Final Days of the Bush Administration 7

Tunnel Digging as a Hobby

Source: "Federal Workers Unions Want 'Burrowers' Lists," Carol D. Leonnig, The Washington Post, November 30, 2008.

Leaders of the American Federation of Government Employees and the Senior Executives Association want the government's Office of Personnel Management to release lists of Bush administration political appointees recently hired for career jobs and to show whether the positions were filled through competition.

(T)hey are concerned the agency is not carefully overseeing last-minute hires of political aides. They point to recent reports in The Washington Post and other evidence suggesting political aides are leaping over qualified candidates or avoiding competition as they "burrow" into the civil workforce.

Comment: We want a government with open and transparent processes. OPM should provide the requested information, and indeed should make it public. I note with pleasure that the Obama transition process is making very public the members of its teams. JAD