(A.K.A. Non-Original Rants)

–Co-opting good stuff from all over the ‘Net and maybe some original thoughts—ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

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Federal Merit Hiring–Reinstated

Thanks to Jimmy Carter’s administration and the inertia that is the federal government, a five year stay on using tests to verify applicant’s skillsets has been in place for the last forty years.

But that’s going to end.

In 1981, Angel Luevano sued the federal government over the Professional and Administrative Career Examination, a test that helped identify the best and brightest out of the tens of thousands who apply for government jobs each year. Luevano argued that the test kept too many blacks and Hispanics out of government, and, in the waning days of President Jimmy Carter’s administration, OPM agreed to pause the test for five years.

Forty-four years later, the “Luevano Consent Decree” was somehow still intact. In January, the Trump administration filed a brief challenging the agreement — a feat which required reopening a decades-closed court case in which the original judge had died. The administration argued that it was doubtful the decree was ever appropriate, and that, with Supreme Court case law outlawing affirmative action, it was certainly not now.

Angel Luevano is still alive, and agreed to terminate the consent decree, court papers show. Luevano was represented by lawyers from Hispanic and black civil rights groups, two of whom did not return a request for comment.

What the article doesn’t mention is the role of public sector unions in putting the lock on unqualified employees basically being untouchable.

And so instead of relying on someone’s word that they are qualified for a job, objective tests can now be used to validate that opinion.

It’s like a pipe dream coming true.



12 responses to “Federal Merit Hiring–Reinstated”

  1. Now we just have to make them actually DO something when they come to work.

    But it’s a start.

    Like

  2. The original lawsuit was filed in April 1979, but the consent decree and pausing of the exam didn’t occur until March 1981, 2 months into Reagan’s first term. Sounds like the deep state impacted his Presidency, too.

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  3. Colonel Sibthorpe Avatar
    Colonel Sibthorpe

    Not at all sure I want government employees to be up to their jobs……….

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  4. Via DDG search assistant: “As of July 2025, at least 148,000 federal employees have left the government, with estimates suggesting that around 222,000 job cuts have been announced for the year. These figures include both involuntary and voluntary separations.”

    I’d call that good start.

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  5. Art imitates life… life imitates the Government…. in 1995 when I interviewed with M&M Mars for a CAD position they actually had me sit down and demonstrate my proficiency using AutoCAD.

    Obviously I aced it and got the position.

    Fast forward to 2011 when I was retiring and we were interviewing potential replacements we were told ABSOLUTELY NOT by P.&O. (H.R. to the rest of the planet) when we proposed testing any candidates applying.

    I never heard much about the prowess of the person hired. Mostly what I heard was about the things they could NOT do vs. what they could… Things that the group had come to rely on that were no longer available to them.

    The pendulum IS SWINGING.

    About damn time too.

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  6. B–Hopefully if they are actually qualified, then they will work.

    Silliest–Good point!

    Colonel–If they are true civil SERVANTS then maybe it’ll be okay.

    Nemo–Definitely a start….

    boneman–Agreed. It’s about time!

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  7. Even before this, there was racial, gender, and sexual discrimination in Federal hiring. My father had worked for the US government and got caught up in a RIF (rollback in force, major layout) in 1979.

    He sent out 100s, if not 1000s, of resumes and cover letters. He received multiple replies to the effect of: “You’re absolutely perfect for our position, you don’t happen to be a black lesbian?”

    We came extremely close to having the family name changed to “Gonzoles” just so that he could get a job.

    When Federal government contracts are awarded, there is a scoring system that includes ability to meet the technical requirements of the contract. There are bonus evaluation points that include things like: veteran (I’m good with that one actually), combat-wounded veteran (still good), gender, sexual preference, and race.

    If you’re a straight white-mail that has never been in the military, your company has zero chance of winning a government contract. A number of the contractor companies that I’ve dealt with, the wife owns 51% just to claim that evaluation bonus.

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    1. Unferth–Very true. And yes, there are a bunch of ‘women owned businesses’ to meet that criteria.

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  8. Unferth – back in the 1970s, my dad was Civil Service at Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, Texas. One of his friends retired from the Air Force and changed his name to something hispanic in order to qualify for some government contract (supporting and servicing coffee machines, IIRC) that was specified to go to a minority.

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    1. wheels–Gotta do what you gotta do when you know the deck is stacked…

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  9. DOGE: We’re recommending these cuts to DotGov spending.

    Congress: *crickets*

    DotGov: We’re Hiring!!! IRS posts thousands of job openings

    https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/irs-posts-thousands-of-job-openings-7548114

    ICE is hiring as well but at least they serve a purpose.

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  10. Years ago I took the tests for US Marshall. I scored over 100 percent (with the Veterans preference points). I was told that I didn’t have the necessary qualifying experience. After obtaining the necessary experience, they were no longer hiring. Up until recently, I suppose that checking enough “special case” boxes on your application would get your foot in the door most anywhere. I know it did at the place I retired from.

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