For generations the hallmark of government employment has been rock-steady job security. Career public sector employees often cite job security, together with generous retirement and fringe benefit packages, as factors which initially attracted them to their jobs and serve as a powerful retention force. However, the Great Recession has seen venerability turn to vulnerability. Government […]
Aging baby boomers, coupled with early retirement incentives designed to reduce salary loads, are swelling the ranks of retired public service professionals. Despite this crop of 60’s era retirees’ declaration that they would not toil into their advanced years like their parents’ generation, and notwithstanding generous pensions, many pursue encore careers. Motives may include bolstering […]
Government outsourcing, or privatization, is a central strategy to the notion of reengineering government which has been widely discussed and written about since the 1970s. However, while recession-choked cities and counties are now looking closer at outsourcing, historically the model has been slow to gain traction. Governments have long outsourced select non-core services to achieve […]
Step 1: Don’t apply for the job. Step 2: Repeat, as needed. Sometimes your job search can feel like a numbers game – the more applications you send in, the better the odds that you’ll land that dream position, right? Well, what may have worked when you were in high school, looking for a summer […]
Decreasing revenue streams and budget shortfalls have led to hiring freezes, unpaid furloughs, and in many cases, layoffs of state and local government employees across the country. And while the private sector is feeling its own brand of pain, the recession has placed public sector employment in a precarious position. However, the news isn’t all […]
Any individual who advocates for mandatory local government term limits for local government offices has either never worked in local government or Is a fool. Term limits for County Board, City Council, Mayor, Township, Borough, Parish or School Board public offices would be a disaster. In my opinion they would create three things: Inconsistent local […]
At least one interpretation of former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil’s declaration that “All politics is local” suggests that while people may support or reject an issue on a national basis, they tend to actually vote in ways that impact them locally. If you subscribe to this notion and are concerned about local government […]
Much has been said since 2008 – and still is, today – about the devastating impact upon governmental budgets brought on by the foreclosure and property tax calamities. In fact, I don’t believe enough can be said about it. Having once served as Public Information Director for Dearborn, Michigan, a city hammered by the foreclosure/ property tax […]
As public servants we are all fully cognizant of the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act (promulgated from the Political Reform Act of 1974) and the prescribed requirements for disclosing our financial interests and avoiding such conflicts. Most all of us have attended a conflict of interest (COI) seminar at some point in […]
As governments begin to hire again it is imperative for those seeking employment to be better positioned as a powerful professional brand. Everything about you should demonstrate that as a candidate for employment you are THE protagonist for high performance and thus, make it easy for decision-makers to hire you. In essence, your professional brand […]
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