Members of CleanUpATF.org forums are discussing an early retirement “poll” solicited by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) management. While it is fair to ask about the reliability of often anonymous posters on a message board, those following the “Project Gunwalker” story know that information about the scandal originally broke on CleanUpATF, that many new developments have initially been reported there, and that allegations raised there have continuously been corroborated.
From a forum poster using the screen name “Once Proud”:
Can anyone speculate as to why the recent poll on early retirement incentives? If we are offered these incentives, would it be for budgetary reasons, or is this the beginning of the end of ATF? Are they polling all federal law enforcement agencies? We are such a small agency to be offering incentives like this for budgetary reasons. Any rumors about this? And if approved, how long before it could come into affect? Before December? Not until next year? I'm sure many of us are ready to get the hell out of this train wreck of an agency as soon as possible, but it would be nice to catch a few incentive dollars on the way! Any info would be appreciated.
Poster “Epic Failure” indicates a $25K” buyout is being offered, and further speculates:
[T]he top and bottom 25% of the agency personnel do nothing but suck a paycheck…Unfortunately they are the ones who will stick around…That leaves the middle 50% of the agency who are the workers and who keep ATF alive in spite of the tools at the top and the do nothings at the bottom. They are the one's most likely to leave out of frustration for the inability to do their jobs effectively. In my view the early-out is going to make things worse, not better. We'll lose the good ones and the bad ones will stay.
Vincent A. Cefalu, an agent first brought to the attention of Gun Rights Examiner back in Aug. 2009 for speaking out against “unethical and illegal” actions and then being removed from a case, and who was subsequently punitively assigned to a do-nothing job, offers experience-based insights:
WHY would an agency teetering on the brink of being abolished even consider early outs for their MOST experienced employees? Read the proposed early out plan CLOSELY, then weigh it against the FACTS. First, realize if you retire and sign on with another Federal agency, EVEN AS A CONTRACTOR, you have to pay the $25000 back. The $25000 is taxable. With senior Agents retiring as fast as they can because of the Gross Mismanagement, why would the Agency be trying to encourage even more? Recently Mr. Melson stated in a town hall mtg that he was disturbed at the high number of veteran agents leaving the agency before mandatory and was looking into how to reverse that trend. Another lie? He has recently created NEW SES positions. Needless and unnecessary SES transfers to get bosses to the posts where they want to retire from. If the point is to cut our payroll obligations, it doesn't make sense to be handing out these SES jobs right and left. Many of these transfers are of bosses who are already eligible to retire and are facing scrutiny on a series of abuses and unethical practices. Why would you invest one dime in PROVEN incompetent managers? One recent example; Joe Riehl. Are the senior agents being run off to fund these SES packages? Which position is most valuable to advancing the Bureaus mission, an overpaid incompetent manager or a seasoned career employee? Why do we have so many SES employees in positions that could be performed by GS 14 and 15s? This is a clear indication that the self promoting has taken the place of good sound business practices. Thanks to the Newell and Gillette gun walker crew and the fifth floor, the tax payers are eating A LOT of per diem money. This should be stopped immediately. Congressional appropriations should slam the check book closed and ask for a full accounting. Start with the 10s of millions of $$$$ that has been redirected away from our NIBIN program for who knows what. This has ensured NIBINs failure. These are dark days for our Bureau. Am I the only one who believes the end of our Bureau in on the horizon without immediate congressional budgetary oversight?
“It may be economic reality,” offers comment poster “Zorro,” who worries “we will have even more overhead per capita than we do now - loads of statisticians and academics with fewer load bearers making cases or inspections.”
Perhaps. But economic reality depends on when this is implemented. As an adviser noted to Gun Rights Examiner:
Doing "early outs" or buyouts or whatever you call them LATE in the fiscal year saves virtually nothing, so (1) there has to be some reason for trying to push out experienced staff, or (2) the accountants at ATF don't know what they're doing. I rather suspect the accountants know EXACTLY what they are doing, because they would have had to get approval from OMB or the Office of Personnel (I'm not sure of the mechanics, but an agency can't just up and do buyouts on its own). Doing "early outs" saves an agency the most money if they are done quite early in the fiscal year process, because they are supposed to save money going forward. So whatever's going on here, it ain't about SAVING money.
The federal fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. If there is a general early retirement offer being made by the federal government throughout multiple departments and agencies, it’s not reflected in current Google News headlines.
At this point, due to overt stonewalling of Congressional investigations by ATF and Department of Justice management, it’s fair to ask not just why, but why now. Particularly in the wake of ATF employees receiving an across-the board directive on responding to such inquiries…
How far beyond “Project Gunrunner,” how deeply—and most importantly, how high—do auditable violations go, and what is the advantage to removing the most effective and independent-minded employees who know how to find them from the pool of potential respondents?
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Also see:
- A journalist’s guide to ‘Project Gunwalker' Part One, Part Two and Part Three for a complete list with links of independent investigative reporting and commentary done to date by Sipsey Street Irregulars and Gun Rights Examiner.
Note to newcomers to this story: “Project Gunrunner” is the name ATF assigned to its Southwest Border Initiative to interdict gun smuggling to Mexico. “Project Gunwalker” is the name I assigned to the scandal after allegations by agents that monitored guns were allowed to fall into criminal hands on both sides of the border through a surveillance process termed “walking” surfaced.
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