NYT: Inner Circle Taking More of C.D.C. Bonuses: At expense of scientists

[DeepModem Mom]

Inner Circle Taking More of C.D.C. Bonuses
By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: September 17, 2006

Top officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received premium bonuses in recent years at the expense of scientists and others who perform much of the agency's scientific work, agency records show.

Those inside the office of the centers' director, Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, have benefited the most, the records show.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, The New York Times requested records of all cash awards of $2,500 or greater granted to current and former C.D.C. employees from 2000 to mid-2006. The most recent awards are dated July 21.

Dr. Gerberding, whose leadership of the agency is the subject of an inquiry by the Senate Finance Committee, was not immediately available for comment, said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the centers.

From 2002 through mid-2006, William H. Gimson III, the agency's chief operating officer, received bonuses totaling $147,863, which included seven cash awards of more than $2,500. Mr. Gimson's bonuses were about twice the amount granted to any other C.D.C. employee, the agency's records show....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/washington/17cdc.html

[hatrack]

1. Good thing they aren't spending that money on all that pesky "science"!

You know, those irritating facts that get in the way of proven, tested ideology!!

:puke:

[Supersedeas]

22. and Congressional oversight is so overrated

[acmavm]

2. And what a surprise...

<snip>


Mr. Gimson and Ms. Harris are part of the federal government's Senior Executive Service, a cadre of top civil servants whose salaries are generally among the highest in government. The salaries of Mr. Gimson and Ms. Harris were not included in the records requested by The Times.

The increase in bonuses to these officials was part of a decision by the Bush administration to make transformation of the management of the centers a top priority, said Glen Nowak, chief of media relations at the centers. "If we want to retain people, we need to recognize them," Mr. Nowak said Friday in an interview. "We are operating in a highly competitive environment."

Before Dr. Gerberding's appointment, members of the C.D.C. director's inner circle rarely received premium bonuses of $2,500 or more. After her arrival, in July 2002, such cash awards increased, the records obtained by The Times show.

-more-

I wonder who exactly appointed the good doctor to this post????????

[UpInArms]

23. background:

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/bt/bioprep/news/gerberding.html

Jul 3, 2002 (CIDRAP News) – Confirming earlier unofficial reports, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson today named infectious disease expert Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, as the new permanent director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She becomes the first woman to lead the agency.

Gerberding, 46, who assumes her new job immediately, has been serving as part of a four-person CDC interim leadership team, where her duties included leading the CDC's bioterrorism-related efforts. She also has had the titles of CDC acting deputy director for science and public health and acting deputy director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

Thompson announced Gerberding's appointment at an afternoon press conference at the CDC in Atlanta. In an HHS news release, he said, "Dr. Gerberding knows public health, she knows infectious diseases, and she knows bioterrorism preparedness. She brings the right mix of professional experience and leadership skills to ensure the CDC continues to meet the nation's public health needs."

The interim leadership team has been in place since former director Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, left the agency Mar 31. Other members of the team were David Fleming, MD, James Hughes, MD, and Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), operator of this Web site.

Osterholm, an internationally known bioterrorism expert, served as Thompson's personal representative at the CDC, a part-time position, during the transition period. He said today that he will continue to serve as Thompson's representative and, in that capacity, as a personal adviser to Gerberding.

...more...

[rodeodance]

3. Why are gov. officials getting bonuses? -like CEOs??

[havocmom]

9. Most departments have discretionary funds for merit awards.

Most department heads fail to tell their people about the funds allowed each year. When the personnel do not know about the money, they do not know they can make nominations to colleagues who have done outstanding service above and beyond. At year's end (usually fiscal year) the money is still there so the people in the top positions (who knew it was there and kept their mouths shut) award it to each other in VERY LARGE sums.

When the worker bees hear about it after the fact, it has a somewhat disrupting affect on morale.

Good bosses at the top let their people know the money is there. Workers acknowledge fine efforts and LOTS of people get rewards of $100 or so.
Good for morale, good for team building, good for America.

Under bush, most dept heads are political hacks with little or no real skills at management. They do tend to understand greed and methods of stealing legally.

It is destroying federal service. Which is, of course, what they want. Then they can find more excuses to 'privatize' which ends up saving no money, and the most $$ there goes not to workers, but to top brass.

See?

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Well said, havocmom! nt

[havocmom]

12. Thanks

You're in the know too I'm guessing ;)

[Thor_MN]

13. Faith based cronyism under *

It doesn't matter if you have any relevant skills for the jobs, because if you believe, the Lawd will provide. It doesn't matter if you fuck up, because it was Lawd's will.

[havocmom]

15. Didn't we use to mock the Soviets for that sort of thing?

Using party loyalism over talent, skill, knowledge to select the top tier of management?

Wow, it doesn't work here any better than it worked there. Maybe it wasn't a flaw in the theory that made communism fail. Maybe it was human nature. Same thing that is bringing down capitalism- human nature and the tendency of greedy people to seek positions of authority and power.

[eppur_se_muova]

21. GOP is the new CPSU.

Yes, it is getting more noticeable all the time.

[Rose Siding]

4. Scathing report.

The writer ticks off the inflated earnings in mgmt and notes after each that "So and so could not be reached for comment"

The Democratic president-elect will be very busy assembling an able cabinet. So much to un-do.

[rodeodance]

6. I am beginnning to seriously wonder if anyone can really UN-do all

the crap that has been DONE.

[rodeodance]

5. 'concerns over the exodus of crucial administrative and scientific leaders

......The Washington Post and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution have reported on the turmoil at the centers in articles quoting disgruntled former senior scientists who said the changes had undermined the agency.

Five of the six former directors who led the agency in the past 40 years recently wrote a letter to Dr. Gerberding expressing concerns over the exodus of crucial administrative and scientific leaders and scientists, The Journal-Constitution reported.

Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa and chairman of the Finance Committee, has announced that the committee is trying to determine whether upheaval at the agency has jeopardized its scientific mission.

In another e-mail message, on Sept. 11, Dr. Gerberding noted the departures of top agency leaders and acknowledged that change was difficult.

[rodeodance]

7. RECOMMEND. (nothing is sacred-not even the health of the nation)!

[rodeodance]

8. looks like top administrations get bonuses for doing a heck of a job!

.....The administration also made security a priority, Mr. Nowak said. He said that helped to explain $41,485 in premium bonuses given since 2002 to William T. Porter, the agency's head of security.

"I'm sure Bill Porter's peers in the corporate world are being paid at a higher level," Mr. Nowak said.

Members of the Public Health Service are not eligible to receive cash awards, Mr. Nowak said. That is part of the reason so few scientists appear among the top recipients of premium bonuses, he said.

Soon after arriving at the centers, Dr. Gerberding began a comprehensive reorganization of the agency. In its wake, many of the agency's senior scientists and leaders either left or have announced that they are planning to leave.

[acmejack]

10. previous thread from 4 hours ago fwiw

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2831792

[struggle4progress]

14. "Bonus pay" schemes usually reward the cronies.

[ShockediSay]

16. In a nutshell "corrupt cronyism" nt

[Supersedeas]

24. Rewarding Political Loyalty at the expense of competence--sound familiar

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. Aren't things so much better now that we're running government like a

business?

Whoever thought of that idea should be condemned to work in a boiler room for the remainder of their miserable lives.

[Zorra]

18. Welcome to Bu*hworld. n/t

[OneBlueSky]

19. there is no segment of the BushCo government that is uncorrupted . . . n/t

.

[DrZeeLit]

20. I imagine scientists waiting for the pendulum to swing back.

Here's hoping we get rid of this admin and their cronies AND return to decency.