump on her just because she donated to the Dems?

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by Backtail

Backtail — Sun, 09 May 2010 23:45:40 +0000

When I first saw this artice in the Post I thought that our union should consider responding to this. Not to disparage any particular individual…., but to say that these have been difficult times for the peasants, and that the new CG must, in addition to Light’s criteria, be someone who will pay heed to the plight of the peasants and reverse the scorched earth mentality of the previous leadership. We are the backbone of the organization, not the tail bone.

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by Philip

Philip — Sun, 09 May 2010 15:28:53 +0000

LOL!! Did Paul Light acutally mean to use the term “back-breaking” to describe Gene Dodaro’s service at GAO. Let’s travel down memory lane. Gene had an affair with a powerful and high ranking female GAO executive (Joan McCabe, aka “BIG Momma”), divorced his first wife, married Joan McCabe and his career at GAO skyrocketed from being a midlevel employee –beginning in human resources to a senior executive and now the interim Comptroller General. I guess “back-breaking” is the accurate term to describe his GAO career. If you get my point!!! There are those current and former GAO employees that believe the retired Joan McCabe Dodaro (”Big Momma”) remains the puppetmaster and is actually running GAO. Gene Dodaro is an amiable gentlemen but not the visionary leader that GAO needs at this juncture.

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by Diane Williams

Diane Williams — Sat, 08 May 2010 14:52:18 +0000

I strongly disagree with Mr. Light that Gene Dodaro “could best lead the GAO,” as set forth in the May 7, 2010 Washington Post. Mr. Dodaro was part of Dave Walker’s four-person Executive Committee, which led to the first successful unionization drive among GAO’s Analyst employees in the agency’s history and the vote was by a 2-to-1 margin. In addition, Mr. Walker’s human capital “transformation” led to regressive personnel policies and practices which further damaged African-American employees, and resulted in no less than three Congressional oversight hearings between 2007 and 2008. These hearings were chaired by Rep. Danny Davis of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia before he was elevated to the more prestigious House Ways and Means Committee. Unfortunately, Rep. Davis did not finish his work in uncovering and undoing the harms long confronting Black GAO employees, which included “disproportionately low” performance appraisal ratings for Black employees compared to their similarly situated Caucasian co-workers, and his successor, Rep. Stephen Lynch, has shown no interest in continuing the inquiry, let alone seeking solutions. Consequently, the resulting harms to African-American employees have multiplied over the years, as was pointed out during some of the Congressional testimony. And, plenty of other long-time employees can also point to serious concerns about Mr. Walker and Company. GAO has not improved with regard to is treatment of employees. The avenues for seeking redress of their grievances — including at GAO’s Personnel Appeals Board — have not changed since Rep. Davis’ hearings. The GAO Inspector General still is not investigating allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the agency. Many of the problems that existed during Mr. Walker’s tenure continue unabated. Ethics, integrity, and a sense of fair dealing are essential qualities for any Federal Government employee, but particularly for a Presidential appointee. GAO deserves no less, and neither do taxpayers. (Full disclosure: the writer is suing GAO for discrimination and reprisal. Mr. Dodaro, as the head of GAO, is named as the defendant in that suit, in which a Federal district court judge recently found sufficient evidence to withstand a motion for summary judgment. The case will now proceed to discovery.)

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by PMI

PMI — Sat, 08 May 2010 14:14:52 +0000

I think that Paul Light’s article was a shot across the bow of a possible Platts nomination by the President. Which means the possibility is real.

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by GAO Retiree

GAO Retiree — Sat, 08 May 2010 13:40:49 +0000

I can’t believe Light recommended that Dodaro or Goldstein should be picked by Obama as the next CG. Both have a political agenda–an “anti-employee” agenda. Goldstein started GAO on its decline as a collegial place to work by instituting GAO’s competitive Pay-for-Performance system. Dodaro was CG Walker’s #2 and participated in all the Walker sins against GAO’s staff. Worse, even after Congress signaled its displeasure with Walker’s pay policies and passed the GAO Act restoring back COLAs to GAO employees, Dodaro is still fighting us GAO retirees at the PAB. We just want to have our 2006 and 2007 COLAs restored–COLAs that were illegally denied us by Walker and Dodaro.

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by GAO Analyst

GAO Analyst — Sat, 08 May 2010 13:05:12 +0000

Hope Light and folks on the Hill & in WH see your comments. Thanks.

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by CPA

CPA — Sat, 08 May 2010 02:19:27 +0000

I have a different problem with Paul Light’s article. It assumes that Dodaro and Goldstein have integrity. But this is not true. The criteria for selection are valid, but the analysis of the two people who are proposed fall far short of reality. For example, why did GAO, including Dodaro as the second in line to Comptroller General Walker, and Goldstein as third in command to Comptroller General Bowsher, fail to disclose to the Court its agenda for age discrimination for over 25 years resulting in the resignation and dismissal of 7000 auditors since the 1980s. And why did David Walker, the previous Comptroller General, resign under fire for misleading Congress. With these kinds of questions being raised, not by the Courts but by Congress itself, who can trust these two bureaucrats? A new broom sweeps clean. Let’s get a new Comptroller General with integrity. Certainly, Dodaro or Goldstein recommended by Light don’t have that!

Comment on Is GAO As Neutral as Everyone Assumes? by What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “Who best could lead the GAO?” by GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Fri, 07 May 2010 18:58:37 +0000

[…] H. W. Bush, and had contributed to the election campaigns of mostly Republican candidates (see Is GAO As Neutral as Everyone Assumes?). But few would claim that Walker was not an independent, non-partisan Comptroller […]

Comment on Platts bids for Comptroller General job by What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “Who best could lead the GAO?” by GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Fri, 07 May 2010 16:41:58 +0000

[…] In addition, Light ignores the fact that Republican U.S. Representative Todd R. Platts (PA-19), who was on both the Democratic and Republican lists of Comptroller General candidates submitted to the President, has the support not only of the Democratic leadership and but also of 167 of his House colleagues, including 57 Democratic colleagues (see Platts bids for Comptroller General job). […]

Comment on What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “The right choice for a federal watchdog: Who best could lead the GAO?” by Rod Rodgers

Rod Rodgers — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:53:02 +0000

Three cheers for Bilmes!!!

Please do NOT nominate Ira Goldstein. Those of us who served GAO during Ira Goldstein’s tenure will clearly remember how disruptive this technocrat was and how the GAO began to lose credibility with the Congress. Moreover, Goldstein was a micro-manager that demoralized the ranks of auditors and analysts. We do not need another Walker-clone walking the halls of GAO.

Comment on What kind of Comptroller General and GAO leader would a U.S. Representative be? by What was wrong with Paul Light’s Washington Post OpEd “Who best could lead the GAO?” by GAOUnion.org . . . . An independent website

Fri, 07 May 2010 13:58:57 +0000

[…] Light’s Op-Ed also ignores the historical record of GAO and the legacy of a past Comptroller General of the United States. Light overlooks the fact that one of the best leaders in GAO’s history was Lindsay C. Warren, who President Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) selected to be Comptroller General after serving eight-terms as a Democratic Member of Congress from North Carolina. Warren served as the third U. S. Comptroller General and head of the GAO from 1940-1954. Comptroller General Warren, a lawyer, had held elected offices in North Carolina as a Democrat before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. As a Member of the House, Warren had congressional committee experience closely related to the work of GAO, having served as Chairman of the House Committee on Accounts (now Oversight). Warren generally enjoyed good relations with Congress during his term in office as Comptroller General. Warren led GAO through World War II and helped transform GAO from a DC-based green-eyeshade checker of agency financial records to a field-based professional auditing agency that carried out comprehensive, on-site audits. See the March 26, 2010 GAOUnion Post: What kind of Comptroller General and GAO leader would a U.S. Representative be? […]