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Post by zero on May 27, 2009 15:42:18 GMT -5
There's a thread on OB suggesting that the 50 or so hires in September will be used for the new offices. I haven't heard anything about the new offices lately and sort of thought this effort has fizzled. Any news?
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Post by alj on May 27, 2009 16:57:27 GMT -5
I have heard that some of the new "offices" will be rooms with video cameras and monitors where claimants, witnesses and attorneys can go for a video hearing. Not a traditional Hearing Office staffed with ODAR employees.
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Post by morgullord on May 27, 2009 18:26:09 GMT -5
Alj reports correctly; some will be like a rest area "refreshment centre" while others will be fully staffed, traditional hearing offices.
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Post by ohaer on May 27, 2009 22:14:51 GMT -5
IF zero is correct, that's going to limit the applicants to those who selected all offices in US. Otherwise, they will run into problems with the geographical preferences. What of those people who would like to staff the new office, but never had the chance to mark that as a geographical preference? Seems to me like a good way for OPM to have the register frozen AGAIN. That or they would have to send a new geographical preference to everyone on the register again. Seems there would have to be some sort of equitable way to answer the geographical preference question.
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Post by atticus on May 27, 2009 22:21:24 GMT -5
Last week the Chief Judge himself said the new offices WILL be "traditional hearing offices" with staff support. Of course, that plan may change, or may have already been changed since then.
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Post by pm on May 27, 2009 23:11:04 GMT -5
The post on TOB simply asks if an unsubstantiated and unattributed rumor about staffing new offices off of a September cert is true. It is not true.
New offices are not staffed with new ALJs. They are staffed with transfers. This has been explained on this board numerous times. Among other problems, there cannot be a cert for new cities because no one on the register has expressed a preference for those new cities.
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Post by zero on May 28, 2009 11:47:14 GMT -5
The post on TOB simply asks if an unsubstantiated and unattributed rumor about staffing new offices off of a September cert is true. It is not true. New offices are not staffed with new ALJs. They are staffed with transfers. This has been explained on this board numerous times. Among other problems, there cannot be a cert for new cities because no one on the register has expressed a preference for those new cities. PM- I remember that the new office locations were on the last list. I know because I picked one and there was no office there at the time. How do you motivate existing judges to move to these new offices? I've been looking for an answer to this question but I haven't seen it in old threads. Perhaps my search terms need to be improved. z
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Post by alj on May 28, 2009 11:56:51 GMT -5
If the new office is in a judge's hometown, that's a big motivating factor!
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Post by lawandorder on May 28, 2009 12:38:48 GMT -5
Tallahassee (FL's capital) will have a new office.
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Post by ssaer on May 28, 2009 13:06:36 GMT -5
PM- I remember that the new office locations were on the last list. I know because I picked one and there was no office there at the time. According to information contained in other threads, the 13 announced new offices are St. Petersburg, FL; Tallahassee, FL; Atlanta South, GA; Topeka, KS; Mt. Pleasant, MI; Livonia, MI; Akron, OH; Toledo, OH; Fayetteville, NC; Madison, WI; Auburn, WA; Phoenix, AZ; and either Danville or Portage, IN. Of these, I believe that only Tallahassee, Topeka, Toledo, Madison and Phoenix were available for selection on the list that was presented in the last round.
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Post by zero on May 28, 2009 13:08:22 GMT -5
Ok, but let me throw this example out for consideration: Topeka. It's not an easy commute from nearby offices and, well...it's not Hawaii.
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Post by george007 on May 28, 2009 13:08:40 GMT -5
Topeka, KS is a new office. It was on the list of those you could pick. I hear they want 5 judges there. Really, you think there will be FIVE transfers wanting to go to Topeka, KS? Really?
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Post by george007 on May 28, 2009 13:14:43 GMT -5
Jinx, Zero!
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Post by morgullord on May 28, 2009 13:15:48 GMT -5
If you are in Fargo or Johnstown, Topeka may look like the Promised Land, especially if you are a native Jay Hawk.
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Post by lawandorder on May 28, 2009 13:44:53 GMT -5
I don't understand; why a new office in St. Petersburg when there is an existing office in Tampa?
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Post by lawmaker on May 28, 2009 14:02:04 GMT -5
I don't understand; why a new office in St. Petersburg when there is an existing office in Tampa? There are some cities that have offices within mere blocks of one another In fact, if I remember correctly, the Albuquerque NHC and the Albuquerque office are separated by a mere wall
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Post by morgullord on May 28, 2009 14:06:27 GMT -5
NHC positions are not in play for new judges.
Also, large metro areas such as Chicago, Houston, etc, commonly have two or more offices.
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Post by zero on May 28, 2009 14:10:58 GMT -5
If you are in Fargo or Johnstown, Topeka may look like the Promised Land, especially if you are a native Jay Hawk. OK, so there's one guy in Fargo who wants to move out of the fire and into the frying pan (i.e. Topeka). But really, are you going to be able to staff an entire office this way? Unless there is a relocation incentive or some strange geographic connection, I don't see how they can get enough volunteers to staff all of these offices. Surely SSA has a back-up plan other than hoping the new locations will attract volunteers.
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Post by chieftain on May 28, 2009 14:13:57 GMT -5
Zero, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.
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Post by morgullord on May 28, 2009 14:52:08 GMT -5
That is the beauty of it. They will have no trouble finding the judges. There is someone out there itching to be a HOCALJ and he/she cares not where it is. With a group of 1100+ judges, finding 4 or 5 who want to move to Topeka or who desparately want to move away from where they are to somewhere else and Topeka has to be better than where they are, is no problem.
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