Federal Daily - October 24, 2008

GAO: USDA Civil Rights Effort Significantly Deficient

Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights efforts are marked by “significant deficiencies,” said a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. The report, released Oct. 22, looked at the USDA Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR), created in 2002 to resolve long-standing problems involving employees’ and customers’ discrimination complaints and minority farmers’ access to programs. But the report says USDA still does not adequately address civil rights complaints, and fails to provide accurate data on minority participation in USDA programs. Nor has ASCR achieved its goal of preventing backlogs of pending civil rights complaints—with some complaints still pending from the early 2000s, the report said. In addition, GAO questioned the accuracy of ASCR resolution progress reports. GAO pointed out, for example, that ASCR claimed in July 2007 that it had successfully reduced a backlog of about 690 discrimination complaints, but then had to hire new attorneys to address a surge in complaints. Regarding minority farmer participation, GAO notes that although the agency has published three annual reports on minority farmers’ participation, they are of dubious quality. In fact, USDA considers much of its own data to be unreliable because it is based on employees’ visual observations about participants’ race and ethnicity that may not be correct. “More of the same from USDA in the area of civil rights is not acceptable,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. “The new report from GAO validates and even expands what other assessments have found about decades-long problems.” To see more, go to: www.gao.gov/highlights/d0962high.pdf or http://grassley.senate.gov/news/Article.cfm?customel_dataPageID_1502=17832.

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APWU’s Burrus Warns USPS Nearing Disaster

American Postal Workers Union (APWU) President William Burrus warned that unless immediate steps are taken, financial calamity will soon engulf the U.S. Postal Service. “Without significant adjustment to its business strategies, the Postal Service will not survive as a government institution and a public service,” Burrus wrote in an open letter to Postmaster General John Potter posted on the APWU Web site Oct. 22. The letter is generally non-confrontational, but points out in stark terms the financial problems USPS now faces. “The Postal Service is facing the most serious challenges in its 220-year history,” Burrus wrote. Earlier this month Burrus warned members that anticipated Postal Service operating losses of $2.3 billion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 could mean layoffs for thousands of postal workers for the first time in USPS history. The Postal Service’s dire condition is partly due to a slumping economy—FY 2008 losses are the result of a 12 percent decline in mail volume. In addition, the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act restricts rate increases to the annual rate of inflation. Burrus also suggested that Potter seek relief from Congress to offset the annual $5.6 billion USPS pays for future healthcare liabilities. In his most pointed criticism, Burrus warned that the USPS business plan is not working and cannot be expected to work in the future. Burrus said Postal Service managers must acknowledge that subcontracting, outsourcing, work-hour reductions, workshare discounts and an “unhealthy and unproductive relationship with major mailers” has been ineffective. “In most circumstances, the reduction of postal productivity more than offsets the reduced labor costs achieved through contracting,” he said. “The long-term effect is to make your most highly compensated employees (postal workers) less productive, while making your lower-paid employees (contract employees) more productive.” To see more, go to: http://apwu.org/dept/presvp/index.htm.

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VA to Deploy 50 Mobile Counseling Clinics for Rural Vets

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Oct. 22 that it is rolling out the first of 50 new mobile clinics outfitted to bring mental health services to veterans in rural and underserved areas. These vehicles will be used to provide outreach and direct readjustment counseling at active-duty, reserve and National Guard activities, including post-deployment health reassessments for returning combat servicemembers, VA said in a statement. The vehicles will also be used to visit events typically staffed by local Vet Center staff, including homeless “stand downs,” veteran community events, county fairs and unit reunions at sites ranging from Native American reservations to colleges, VA said. “Our widespread distribution of this fleet from coast to coast marks a new chapter in VA’s innovation to reach rural and underserved veterans with high-quality readjustment counseling,” said VA Secretary James Peake. While most of their use will be in the delivery of readjustment counseling, local VA officials may arrange with VA hospitals or clinics in the region to provide occasional support for health promotion activities such as health screenings. To see more, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1604.

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