Waste In State Gov.

trap50 · 04-26-2003, 12:17 AM

I don't know if this would work. Could we as a group start a thread on this subject and then send it on to a congressman, TV station, newspaper,or someone who would care. I've tried doing this on my own but couldn't get anyone to respond. I see food tossed a lot where I work. One time 300# of swiss steak because it was pulled for the wrong meal. Cottage chees in 5# carton ,60 at a time. Things like this by themselves are small but add all this together and there's a lot of money.There has to be an answer somewhere or someone that will listen.

Straydog · 04-26-2003, 08:08 AM

Do away with sick leave until a person must miss work for 5 consecutive days due to illness.

I hear it all the time, "well, I gotta take my sick days off or I will lose them, wanna go fishin'?" There is another thread with public employee talking about being forced to retire....... "only 19 more days counting vacation and sick time".

As a commissioned salesman I work some almost everyday. I don't get sick time. I don't get vacation time. I don't have a retirement plan that guarantees me 8% at the expense of taxpayers. And I don't have to worry about such trivial things as a solicitation for donations on the time clock. My time clock is running most all the time and no one is watching my hours or cares, as long as I produce....

[ 04-26-2003, 09:17 AM: Message edited by: Straydog ]

crabbait · 04-26-2003, 06:31 PM

SD - And the amount that you make is dependent on the amount of sales you produce. Ever think of the fact that salaried people make the same amount no matter how hard they work? Kind of a dis-incentive don't you think?

A lot of us are not allowed overtime ("credit hours" instead) and are expected to drop everything, including plans that have been in the works for months, if "duty calls". Our paychecks reflect none of this.

My point is that we all have made choices as to what work we do and all have good and bad things about their chosen careers. I don't pity you for the hours you put in nor do I envy the fact that you can affect your income with harder work. You made your choice and I made mine.

We both ought to be glad we have a job to complain about.

Straydog · 04-26-2003, 08:31 PM

No arugments and no regrets CB.

I have been the salary route and am very happy to be on commission.

fish_on · 04-27-2003, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Straydog:
Do away with sick leave until a person must miss work for 5 consecutive days due to illness.

I hear it all the time, "well, I gotta take my sick days off or I will lose them, wanna go fishin'?" There is another thread with public employee talking about being forced to retire....... "only 19 more days counting vacation and sick time".

As a commissioned salesman I work some almost everyday. I don't get sick time. I don't get vacation time. I don't have a retirement plan that guarantees me 8% at the expense of taxpayers. And I don't have to worry about such trivial things as a solicitation for donations on the time clock. My time clock is running most all the time and no one is watching my hours or cares, as long as I produce....

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Finally something we agree on. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Straydog · 04-27-2003, 11:44 PM

Cool! See, we might have more in common than we think!

Thank you!

Hoosier Daddy · 04-28-2003, 07:38 AM

I disagree on the sick time stuff. How many times have you been sick for 5 days? I do agree that people shouldn't use it to go fishing. I don't. That appears to be an enforcement deal. How about just making it so you don't lose your time if you don't use it? I have been sick on one or two work days on several occassions and have never EVER used sick time to do anything but take care of medical issues or sit home sick. Not fishing, not a movie, not anything. That's a personal responsibility issue.

Straydog · 04-28-2003, 08:36 AM

HD,

Maybe 5 days is extreme..... compromise on 3?

Sick leave should be for longer term circumstances.

I do not agree that it should be accrued. If you don't need, why should you get it?

I am confident that if we were able to calculate how much we pay for sick leave to healthy people a year we would be blown away.

How do you regulate this? Have home visits to see if people are really sick? How much would that cost us??

Hoosier Daddy · 04-28-2003, 09:01 AM

Don't know what the solution is. Maybe two kinds, one for short term take it when you need it, but a very low balance of hours, maybe a week or two worth. Then a second, long term sick leave for 5 day plus illness that would require a doctors note or something? with higher balance of accrued time? On the accrual, I was just thinking of eliminating the use it or lose it mentality. Used to be that state workers could count their unused sick leave in their retirement to a point I think. That was some incentive to not use it when you didn't need it. I think that got yanked though.

[ 04-28-2003, 10:02 AM: Message edited by: Hoosier Daddy ]

lost_sailor · 04-29-2003, 08:11 AM

Let's say you need a computer programmer to make some changes to your "information system."

Private sector: You call Mike. He created the program in the first place, he's worked for you a couple of times, you know he's a good guy and will do a good job. Mike comes over, asks some questions, says he can do the job in a week for about $2,000. He does the work in a week, you check it out, it works fine. You pay Mike.

Public sector: You must justify your needs to the Information Resources Management Division. Fill out the Information Resource Request form. Oops! This project was not identified in your budget! You need approval from the Emergency Board before you can proceed. First you must receive approval from the Joint Legislative Committee on Information Management and Technology. They don't meet until 6 weeks from now.

The committee is not impressed. They do not approve, you can't spend money. They will meet again in 2 months. Two months later, no problem, go ahead.

OK, you can spend the money. NOW the project must be advertised for an open competitive process. You prepare a detailed Request for Proposals with a specific Statement of Work. Except, you don't know exactly what needs to be done ... if you were a dang programmer you'd just do it yourself.

OK, the Request for Proposals is complete, it goes to the Purchasing people. Oh they have many questions and changes. OK the changes are made (this took 8 weeks, those Purchasing people are busy busy). Ah, now your request needs to be reviewed by the Attorney General's office. Well, they can't get to it for about 6 weeks. Oh they have many questions and changes.

At last the request is made public.

The purchasing department receives one proposal - from MIKE. He can do the job for $20,000.

You sign a contract with Mike and he does the work.

Hoosier Daddy · 04-29-2003, 08:37 AM

Exactly LS. There are so many "safeguards" to make sure that people aren't spending money that everything ends up costing more, taking longer, and getting done poorly to boot.