This is mostly a rant, a warning if your not in the mood for that right now.
Set off by the comments I've seen posted on This post by Rep Louise Slaughter, I got to thinking about how much my boss is treating me just like our Democratic Leadership.
Background and explanation below the fold.
Background:
I am a Leiutenant in the US Navy. I am currently filling a position which would normally be filled by a Leiutenant Commander (LCDR), a paygrade higher than my current one.
I am, I think, the second in command for my organization which is comprised of approximately 750 people. I have held this office for 5 months now. My official title is still unclear, the reason for the questioning of my current position.
I am holding, concurrently, the approximate positions of Assistant Officer in Charge (AOIC), Assistant Maintenance Officer (AMO) and Administration Officer.
I have some of the duties of all, all of the duties of none. I am in max flex.
This hasn't been any trouble until my new boss arrived 2 months ago. My previous boss, Officer in Charge (OIC), was always happy with my work. He had no complaints about the job I did. I am, essentially, the OIC's Secretary. That's the best definition of the job I can come up with.
Explanation of my current dilema:
My current position is being quietly usurped by a LCDR in the command. Mind you, it's not his decision to do so, it's the OIC's. I don't know what the issue is; is the issue the quality of my work, or is it the fact that I'm not a LCDR? The LCDR in question has another job, very important, which keeps him extremely busy. I don't believe that he likes these additional responsibilities being thrust upon him, but the OIC dictates.
I have done all I could to adjust to the OIC's leadership style and writing style preferences, and I think I've adjusted to his style rather well. Yet, he turned over the responsibility of Awards review over to the LCDR shortly after he (the new OIC) arrived.
Funny thing is, a different LCDR, in charge of Administration of our Bigger Bosses office, came to me a couple of weeks ago to complain about the quality of our awards submissions. I gladly pointed the finger in the other direction.
In short, I'm doing the best I can to ensure that my OIC gets the best material he can. It isn't easy. I'm going to coin a new phrase here, I think; he's a Procrastinating Perfectionist (PP, I guess). He leaves everything until the last minute, then demands perfection (in HIS view of perfection).
Today I find out, through a First Class Petty Officer in charge of our office move (our full-time spaces were being renovated and it's time to move back into them), that I'm going to be moved from the office space I previously had, in front of the OIC's office, to the Administration spaces. The OIC was at the party, but never bothered to tell me what was going on. The LCDR will be taking over my old office (whether he wants to or not).
So, to the point of my diary, I feel I'm being treated by my Boss exactly like I'm being treated by my Democratic Leadership.
I feel like I'm being asked to provide everything they want without understanding the direction in which they are going. I'm supposed to "get" the plan without ever being told what the plan is.
I feel like a mushroom, kept in the dark and fed shit.
Democratic Leaders, what is it you want from us? We worked hard, very hard, to give you both houses in 2006. We expected something for that effort. To date, we haven't received much for our efforts.
Do you need more? If so, then please state so in a clear and defined manner. We want America (as well as I want my command) to succeed. That is why we are here.
Have we given you everything we can? I believe that we have. We can, and will, give as much (perhaps more, if we can find it) in the future, but now, you have to show that you deserve it.
And you're not.
Your supposed capitulation on FISA, your capitulation on the Iraq "War" funding, your capitulation on the impeachment of VP Cheny, let alone Bush, etc., without explanation, shows us that you are planning to continue to treat us like mushrooms.
I may be able to live as a fungus at my command, but I refuse to do so when the state of my Country is at stake.
Like I said, a rant.