In pursuit of public service, A third of fed workers may retire by 2006

AP

[fod]

In pursuit of public service

A third of fed workers may retire by 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Connecticut businessman who worked briefly for the Justice Department during the Kennedy administration has donated $25 million to start a nonprofit organization to spur interest in government service.

The Washington-based Partnership for Public Service will target students and mid-career workers and hopes to tap into the growing interest in community service. "The challenge is how can we convert this interest ... into a similar commitment to government service," Samuel J. Heyman said at a news conference.

The announcement came as Sen. George Voinovich, Rrepublican of Ohio, and Rep. Connie Morella of Maryland, also a Republican, announced legislation emphasizing human-resources planning, employee training and incentives to boost recruitment in the federal government.

"We must spread the word about federal employment," Morella said. "And we must act quickly because the federal government can't rely on a national crisis to fill its civil service ranks."

Last week, President Bush unveiled the Freedom to Manage Act, which would give departments more flexibility in hiring and offering bonuses. It also would encourage agencies to identify government rules that make it harder to manage employees so Congress can consider eliminating them.

The General Accounting Office, Congress' investigative arm, estimates about 30 percent of the federal work force will retire by 2006, creating the potential for serious shortages in key areas.

"This has been a quiet crisis that has gradually taken place over the last 35 years," Heyman said.

Heyman graduated from Harvard University in 1963 and began his career earning $2,500 a year as a federal prosecutor. He later served as chief assistant United States attorney for Connecticut.

"There was never any doubt in my mind that I would enter government service," he said. The same can't be said for graduates today. In 1980, three-quarters of the graduates from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government went to work for the government. Today, only one-third do.

Heyman said he hopes the Partnership for Public Service will "restore public confidence and prestige" to federal jobs.

Heyman left government service in 1968 to take over his family's real estate development business, Heyman Properties. He now is chairman and CEO of GAF Materials Corp., which is based in Wayne, New Jersey, and makes roofing materials.

Heyman has been a major donor to both parties and has lobbied for legislation that would limit asbestos-related claims, which affect his company.

[fod]

not sure what to say about this one...

[Ratatoskr]

What a splendid opportunity to trim government bureaucracy by attrition.

[ikanakattara]

And this is bad because....? Most federal employees do a third of the work of their private sector equivalents anyway, so it will even out nicely.

[fod]

bad because some yahoo is spending 25,000,000 to fill those positions back up

[RicocheT]

Only a third? Not enough. Sort of like crying because a bus filled with lawyers went over a cliff, there were some empty seats!

[afraidfortherepublic]

What a splendid opportunity to trim government bureaucracy by attrition.

You eloquently stated exactly what I was thinking!