last year an awful lot of people responded to the twin hurricanes in LA and Mississippi by volunteering to help without expectations of compensation, recognition or reward. In my own case I felt like it was about 60% my duty as a civil servant and most of the rest was a sort of citizenship thing. In all honesty, until I started writing this post I haven't thought about my own motivations. It gives me pause.

Be that as it may, I worked with a bunch of men who quite literally had nothing more than their clothes who literally spent a week trying to help the immediate victims of the flood. It wasn't like they could expect a huge insurance settlement or could clip coupons later: Those guys had little more than a job before the storm and even that was taken from them. Yet they showed-up every morning, despite living in conditions so miserable as to defy description, hoping to help their neighbors. That is public service.

So guess what happened tonight. I know a man (an upper-level civil servant mgr) who works for a federal agency in a suburb of Washington who came to NOLA for ONE DAY, got his photo taken, and returned. He signed some papers authorizing what we were already doing. Last night he was awarded a plaque of some sort and $10K for his humanitarian contribution.

Your tax dollars at work.

Bot

where did the 10k come from?

tom w

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..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The fed has an award system that is designed to encourage and reward employees who perform exemplary service. Some agencies award them like a Christmas ham and others, like natural pearls. Mostly depends on whether you're in a 'rich' agency or not.

B

pencil pushing.. shaking hands.. man that's great.. definitely a medal or two..

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SES?

What's his name, which agency?

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All that matters is that he genuinely feels he deserves 10k.

And the plaque.

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That sucks. That's why I tend to support anybody whose avowed goal is to reduce the federal government, even though they seldon seem to do it. Witness our current administration.

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Is it too late to request to be the one to award him the money?

If you are able to, I would suggest you make it rolls of dollar coins, and shove them where the sun doesn't shine.

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it is really hard to imagine folks thinking such an award system is a good thing when there are so many folks down there still living under really really bad conditions.

hell, a medal alone should be fine!

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Update:

I spoke to some folks who spent weeks of their OWN time and organized extra-governmental relief ie, off the books private donations from colleagues in various gov agencies) resulting in TONS of supplies being sent to NOLA and placed directly in the hands of folks who distributed it to folks in need. They were at the awards function. They were at table 46, in the corner on the row farthest from the dais.

B

Damn B, thats disturbing. Its hard enough to risk your hide and pur your emotions out to people who will not care a year later but a pencil neck pencil pusher getting cash compensation for doing their job.

They should adopt the military award system:
Burns and PTSD 10%
Arm 20%
Leg 50%
Back 80%

Life $100,000

Ahh the gov, works in an amazing fashion. Truely this crap is amazing.

Bot you know what, heck with them. Everyone who helps knows what they did and is a better person for it. What does some award dinner and a silver plate or whatever they give out matter?

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true.

the folks who went down to help didnt do it for a reward from anybody else. they did it to feel good about themselves and i am sure they do.

my sister went down. she is a nursing professor. the group she was with was cleaning up houses. she said they were extremely furry with mold. instead of working in that she cleaned up toilets so the workers would have a place to go.

i know several other folks who went too. all affiliated with church groups.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.