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According to Federal Times.com:

” The Social Security Administration — which is at its lowest staffing levels in 35 years and which faces a growing backlog of 747,000 disability claims cases — plans to hire 150 administrative law judges and 92 support staff this year.

SSA plans to replace only one of every two state disability determination service employees — who help decide whether people claiming severe disabilities should receive benefits — who leave in 2008.”

But, it reports:

“At the Homeland Security Department, managers at Customs and Border Protection plan to hire 11,000 new employees, including 3,000 Border Patrol agents and 2,500 customs and border protection officers. The remainder are support staff.”

“Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is the former Immigration and Naturalization Service — is planning its own wave of new hires, at least 1,500 new employees……”

Meanwhile, at the FBI they’re jumping through hoops as spokesperson, Kathy Milhoan, announced:

“We anticipate this being a huge hiring year. This year, the bureau plans to recruit more than 900 agents and 2,000 professional support employees, at least one-quarter of whom will be intelligence analysts. “We’re hoping to hire people with a wide variety of backgrounds, everything from IT to accounting and analytical skills. And we’re looking to hire agents with a variety of skills as well.”

It’s easy to see where lies the Bush administration’s priorities.

Filed under: Political priorities

America’s News media proudly announced tonight a major move forward in the political improvements supposedly taking place in Iraq. The Iraq government has decided on a new flag for the country.

Cute, isn’t it?

Gone are the green stars representing the Baath Party. “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great) no longer is in Saddam Hussein’s handwriting.

Well, a flag’s a flag’s a flag, and it’s not so different from the old one, except that the old one was permanent, well, until they hanged Saddam, of course.

This one is temporary, chosen in a moment of panic when it was realized the government would be banned from flying its own, original, flag in Irbil, Khurdistan, during a meeting of the pan-Arab parliament in March. The flag is banned in Khurdistan, where it’s seen as a symbol of Saddam Hussain.

So this flag, like most things the Iraqi government concerns itself with, is a botch-up until they can get around to doing something permanent.

And that may be this year, next year…….. sometime…..

^{My thanks to Leila Fadel of “Baghdad Observer” for the information.}

Filed under: Manana

Rev Lennox Yearwood and the War on Greed:

If you read the previous post you’ll be familiar with the name, KKR, a private equity company founded by Henry Kravis. To learn more of both, and what they’re doing to the American people, check out the videos in the sidebar.

Then visit “War On Greed”

Filed under: What dream was that?