As a government employee, this blows me away that people think this is true.
For example, a person I knew was given a government card to use while traveling....this person decided to not use it just for travel. He racked up close to $2,000 over a 3 month period buying sushi, flowers at lowes, and a lot of trips to the gas station. He was demoted and fired.
Anyway, you're probably thinking, but...sure, that person breeches the trust of the organization and used a government card like a retard...he deserves it! (I agree)
But I've seen people fired or severely demoted for far less....things a non-government employee would never see.
-Child services was called to do an investigation. The neighbor had called 911 because the children were outside playing by themselves. The mother was watching from the kitchen. He wasn't even home because he was at work. He was demoted.
-Person received a strong reprimand because he was "turned in" for his wife posting a picture on face book of their child holding a beer. The beer was unopened as the child had just learned to open a fridge and just grabbed something. This presents a very negative image.
Best yet. Immediately following (~2hours) of his own retirement ceremony he was arrested for DUI...if memory serves me, he blew just over the limit. The boss tried like bloody hell to demote this person then fire them, rather than allow them to keep their current pay grade and retirement. Essentially, he was trying to strip him of (if I recall right) 25 years of service.
Anyway, to see these articles written, it blows my mind. I couldn't imagine "getting away" with behaving like these folks do. (or are written to have done). I say this because these could be rewritten as:
Government employee caught red handed embezzling thousands!
Government employee's home in shambles after unattended children allowed to freely roam neighborhood, report alleges.
Government employee somehow allowed to keep his position although evidence suggests he may be allowing a toddler to drink alcohol.
Dui=retirement. Government employee receives pension as a punishment for being stopped while intoxicated.