18 replies to this topic

[apostate]

Maybe ATF HQ should have a bake sale to celebrate their new hiring policies. Real shame that people, many of whom are military vets who fought for this country, are shut out of the ATF hiring process even though Fed law states that they must be given Vet preference points in the Fed jobs. I always thought people should be judged on their their skill sets, intelligence and work ethic http://www.wnd.com/i...w&pageId=226025

[Iceman]

So we didn't just drop from the top 20 places to work in the government by chance? We have now dropped to the top 50 because our leadership has earned it?

[Snake bite]

Doc,

If history is any indicator, the SES gang will rally around the offending manipulating, self serving SES member. After time passes the offending SES member will get promoted and hang on with ATF until an overpaying post retirement ATF contractor job becomes available. The offending SES member will appoint himself to the high paying contractor job and then sue ATF for forcing him to retire. ATF will settle with the retired SES gang member for a gross amount of taxpayer money and give him a pay raise in his improperly obtained contractor position.

Now, if the offending ATF Agent was a Grade 13 and committed the same acts as the offending SES gang member, the Grade 13 would be placed on Administrative Leave for a couple months while IA “investigated” the allegations. After a couple months the Grade 13’s ASAC or SAC would talk to his fellow SES gang members on the PRB and tell them that no matter what, ATF needs to fire this rouge agent. The corrupted PRB would pretend to have a real hearing and come to a predetermined decision to fire the rouge agent. The offending Grade 13 would be fired and the SAC and ASAC who had the improper discussion with the PRB would be heralded a “rising star” within the SES gang. All of the other SES gang members would tell the latest acting ATF Director, or whatever they call it now, what a great manager the corrupt SAC and ASAC are and how they handle their underlings in proper SES gang fashion. As a result, the latest acting Director, who merely gives lip service about doing the right thing, promotes the SAC or ASAC to another position where he/she can breed, or actually inbreed more corruption into this agency.

The above is simply my perception of how ATF management would handle the incident in each scenario.

In this agency there are very few SES gang members who are honorable, honest and have the backbone to stand up and do what is right for the greater good. I know there are some great leaders within this agency, because I have worked for a few. The problem is I have not had the fortune to have worked for one for a long time.

This agency is falling apart. ATF is only hiring 77 positions in 2011. Each of the new additions will be selected from the secret minority only hiring list submitted by the SAC’s. I don’t have a problem with all of the new hires being hired from this minority only list as long as they are the most qualified. From the names I know were submitted, that is not the case. So, in ten years there will be a new “Black Agent’s” law suit and if this agency is fortunate enough to still be around these 77 new hires will get a huge settlement from ATF and each will be given a spot within the SES gang.

The future is not so bright!



Snake bite out-

[Doc Holiday]

Can anyone confirm that one of our SES SACs tried to leverage his position with some production company to sell a book or his personal story for a million bucks? What is the agency doing about it? Word is the production compant felt so extorted that they formally reported it to OPSRO. AND supposedly this SACs story revolved around an active investigation that is still in the judicial process. If they are trying to destroy Agent Dobyns career for lawfully writing a book, they are probably gonna prosecute this SAC. Its about time.

[Iceman]

No one will argue that we are being managed by chaos. When the field raises such issues, then they manage by fear. The problem is, the field is not afraid and we will not turn a blind eye to our senior leadership robbing this place blind. Story after story about the border surge says, poorly planned and poorly executed for the sole purpose of spending the money congress has given us and keeping Congressional oversight of the Bureau at a minimum. We are spinning in circles and none of these guys know how to drive. The gun lobby is an annoyonce BUT the reason we are no bigger is because these bad bosses are running off all the good ones. I have never in my tenure in ATF heard SOOO many senior agents counting to their 50th birthday. Its quite sad.

[apostate]

Worked many, many years in a firearms trafficking group. Have seize ( search warrants), conducted controlled purchases of 100's of firearms and have particpated in the seizure controlled purchase of 100's of more firearms. Have yet to see an M-1 involved in a crime or owned by a dangerous violent felon/gang banger (Our bread and butter as an agency) That sad part is is that our curent leadership and SAC's, ASAC's and SES's do not know the difference between a high point and and an M-1. That it is why during Gun Runner I was sent to interview an 70 some year old man who purchased 7.62 Moisin Nagants. ATF is a rudderless ship that responds to latest political prevailing winds. That is why it is doomed to fail.

[Iceman]

Seriously ATF, leave the arrogance at the door. Did we truly try to constuct our own assault weapons ban on M-1 rifles? Who signed off on that blood in the streets memo to the State Department? In speaking to dozens of 20 year agents, we can't find anyone who has seized ANY significant numbers of M-1s in criminal investigations. We have spent yrs saying "We don't make the laws,we just enforce them". Has that policy changed? Who did this and is the OIG going to hold them accountable? Stop embarrasing us ATF.

[Doc Holiday]

I think it is obvious to anyone with a pulse that the disconnect between the field and management is insurmountable unless and until those SES's who have pilaged this Bureau are held accountable. Why are Chait and Hoover still Here? They have lied to the Director, they have lied to congress and they have lied to US. Martin, Torres Newell, Wilfred Ford all need to be held to explain.

[apostate]

Take your pick, there is no shortage of "suspects." This agency is hampered by Empty Suits who are intimidated by real agents. The SES cadre has probably run 500 investigations against agents combined, compared to two or three real criminal cases among all of them. They went into management as fast as possible because they couldn't hack working cases against bad ass criminals, so now, to prove their collective manhood, they go after agents and hide behind directives, policies and Eleanor Loos.

Let's start a list of GS-15's about whom you'd be confident when knocking down a door on a warrant. Bet you couldn't come up with more than two or three names.

True that. One fine example( I have dozens mind you) would be the following and it illustrates ATF managements cowardice:

ATF agents are called out to a bomb scene a few years ago. Very gruesome and people had died as a result of the explosion. Well as usual ATF agents appeared on the scene and began processing it helping the local LEO's. ATF Agents crawling on our hands and knees looking for evidence and collecting body parts. (Pieces of both were were everywhere.) Agents covered with blood from head to toe from collecting the evidence for 2 1/2 days. And the scene starts to smell pretty bad because of the decomposition of bodies. Well, back at Division Mr. ASAC, who was watching Judge Judy on his new flat screen in his office, hears that there are news cameras showing up at the scene and rushes down there. ( He is known as "Casper the ghost" because he is afraid of his own reflection) He barges in on the bombing scene looks around, sees the blood everywhere, holds his nose then runs away never to be seen again. Agents keep working the scene the rest of the week.

He is now a SAC
Thanks for your support ATF management!!!

[abteilung]

What executive with an inferiority complex made that decision?

Take your pick, there is no shortage of "suspects." This agency is hampered by Empty Suits who are intimidated by real agents. The SES cadre has probably run 500 investigations against agents combined, compared to two or three real criminal cases among all of them. They went into management as fast as possible because they couldn't hack working cases against bad ass criminals, so now, to prove their collective manhood, they go after agents and hide behind directives, policies and Eleanor Loos.

Let's start a list of GS-15's about whom you'd be confident when knocking down a door on a warrant. Bet you couldn't come up with more than two or three names.

[lancebone1967]

Dobyns is a speaker for Special Forces Units at Ft. Bragg, Fortune 500 companies and everyone in between but he is not allowed to present at FLETC? Just found about that one. What executive with an inferiority complex made that decision?

When I signed up I said I was good for one posting. This is my second or third. Reading this morning’s updates I had to get back in. These are some of the Twitter “tweets” from Jay’s performance in Boston:

“@kellythul Jay Dobyns speaking. He is big. He is bad. I will have nothing but good things to tweet”
“@benklieyson No Angel writer just took the stage. Can’t tweet, got to listen, too good to miss”
“@kasteering “laugh and smile everyday” if he can do it why can’t we?”
“@kasteering “God on one hip a pistol on the other”
“@kasteering “have your wife start the car” great stuff. Need to read his book.
“@alsenese a compelling story told with heart and humanity.”
“@LisaFish 700 on the edge of their seat right now”
“@Tfister not a dry eye in the house, including mine.”
“@simonson More tissues please!!!”
“@abyeatta Jay Dobyns No Angel author owns this place right now!”
“@lazobrien Cant wait to go hug my kids”
“@finestamo the heck with Ashton and Demi more Dobyns’
“@sauld Really moved by Jay Dobyns talk at the Client Summit this morning”
“@RonLabau Speakers today are of extremely high quality. mike boylson had to go after jay dobyns, poor guy.”
“@TeresaCaro jay dobyns: great parents create good kids who create good kids. Words to live by.”
“@debpasquale All I can say about Jay Dobyns is WOW. Google him. Read 'No Angel'.”
“@stevedawson Jay Dobyns is officially a badass”

[Doc Holiday]

That's what comes from a lack of accountability. When was the last time you heard ATF state publicly and officially "we screwed up, we own it and we are gonna fix it"? I didn't know. I wasn't aware. I don't recall. Not on my watch. These are the words our leadership(and I use the term lightly)live by. The buck doesnt stop aanywhere, it just keeps getting passed. Jays is the most high profile example but our work force has the lowest morale since the Waco, Tx aftermath. Thank you for paying attention and illuminating that our Bureau is broken.

[guestlucas]

I am sitting at Logan airport and felt compelled to write. I was a guest at the Razorfish Client Summit this week in Boston. Razorfish is the planet’s largest digital/electronic advertising agency. Over 600 clients were in attendance from around the world to include Mercedes-Benz, Sony, Microsoft, McDonalds and Google. Jay Dobyns was a speaker at the Summit. I was not familiar with his life’s story before hearing him speak. Over the course of 33 minutes he compelled an audience that makes their livings evolking reaction from the consuming public to belly laugh, cry and repeat. In-fucking-credible! I researched Jay and landed on this website. What the American government has done to this man is despicable. I am ashamed of myself for allowing my tax dollars to be spent ruining an man of this caliber. My impression of what federal law enforcement stands for has been forever altered.

[Doc Holiday]

With everything caving in around this great agency, is it even possible that our agency unlawfully has attempted to circumvent Congressional intent and try to impose our own brand of the assault rifle (M-1 Garrand) import ban. Someone, anyone please tell me someone within Chief Counsels Office did not attempt to convince Mr. Hoover it would be a good idea to provide the State Department ficticious information in order to prevent the lawful importation of curio and relic firearms. For an "A" political law enforcement agency entrusted to protect the constitution and the most sacred of firearms laws to try a back channel firearms regulation would be unimaginable. The draft memo scattered all over the media suggests that senior executive level managers and/or attorneys inside ATF did not feel comfortable that the State Department could and would do their job and needed to place the agencies credibility with the firearms industry on the line by providing false information about a bunch of old M-1 Garrand and Carbine rifles. In doing so, they intentionally circumvented Congressional intent and placed this agency at risk. If this did not occur, the original communications to State would be produced. Additionally, Executive Director (What is this position and what does he do)Hoover would not be pressing FTB Chief Spencer today for specifics on converting M-1s. The original memo sent to State was very spoecific regarding what it would take to convert one of these rifles, which Billy was already aware of. Why back track looking for justification to deny this importation if you justified it and researched it in the original memo. Because the original memo was filled with "blood in the Street lies and misrepresentations), and now you are trying to back track. Mr. Melson, you do know and should immediately relieve of command anyone involved in trying to legislate firearms laws from the fifth floor. Ms. Ficaretta, We enforce and regulate the firearms industry, not legislate it. If you attempt to mislead or deceive any one of the congressional inquiries into this matter, you will be ensuring congressional oversight hearings. Tell the truth and please dont place this agency in any more hot water since you have already lied about agency reprisals, you lied about our SW border sucesses, and you lied about and lost our explosive juridictions. America will not accept any more lies from ATF. Fact: AR - 15s readily available to the American public can be modified with one or two parts. Accept responsiblilty and discipline the overzealous employees who placed us in this position. Leave your self serving politics at the door and do your jobs. There is NO spin to make when you violate the law. Period.

[Doc Holiday]

Let's PLEASE keep it factual. There is so much corruption in the ATF exective ranks in every directorate, that we don't need to speculate. Although I will say ten yrs ago, that would be laughable that a Director would line his pockets. But with soooo much corrupt activity in the Bureau, I did pause for a moment.

[Doc Holiday]

Has the fact that EVERY INTERNAL AFFAIRS BOSS HAS HAULED ASS? CRENSHAW, SANCHEZ, MASSEY, RUSSO. SHOULD THEY BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE AND DRAW A PENSION W/O ANSWERING FOR THEIR ACTIONS? Word is SES SAC John Torres penned a booked (Mexican el Jeffe) or something like that. He is highlighting the Mongols case before adjudication is even completed for starters. Secondly the question remains whether or not he had outside employment approval or vetted his book in accordance with Bureau and DOJ Policies and procedures. THEN IT REALLY GETS GOOD. Allegedly, Torres brokered the production company whose doing the two ATF shows. So then he thinks its ok to use his official position (In the civilian world we call this EXTORTION) to make the production company buy his story for a million dollars. Yep a million dollars. The company contacted ATF OPSRO nd guess what, THEY COVERED IT UP. Although I know many of you are shocked, but yep, a SAC strong arms a production company and NOTHING happens. REMEMBER, THE AGENCY IS COUNTER SUING SA DOBYNS FOR MALICIOUS PURPOSES ON A MATTER REGARDING HIS BOOK WHICH DOES FALL UNDER AGENCY POLICY. However a SES SAC threatens to pull the contract with ATF for the two shows and ATF covers it up. Nice job Mr. Melson. THIS DID HAPPEN ON YOUR WATCH.