The agency has been failed by so many managers that its almost impossible to recognize the good ones. Our NRT program was tanked and the manager responsible was promoted, (see GAO audit), Fast and Furious resulted in NO significant discipline against ANY managers, ONLY THE WHISTLE-BLOWERS, Our internal EEOC division ignores, manipulates and disregards complaints and fail to respond with findings in the prescribed 180 days, sometimes exceeding 365 days. Thousands of man hours and millions of dollars are wasted in this manner every year.
Case production has dropped to 1980s levels. There have been more Congressional hearings, OSC and OIG investigations of ATF management than any other agency per capita. Our internal affairs acts as the Directors SS instead of an independent investigative body.
The Directors ANSWER..............its the fields fault, NOT a failure of management. This on the heals of stating under oath that SAC BJ Zapor had his complete trust and confidence. The same was said by Hoover and Carter of Mc Mahon, Newell and Gillette. So many moves for managers, (some having several within a cpl years, and a cpl within one yr of their previous transfer. That kind of fraudulent and wasteful spending just to cover-up the managers screw-ups has to stop. NONE of this has anything to do with manpower or matching of skill sets.
FACT: We have just as many agents as we have ever had.
FACT: We have more GS 14 and GS 15 bosses in HQ than ever before.
FACT: Our 1.9 Billion dollar budget cannot seem to fund the same amount of personnel, same amount of jurisdiction, the same amount of field divisions as we did in the 1980s when our budget was around 300 million dollars.
FACT: One fourth of our Special Agent personnel are NOT conducting investigations or making any tangible contribution of our bottom line mission.
FACT: We employ more lawyers than at any time in our history.These are ALL issues the FAAP have taken to Jones and Brandon and have been ignored. EXPLAINS our current dilemma, don't you think?
HOWEVER, they (The U.S. Attorneys Office in San Francisco and ATF counsel) continue to fund their attack on me(while continuing to idle me with no duty's while paying me)(This after the SFFD stated on the record to the OSC that they just dont have enough work to keep me busy). and dozens of others at taxpayer expense. AT THIS TIME, the government is calling (and paying for) over 20 witnesses, and introducing over a hundred exhibits, and wasting U.S District court time to do nothing more than attack me for calling them out. They have given up on attacking the case, the law is NOT on their side, so they are spending untold amounts to once again cover-up, defend and deflect the actions of multiple corrupt managers by merely calling me names, (Many of whom have either been fired, forced to retire).
We will see when this is over whether and of their top executives will be fired, demoted or forced to retire in accordance with ATF policy. Congress is prohibited from doing anything but monitoring this case right now. BUT, once it is public record, we may see a new round of inquiries coming at ATF senior leadership.
That being said, the fact that Ms. Donna Read the Director of the National lab still has her job after a formal finding of discrimination is somewhat perplexing.