Because Democracy is Not Free — we all have to work at it
I’ve run preliminary summaries for Fiscal Year 2009 case statistics on the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and I was surprised by what I found. Give me some time to contemplate what the new numbers mean, and why the figures look different than in FY 2007 and 2008. (My initial take was that the numbers would [...]
Tomorrow, Scott Bloch, former head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), is scheduled to be sentenced before Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson. Bloch has pleaded guilty to one count of criminal contempt of Congress for not disclosing the nature and extent of his instructions that a private company erase files from his government-issued computer and [...]
From: Parker, Bernard [mailto:Bernard.Parker@mspb.gov] Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 1:36 PM To: democracy@civilservicechange.org Subject: MSPB’s Response to Your FOIA Request Dated June 23, 2010 Ms. Charlotte Yee 39120 Argonaut Way 305 Fremont, CA 94538 FOIA Tracking No. CB10 – 303 Dear Ms. Yee: This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), request [...]
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) recently received a response to their Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for Attorney Examiner Elements and Standards for Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) employees. Here’s the document. After reading the piece, I have a better idea of what is going on with the changes at MSPB. Carry on, [...]
I just took a look at the Merit Systems Protection Board’s Open Government Directive site (hint: you can go to this area on any federal government website by typing in the domain name followed by /open, i.e. http://www.mspb/open ) and it has current material. Not only that, it also has relevant and useful current material. Will [...]
Well, I wasn’t exactly sleeping. I was working. I was working hard. I will one day tell the long amazing story of a small community and a friend who had not just the courage and determination to save her public schools, but the know-how too. In any case, the short story is here. The Cupertino community raised [...]
For anyone who doubts that change is taking place at MSPB, I give you the following email exchange: From: Winefordner, Arlin [mailto:Arlin.Winefordner@mspb.gov] Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 5:36 AM To: Charlotte Yee; 14159040580@rapidfax.com; FOIASF; FOIAHQ Cc: Parker, Bernard Subject: RE: FOIA request for FY 2009 Case Processing Statistics Ms. Yee, The US Merit Systems Protection [...]
By popular demand, the FOIA request for Fiscal Year 2009 has been sent. Here’s the document, and I’ll let you know when I hear back from the Merit Systems Protection Board. For those looking for past statistics, you can find the full file download for FY 2007 and FY 2008 at the top tab labeled, “MSPB [...]
From the Washington Examiner: Judge Kang’s track record [of 0-139 for the federal employee] is only slightly more hopeless than the norm,” pointed out Tom Devine, legal director of the Government Accountability Project, who represented MacLean during his appeal. You couldn’t have said it better, Tom. The Orange County Register also snarks on hopelessness of federal [...]
Following an unsuccessful initial appeal, approximately twenty percent of appellants ask the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) for a Petition for Review (PFR). Of those, less than fifteen percent are successful in being granted relief or settlement or remand. Most appellants requesting a petition for review get what MSPB refers to as a short form [...]