Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2013 21:52:32 GMT -5
Whoever is to blame, the point is that a shutdown will upset the testing process that week. Hopefully it will not happen. Anyway, "whether the stone hits the pitcher or the pitcher hits the stone, it's going to be bad for the pitcher".
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Post by funkyodar on Sept 19, 2013 22:03:33 GMT -5
Gotta remember Obama said there would be no sequester. Further as far as the Repubs being unwilling to compromise, remember the Dems did not let any Repubs get involved with the Obamacare Bill when it was written. You can't blame the Repubs for not supporting something they had NO say in. Further, the Dems should have done a budget the first two years when they had control of everything. The Repubs are offering to finance the Government, just not Obamacare. Sounds like a compromise to me.. Just another point, in the past ALJ's were not off, but expected to be in the office as essential employees. I'm certainly not gonna defend obamacare, but to say the repubs had no say is ridiculous. They voted against it and lost. Took it to the supreme court and lost. Ran a president that vowed to repeal it and lost. I'm all for keeping fighting but to pull a "my rules or I damn everyone" game with the gov budget and the debt ceiling when either would hurt the country and has nothing to do with entitlement funding is ridiculous. And the real conservatives have said as much and know a shutdown will just hurt the repubs in the end.
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Post by 71stretch on Sept 19, 2013 22:40:00 GMT -5
I'm 10/2 and 10/3, also curious to see what happens.
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Post by moopigsdad on Sept 20, 2013 6:35:18 GMT -5
I could say a lot of political things, but I do not believe this Board should be used as a political forum. Let's leave politics and who is at fault out of the Board and just offer our compadres some compassion because of their situation. There is enough blame to go around for all sides. I send my condolences and concerns to those Board members caught up in this problem.
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Post by ALJD on Sept 20, 2013 6:41:52 GMT -5
I concur. This is not a political forum. So let's leave partisanship outside please. ;-)
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Post by funkyodar on Sept 20, 2013 7:15:52 GMT -5
My apologies. I will also refrain from discussing religion in the timeline thread. To those october testees (hehe), my thoughts are with you and I wish you smooth waves and funky feelins.
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Post by lurker/dibs on Sept 20, 2013 8:24:59 GMT -5
As a complete outsider with no knowledge of anything "inside", I have to say, surely when OPM scheduled this entire process, along with its timeline, it was aware that this process would go well into the next fiscal year. Surely (said with complete optimistic uncertainty) OPM made arrangements for this process to be completed. Of course, I was not around the last time there was a shut down and have no idea what I am talking about. I just think that common sense would dictate that if they were unsure of the budgetary restrictions of the next year, then they wouldn't have scheduled interviews during that time. Am I completely naive? I'm sure everyone knows there is no room for common sense in the federal government.
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Post by hopefalj on Sept 20, 2013 8:48:52 GMT -5
As a complete outsider with no knowledge of anything "inside", I have to say, surely when OPM scheduled this entire process, along with its timeline, it was aware that this process would go well into the next fiscal year. Surely (said with complete optimistic uncertainty) OPM made arrangements for this process to be completed. Of course, I was not around the last time there was a shut down and have no idea what I am talking about. I just think that common sense would dictate that if they were unsure of the budgetary restrictions of the next year, then they wouldn't have scheduled interviews during that time. Am I completely naive? I'm sure everyone knows there is no room for common sense in the federal government. There are certain things that can be planned for, but this is not in OPM's hands. They can plan and plan and plan, but if there's no money for FY2014, they're not going to be able to do anything about it. The doors will be shut. I'd also add that it appears that everyone scheduled after 9/30 are those that rescheduled their initial dates or need special accommodations. I think OPM wanted to have everything done by the end of FY2013. I'll feel bad if people have to get rescheduled again after already making travel arrangements.
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Post by sealaw90 on Sept 20, 2013 9:07:56 GMT -5
Minny and Observer, have you emailed OPM yet? IMHO, I would bombard them with emails because I would want to know asap. From my current agency's perspective, we are predicting about a 20% chance of a shutdown, so most of us are fairly confident a Continuing Resolution will get passed instead of a shutdown occuring. When an answer comes, let us know. My fingers are crossed for you all.
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Post by bartleby on Sept 20, 2013 9:48:40 GMT -5
As an aside to politics, tehre are over 300 Judges scheduled to go to AALJ union training the first week in October. The Agency approved duty time for this training. So, we have 300 Judges in limbo if the shut down occurs as they may be determined to be essential and have to report to their ODAR offices to work.. Some may have to fly back from Santa Fe?? It's not only the applicants being affected by this possible shutdown and the unknown consequences..
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2013 10:07:25 GMT -5
In 1994 I was an ALJ with another agency and only a skeleton crew was asked to report to work to handle emergency matters or motions. The majority of the judges were sent home for the duration of the shutdown.
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Post by zebra51 on Sept 20, 2013 10:34:49 GMT -5
Having worked at a VA Hospital during the last time we had a shut down I know that an agency can designate "key employees" to be exempt. In the VAs case it was Docs, Nurses, and Engineers managing ongoing contracts. Given the outside private expense from and for third parties (ie the Phase 3 examines and SI examiners), I would think OPM could designate a handful of proctors a "key personnel" and keep the testing going.
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rayne
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Post by rayne on Sept 20, 2013 10:35:29 GMT -5
I'm in a similar boat. My test is Sept 30 and my SI is October 1. I didn't reschedule, and these were my originally assigned dates. My tickets and room were purchased over a month ago...coupled with a trip out from the West coast....it will be difficult to make (and pay for) a second trip out. I'm hoping the squabbles cease, and everything runs smoothly. I guess the process wasn't exciting enough as it was.
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Post by decadealj on Sept 20, 2013 10:40:36 GMT -5
The elephant in the room is that even if the testing process is completed, what effect the "eventual" budget will have on SSA hiring ALJs.
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Post by Ace Midnight on Sept 20, 2013 10:44:31 GMT -5
The elephant in the room is that even if the testing process is completed, what effect the "eventual" budget will have on SSA hiring ALJs. Amen and amen.
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Post by privateatty on Sept 20, 2013 10:58:04 GMT -5
8-)Well it was Obama's idea about the sequester, and he is the one that is saying he will not compromise on the debt ceiling or any cuts in spending. He is also finding it increasingly difficult to defend his affordable care act, as members of his base, unions, fellow democrats and a whole host of others are now discovering what Pelosi said some while back, we have to pass it to see what is in it. They are finding out. "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."--Sen. Moynihan
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Post by southerner on Sept 20, 2013 12:39:49 GMT -5
If we had rational people as opposed to near anarchists running the House, the government would be functioning without this foolishness--shutdowns or sequestration.
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Post by bartleby on Sept 20, 2013 12:45:38 GMT -5
Southerner, I really thought we were going to get away from the politics...
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Post by lurker/dibs on Sept 20, 2013 13:17:45 GMT -5
hopefalj, I will defer to you and your knowledge. As I said, I was speaking as to what would make the most sense, and I know/should have known, there is no such thing in this process.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2013 13:39:06 GMT -5
Given how this seems to have become so political, I regret I brought the issue up in the first place. Apologies to all. Hopefully the people ithat have a dog in this fight will find a solution and stop pointing fingers. As a mere bystander at risk because of the testing schedule, my only hope is that the parties pull back from the brink.
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