Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't foll

[j-mac]

More than 1,600 new employees hired by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources in the aftermath of Obamacare's passage include just two described as 'consumer safety' officers, but 86 tasked with 'criminal investigating' – indicating that the agency is building an army of detectives to sleuth out violations of a law that many in Congress who supported it still find confusing.On the day President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law in 2010, HHS received authority from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to make as many as 1,814 new hires under an emergency 'Direct Hiring Authority' order.

The Obama administration ordered that employment expansion despite a government-wide hiring freeze.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, left, discusses the Affordable Care Act at a news conference on Aug. 13, 2013

A total of 1,684 of those positions were filled. An analysis by MailOnline shows that at 2010 federal government salary rates, the new employees' salaries alone cost the U.S. at least $138.8 million every year.
Had the agency filled all its available jobs, that cost would have been a minimum of $159 million.

The hiring began in May 2010 and continued through June 2013, making the later hires eligible for higher salaries as a result of annual cost-of-living increases.

The difference between what HHS spent on new Obamacare-related employees and what it was authorized to spend is explained by its failure to hire most of the 261 'consumer safety officers' it was authorized to bring aboard. Only two such employees were hired.

But while OPM authorized HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Resources Denise Carter -- later renamed Denise Wells -- to hire 50 criminal investigators, the agency increased that numberto 86 on its own.


Read more: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't follow Obamacare | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Building a civilian force just as big, just as well armed as the US military...Wasn't that what Barry said we needed? Who knew that Congress (the people) would be bypassed in deciding this sort of thing, or approving it....

 

[Deuce]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

I can't wait to see those 1800 detectives take on a carrier battle group.

Also, Pro tip:

The Daily Mail is a tabloid. Like, literally a tabloid. Their characterization of situations tends to be... sensationalized.

As an example, their salary calculation is like 82k/year. For a new hire that's like GS-13 or 14. FBI agents start at GS-10. I am, shall we say, skeptical about how DM came up with this figure.

 

[Diogenes]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

The Daily Mail is a tabloid. Like, literally a tabloid. Their characterization of situations tends to be... sensationalized.

Kinda like the Obama administration spokesgremlins, eh? :doh

 

[Deuce]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

Kinda like the Obama administration spokesgremlins, eh? :doh

Not sure how that would make Daily Mail any more accurate.

 

[Diogenes]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

Not sure how that would make Daily Mail any more accurate.

It wouldn't, but it demonstrates how the Obamabots have outdone the Daily Mail when it comes to tabloid sensationalism.

 

[Grant]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

Not sure how that would make Daily Mail any more accurate.

Or your claim any more accurate. Why not concentrate on the article?

The sad fact is that foreign media are often covering what's going on in DC better than the US MSM.

 

[specklebang]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

I can't wait to see those 1800 detectives take on a carrier battle group.

Also, Pro tip:

The Daily Mail is a tabloid. Like, literally a tabloid. Their characterization of situations tends to be... sensationalized.

As an example, their salary calculation is like 82k/year. For a new hire that's like GS-13 or 14. FBI agents start at GS-10. I am, shall we say, skeptical about how DM came up with this figure.

How much are FBI Special Agents paid?
Special Agent trainees at the FBI Academy are paid as GS-10, step 1 ($43,441) plus the Quantico, VA locality adjustment (17.50%) during their time at the FBI Academy. This equates to $51,043 on an annualized basis (or $1,963 per each two-week pay period).

Newly assigned Special Agents are paid as GS-10, step 1 ($43,441) plus locality pay and availability pay. Locality pay (which ranges from 12.5% to 28.7% of base salary depending upon office assignment) is additional compensation to account for differences in the labor market between different areas. Availability pay is a 25% increase in adjusted salary (base salary + locality pay) for all Special Agents due to their requirement to average a 50-hour work week over the course of the year. Thus, with the locality and availability pay adjustments, new Special Agents in their first Field Offices earn between $61,100 and $69,900, depending upon the region of the country to which they are assigned.

New Special Agents assigned to certain designated high-cost offices (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington D.C., Boston and Newark) may also be paid a one-time relocation bonus of approximately $22,000 to help offset higher real estate and living costs. In order to qualify for the relocation bonus, new Special Agents must be assigned to one of the designated high-cost offices and they must be moving from a lower cost area to a different geographical area with a higher cost of living.

For example, a new Agent assigned to Washington, D.C. would make a base salary of $43,441 (GS-10, step 1 on the Law Enforcement Officers' salary table) + locality pay of $7,602 (based on Washington, D.C.'s locality adjustment of 17.5%) + availability pay of $12,761 (25% of base + locality) for a total salary of $63,804 their first year. If the new Special Agent qualified for the relocation bonus (e.g., moving from Atlanta to Washington, D.C.), they would also receive a one-time payment of approximately $22,000.

 

[Hatuey]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

Building a civilian force just as big, just as well armed as the US military...Wasn't that what Barry said we needed? Who knew that Congress (the people) would be bypassed in deciding this sort of thing, or approving it....

At the current hiring rate of ~500 people per year.... how long before they match the US military? Another 3000 years? And no, Obama was talking about AmeriCorps. Not HHS.

 

[StillBallin75]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

Building a civilian force just as big, just as well armed as the US military...Wasn't that what Barry said we needed? Who knew that Congress (the people) would be bypassed in deciding this sort of thing, or approving it....

1600 people = just as big and well armed as the US Military? If that were TRULY the case then wouldn't conservatives be freaking the **** out?

 

[sawyerloggingon]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

I wonder how many brown shirts Hitler hired on day one.

 

[Deuce]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

It wouldn't, but it demonstrates how the Obamabots have outdone the Daily Mail when it comes to tabloid sensationalism.

You and I have entirely different definitions of "demonstrates." You have demonstrated nothing at all.

Look, "the Daily Mail says so" isn't proof of anything to me. I've seen how often they make things up, distort the truth, etc. Sorry if this bothers you.

 

[Deuce]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

How much are FBI Special Agents paid?
Special Agent trainees at the FBI Academy are paid as GS-10, step 1 ($43,441) plus the Quantico, VA locality adjustment (17.50%) during their time at the FBI Academy. This equates to $51,043 on an annualized basis (or $1,963 per each two-week pay period).

Newly assigned Special Agents are paid as GS-10, step 1 ($43,441) plus locality pay and availability pay. Locality pay (which ranges from 12.5% to 28.7% of base salary depending upon office assignment) is additional compensation to account for differences in the labor market between different areas. Availability pay is a 25% increase in adjusted salary (base salary + locality pay) for all Special Agents due to their requirement to average a 50-hour work week over the course of the year. Thus, with the locality and availability pay adjustments, new Special Agents in their first Field Offices earn between $61,100 and $69,900, depending upon the region of the country to which they are assigned.

New Special Agents assigned to certain designated high-cost offices (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington D.C., Boston and Newark) may also be paid a one-time relocation bonus of approximately $22,000 to help offset higher real estate and living costs. In order to qualify for the relocation bonus, new Special Agents must be assigned to one of the designated high-cost offices and they must be moving from a lower cost area to a different geographical area with a higher cost of living.

For example, a new Agent assigned to Washington, D.C. would make a base salary of $43,441 (GS-10, step 1 on the Law Enforcement Officers' salary table) + locality pay of $7,602 (based on Washington, D.C.'s locality adjustment of 17.5%) + availability pay of $12,761 (25% of base + locality) for a total salary of $63,804 their first year. If the new Special Agent qualified for the relocation bonus (e.g., moving from Atlanta to Washington, D.C.), they would also receive a one-time payment of approximately $22,000.

So do we have any actual indication that these guys are actually paid this?

 

[sawyerloggingon]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

You and I have entirely different definitions of "demonstrates."

It's because Diogenes actually knows the meaning of the word.

 

[ItAin'tFree]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

When hired do they swear allegiance to Obamacare?

 

[Simon W. Moon]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

It wouldn't, but it demonstrates...

"asserts" Your post asserts not demonstrates. If it "demonstrated", it would be an example which allowed the readers to see for themselves the truth of the matter.
For example:
"He's mean," is an assertion.
"He kicked kittens," is a demonstration.

 

[specklebang]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

So do we have any actual indication that these guys are actually paid this?

Uh, no, I was just supporting your claim that FBI agents start at GS-10 and the information I posted was copied from the FBI website. So, yes, the FBI guys get the salary I posted. Now, do these new consumer cops get the same pay? I doth not know.

Interestingly, depending on the location, cops are paid twice as much as FBI agents. Go figure.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

Building a civilian force just as big, just as well armed as the US military...

It's 86 people. 86 people "tasked with 'criminal investigating"
The US military has more than 1 millions members.
Mr. Martosko is sensationalizing when he refers to these 86 folks as an "army."

 

[Simon W. Moon]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

I wonder how many brown shirts Hitler hired on day one.

You know who else Godwins threads? Hitler.

 

[sawyerloggingon]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

You know who else Godwins threads? Hitler.

I know, according to you we can never bring Hitler up.:lol: We can never learn from history, it's a huge no no.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

I know, according to you we can never bring Hitler up.:lol: We can never learn from history, it's a huge no no.

It's just flung poo.
X is Hitler.
Y is Hitler.
Obama's Hitler.
Bush is Hitler.
Clinton's Hitler.
Bush is Hitler.
Reagan is Hitler.
Blah, blah, blah.
Watch out! It's Hitler!

 

[j-mac]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

It's 86 people. 86 people "tasked with 'criminal investigating"
The US military has more than 1 millions members.
Mr. Martosko is sensationalizing when he refers to these 86 folks as an "army."

Oh,...ok....When should we take note? When the number reaches 10,000? 100,000? OR, should we look at what they are being formed to do?

 

[j-mac]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

It's just flung poo.
X is Hitler.
Y is Hitler.
Obama's Hitler.
Bush is Hitler.
Clinton's Hitler.
Bush is Hitler.
Reagan is Hitler.
Blah, blah, blah.
Watch out! It's Hitler!

Yep, Hitler analogies are overused, almost as much as racist labels these days....Those who do not learn history, are doomed to repeat it. Ask the Coptic Christians in Egypt these days.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

Oh,...ok....When should we take note? When the number reaches 10,000? 100,000? OR, should we look at what they are being formed to do?

hawking hyperbole is something different than taking note
We can take note whenever we like.
But comparing 86 guys to an army and comparing Obama to Hitler isn't really taking note of what is happening in the world. It's hyperventilating.
ymmv

 

[Diogenes]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

You and I have entirely different definitions of "demonstrates." You have demonstrated nothing at all.

Look, "the Daily Mail says so" isn't proof of anything to me. I've seen how often they make things up, distort the truth, etc. Sorry if this bothers you.

Almost as bad as the Obamabots do it.

 

[Diogenes]

Re: Feds are building a detective squad to target consumers and companies that don't

"asserts" Your post asserts not demonstrates. If it "demonstrated", it would be an example which allowed the readers to see for themselves the truth of the matter.
For example:
"He's mean," is an assertion.
"He kicked kittens," is a demonstration.

Your sig nails it.