Protect Integrity of Civil Service, Stop Return of Louisiana’s ‘Spoils System’

By Brent C. Frederick Civil Service Commission (retired)

My name is Brent C Frederick, and I am retired from the State of Louisiana with over 33 years of service. 

For my last 16 years, I was a Civil Service referee. In that capacity, I heard appeals of employees in the classified state service who disagreed with disciplinary actions, including dismissals taken against them. 

I worked for the Louisiana Civil Service Commission, a seven-member commission which governs the classified state service. I am very thankful to God for my career with the State of Louisiana and particularly with Civil Service. 

Under the Louisiana Constitution, Civil Service has two parts — the classified service and the unclassified service.

Classified state employees do their job without having to support or contribute to politicians.  They can only be fired “for cause.”  Unclassified employees can engage in politics on their own time and often not only contribute to politicians but are the largest supporters.  They can be let go at any time.

I believe the classified state system is a noble system, ordained by God to allow everyday people with no political connections to obtain a career in state service based solely on their hard and honest work. 

The reason that I’m writing this op-ed is to oppose Amendment No. 1 on the May 16 ballot. 

In my opinion, a ‘Yes’ vote would allow the Louisiana Legislature over time to do away with the Civil Service system. 

I am asking everyone to vote No on Amendment No. 1 on May 16 for the following reasons. 

This proposed constitutional amendment will allow the legislature and not the Civil Service Commission to determine what categories of state employees will and will not be protected as classified state employees. 

In my opinion, it could very well take Louisiana back to a corrupt time in our state’s history prior to the implementation of the Civil Service system. 

Louisiana’s Civil Service system was established firmly in 1952 by constitutional amendment and more completely put in place in the Louisiana Constitution of 1974. 

The state’s Civil Service system enforces merit-based hiring and retention. A permanent classified state employee cannot be disciplined or fired, except for good cause. 

Prior to the establishment of our Civil Service system, Louisiana suffered from the “spoils system,” which meant every time a new governor was elected, he would fire state employees who were not his political supporters. Then, the new governor would hire only those people who agreed to campaign for him and contribute to his political campaign. 

In return for not being fired except for good cause, state employees give up the right to contribute to political campaigns and actively campaign for political candidates. That is for the benefit of the public and the state employees themselves. 

The state Civil Service system protects against state employees being fired or disciplined for political reasons, protects against cronyism and nepotism, and provides an independent, non-political work force. The Civil Service system is important because as stated by the British historian Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. “

Summary

Amendment No. 1 would allow the Louisiana Legislature to do away with Civil Service protections by taking away power from the Civil Service Commission to decide who will be at-will employees and who will be subject to protect protection or political retribution. Please go to the polls and vote No on Amendment No. 1.