The cost of Donald Trump's deserted government

The cost of Donald Trump’s deserted government
Sparse leadership across federal agencies leaves Americans in limbo.
By LORRAINE WOELLERT
04/27/2018 05:03 AM EDT


Job vacancies are fast becoming a singular threat to President Donald Trump’s administration, with a record number of openings that stretch from low-level appointments to the secretary’s office at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

While civil servants have stepped up to fill gaps, their power and influence is limited — and many senior career government workers have quit or retired since Trump took office, taking institutional knowledge with them.

Max Stier, who tracks federal vacancies as head of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, likened the administration to a government run by substitute teachers.

“You might have a wonderful educator coming into the class for a day, or a week, or a couple of weeks,” he said. “But they get no respect.”

For millions of Americans, the consequences are real. Vacancies have stalled pay raises for thousands of federal workers. A mortgage rule to help home buyers has been stuck in limbo for more than a year. And the Internal Revenue Service is short bodies to push out regulations related to the new tax law, stymieing businesses.

Jonathan Keefover is feeling the pain. As a customer service specialist for the Social Security Administration, he was expecting a raise this past January after the Federal Salary Council approved pay increases for workers in Birmingham, Alabama.

The recommendation was approved in October 2016, before the election, and sent to the Office of Personnel Management for routine processing. But OPM was without a confirmed director until last month and never finished the paperwork. The salary council didn’t press the issue because it had stopped meeting until Trump named a chairman in December.

The pay raise, in short, fell through the cracks. And Keefover is still waiting for his extra $40 to $80 a month.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/27/trump-deserted-government-552971