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Subject: THE FEDERAL DIARY=Running for Hire Office=By Mike Causey=Washington Post Staff
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 09:54:16 EST
Message-ID: <17.1992Nov23.095416@AmeriCast.com>

THE FEDERAL DIARY=Running for Hire Office=By Mike
Causey=Washington Post Staff Writer=

The first hostile takeover of the executive branch in 12 years
has turned some  federal hiring offices into minefields.

Thousands of Republican appointees, with children in college and
mortgages to pay, are scrambling to return to well-paying, fire-
proof, career federal jobs. Meanwhile, over, under and around
them, equally determined Democrats and bureaucrats are trying to
make sure the lame ducks become dead ducks, not moles who burrow
into the civil service.

Democrats who run Congress have made it clear they are watching
for examples of illegal conversions of jobs from political to
career status. The General Accounting Office, which works for
Congress, is taking names.

Some politicals, including Douglas A. Brook, acting head of the
Office of Personnel Management, feel the anti-mole operation has
(by accident or design) paralyzed the hiring process. The slug-
a-Republican climate, they say, makes it impossible for appoin-
tees with veteran and career status to get a fair shake. Many
need a few more years to qualify for pensions and retirement med-
ical benefits.

Caught in the cross-fire are hiring officers who are moving slow-
ly lest they incur the wrath of the winners by letting a politi-
cal appointee (qualified or otherwise) slip under the civil ser-
vice blanket.

Career employees who spot real, or imagined, illegal political-
to-career conversions are busy calling or faxing news organiza-
tions, Congress and friends on the Clinton transition team.

Irate and panicky political appointees also are tapping under-
ground sources in hopes of convincing Congress, the public and
especially hiring officers that it is illegal to deny qualified
applicants federal jobs because they are or were political ap-
pointees. Agencies are expected to get guidelines this week on
how to handle applications from noncareer and political
appointees.People<The Office of Personnel Management's Tom Glen-
non has been given the Defense Department's Superior Civilian
Service Award. He helped set up the Defense Commissary Agency and
has worked with the Pentagon on programs to save civilian jobs
during base closures and downsizing.

Michael Kundly will celebrate  50 years of federal service next
month. He's been with the Defense Intelligence Agency for 28
years, after 22 years on active duty in the Navy.  Tim Clark,
deputy administrator for administrative management for the Agri-
cultural Research Service will retire next week after 41 years
with the service.

Ellen Ross is retiring next month after 42 years of federal ser-
vice. She's head of community relations for the Military District
of Washington's public affairs office and has won most of
Defense's top civilian service awards.

The Postal Service's John Eklund made his last appointed rounds
Friday after 33 years of federal-military service. For the last
28 years he's been with its news operation, frequently hand-
delivering information and press releases to media outlets.<08:58
11-23C9999-----

Copyright 1992, The Washington Post.  This story is from the
Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar-
chived or redistributed.

For more information, send-email to American Cybercasting Cor-
poration (usa@AmeriCast.COM)