State Civil Service System Needs Major Reform, Comptroller Report Suggests

Published on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 20:08

Written by Keith Sherley

PRESS RELEASE FROM OFFICE OF COMPTROLLER

State Civil Service System Needs Major Reform, Comptroller Report Suggests

Nashville, TN. Feb. 22, 2012 -- Tennessee’s civil service system is inefficient, unfair and outdated, a report by the Comptroller’s Division of State Audit suggests.

The system, developed in 1939, centralizes the process for people who wish to apply for civil service jobs within the state’s Department of Human Resources. The department maintains lists, or registers, of potential candidates for job openings.

This system is fundamentally flawed. For example, the human resources department ranks the potential candidates and recommends them to whichever state departments or agencies have job openings. This is inefficient because in many cases the top-ranked candidates are not interested in or may not actually be qualified for the open positions. The ranking process itself lacks transparency, so neither other departments and agencies nor candidates know exactly how the process is conducted.

Also, the registers are often top heavy with current state employees to the exclusion of people who wish to enter state service. And job openings are not always posted if human resources officials believe they have suitable pools of applicants for those positions.

The system also allows employees with more seniority to “bump” less senior employees out of jobs, which can set off chain reactions that displace numerous employees.

The Comptroller’s report, which was released today, recommends that the current system be replaced with a decentralized system that would give departments and agencies the ability to screen and hire applicants directly.

“The civil service system was designed to meet the needs of Tennessee coming out of the Great Depression.  It met the needs of the first half of the twentieth century, but a lot has changed and our system needs to change to meet the needs of the twenty-first century,” Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said. “About 34,500 employees have civil service jobs with the State of Tennessee. The system used to hire them needs to be as efficient, fair and transparent as possible.”

To view the report online, go to http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/repository/SA/sr04056.pdf.

Obama Signs Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012

Published on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 19:56

Written by Keith Sherley

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 3630

On Wednesday, February 22, 2012, the President signed into law:

H.R. 3630, the “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012,” which extends through December 31, 2012: (1) a reduction in employment tax rates for employees and the self-employed: (2) an initial eligibility for emergency

unemployment compensation and 100 percent Federal funding for extended unemployment insurance benefits: and (3) a Medicare physician payment update delaying a rate reduction for physician services. Also extends assistance for needy families through September 30, 2012.

Madison County Early Vote Daily Report

Published on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 16:53

Written by Keith Sherley

Jackson, TN, Feb. 22, 2012 --Today, 150 voters cast their ballots during early voting at the Madison County Agricultural Complex auditorium.  135 voters participated in the Republican Primary and 15 voters participated in the Democratic Primary.  This brings the grand total to 882 votes cast, with 714 persons voting in the Republican Primary and 168 persons voting in the Democratic Primary. 
 
Early voting continues through February 28th.  Voters must show a photo ID in order to vote.  The photo ID must be issued by the state or federal government, but it does not have to be current and the state photo ID does not have to be from Tennessee. 

Missing Teen Alert Summer Elizabeth Carroll

Published on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 15:48

Written by Keith Sherley

Runaway Teenager
Summer Elizabeth Carroll
Last Seen February 19, 2012

Description
Age: 17
D.O.B 10/21/1994
Height: Approx. 5' 1
Weight: Approx. 160
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Blue

Identifying Characteristics/ Features
Small Scar above top lip just under nose
Nose Piercing

If you have any information regarding Summer Elizabeth Carroll
Please Contact
Madison County Sheriff Department (731) 423-6000
Kelly or Micki Conrad (731) 421-8223 (H), (731) 217-5118 (Micki's Cell),  (731) 217-6697 (Kelly's Cell Phone)