Editorial: Can we talk?

We were not surprised when Judge Rosemary Collyer of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia essentially blocked provisions of the Bush administration's proposed changes to the Homeland Security Department's personnel system. Collyer ruled that the administration did not adequately consult with federal employee unions.

We have commented in favor of some of the personnel reforms the administration has been seeking, and most federal workers acknowledge that the existing system is inadequate. Employees who go above and beyond the call of duty are not always rewarded, and by contrast, mediocre workers can generally get by. The often-voiced complaint is that the current system is management by lowest common denominator.

Unfortunately, the Bush administration moved forward with its proposal largely without talking to interested parties. That is understandable to a degree. Managers often complain that federal employee unions act as obstructions rather than partners.

It's easy to understand why employees would be less than enthusiastic about more changes to personnel rules. Politicians often score an easy applause line by criticizing the federal workforce and campaigning against the bureaucracy, but those same politicians expect workers to toe the line.

Times have been hard for federal employees, who are increasingly told that they must conduct their activities more like private-sector organizations. Feds must compete to keep their jobs and are now being told they will be assessed based on performance, much like private-sector workers.

It seems unfair that federal employees should face all the negatives of private-sector jobs without the benefit of those jobs' higher pay.

We give the Bush administration credit for taking on such complicated issues. Personnel reform is not glamorous and generally doesn't win anybody many votes. Federal employees deserve a fair system, and they have legitimate concerns about tying pay to performance.

But the administration could have addressed many of those issues with some consultation. Even the Government Accountability Office chided the Defense Department for failing to adequately discuss its personnel changes with employees.

Even if the much-discussed federal workforce crisis never materializes, agencies should be a home for the best and brightest. The most effective way to do that is to find a system that is fair for both sides.

— Christopher J. Dorobek