I worked for the federal government for 47 years in one capacity or an other, military and civilian.
I had to account for every penny I spent, the worker bees do not get the privileges that the elected critters get.
Whoa there now. Never said they did.
Remember the public only sees the 2% that make the headlines, they never hear of the many that come to work and do their jobs in a professional manor every working hour of every working day.
Sigh. When did I target anyone in particular. I targeted a very specific job the FAA does that seems to have lost effectiveness. I pay for that job to be done, therefore... Since I'm a Citizen... I say, "What the hell is going on? Why are all the manufacturers claiming that this process is broken?"
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And also remember that I take offense when you generalize and make statements like you just did. How would you feel If I grouped you with the 2% of your occupation that were A.H.s?
Two responses to that. My boss doesn't give a rat's butt if I take any offense to him checking up on if I'm doing my job. I'd better damn well be doing it right or he'll fire me.
The 2% who are A.H. get fired if they don't do useful stuff for the company. That or they continue to be A.H.'s while they make the company lots of money. Have seen both.
Your post does prove one of my bigger picture points that I've been saying for a while now, though. You "identify" with being a government employee in a number of varying roles that are drastically different jobs... As you say, "Military and Civilian". Those are radically different. One works for Congress, one should have a much tighter customer focus on Citizens.
But... And here's why that's interesting... Government is the largest Company in the country. By far. The protestors lament the "giant evil Corporations" while government and it's workers are the number one largest Special Interest Group in the country. Huge lobby money, voting recommendations from government-based union groups, and even individuals who defend bad service by entire divisions full of other government employees they've never even met. Comraderie. Esprit de Corps.
Why do *you* personally care if I question the Certification group's effectiveness?
As I mentioned last post... Plenty of sharp, on-point, service-oriented government groups in all branches.
But we can't get answers as to why Certification costs keep rising and rising with no end in sight and no public statements about how it's going to be addressed.
I never said it was salary or perks. I said something's ineffective and it needs to be fixed or explained to those of us footing the bill.
As far as the folks who claimed I was making up conspiracies goes, I wasn't. I was saying there's a very difficult and fine line to be walked when you're a private business who's livelihood depends on a Certification from a single-source like FAA. It's been proven time and time again that FAA FSDOs aren't consistent in application of rules, which can lead to something that is approved here -- not being approved somewhere else. That makes FAA the biggest risk in starting an aviation-related business.
There's nothing in my statements you should take offense at unless you didn't provide the best service possible in your government work and never applied the rules any differently to any organization than any other government representative. If you always worked hard and spent those nickles and dimes wisely and for real safety reasons, we're also right as rain Tom. I suspect you did a fine job.
All those of us watching from the checkbook writer's seat are seeing is that Certification costs continue to climb, manufacturers say its the main reason they can't or won't bring new products to market, and we need information as to why. Thus the mass exodus out of Certified aircraft to Experimentals.
I seriously doubt the Experimental crowd wants to be known as Experimental. What they want is a high-quality aircraft and avionics for 1/2 the cost of the same Certificated aircraft. They grit their teeth and bear building 51% of the aircraft or they pay someone else to do it and lose the ability to do the annual condition check, so they can afford to fly the best modern technology has to offer, for 1/2 the price of aircraft that can't even replace a landing light with modern technology that's very well-known and understood, without a bureaucratic process driving the price up two to ten times the price of the same product off the same factory assembly line without a PMA sharpie marking.
My tax bill goes up every year faster than inflation. If all taxes are included it's 40% or more of every dollar I make. I am willing to pay that bill and retain the people who are making things better in government.
I expect a better product or services every year for that ever-increasing bill. Otherwise government layoffs and a falling tax bill each year would be more welcome. Make sense?
Not every Citizen can watch over all of it. But I can ask pointed questions about the few problematic things I hear about. Government employees always act shocked when the Citizenry says, "Are you worth what we're paying you? Can you quantify it?" In the private sector that analysis happens every day. "Downsizing" is often a convenient term for "tossing out deadwood". I've never heard of government downsizing.
