Posted on 02/27/2013 7:26:14 PM PST by ducttape45
My facts are solid and briefed to us by My agency a week ago ..... Point is all this sequestration is BS , not effective at all . Each department, sub contractors and such to those is already claiming different needs to evade such based on what they have done recently to save costs, reductions in force thru attrition and no new hiring etc etc ...
EVERYONE IS NOT AFFECTED , nor did I say unions were exempt. Unions suck . I don’t hire union supporters, nor do I buy union products IF POSSIBLE.
Sequestration will not be fair or across the board was the point i make.....It will cherry pick the low hanging fruit .
Your agency will do what they will and the next will be 180 degrees out as to what yours did.
The red light will not come on and 1 million goobermint workers will not walk out the door followed by 10 million sub contractors. They all have played loophole Louie as to why they should be exempted and considered essitential regarding said agencies day to day operations.
That is a fact.
Yep, we’ll have to disagree on the feds vs. private sector issue but I do appreciate your willingness to take a hit to your pocketbook in order to help the country. With gov’t workers who happen to be conservative, I have often observed that they remain conservative right up until the moment that their paycheck gets affected. Thanks for proving me wrong on that point.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/341923/hail-armageddon-charles-krauthammer
would see just a small list of the waste taking place and what could take the place of the sequester and be a more meaningful and lasting cut in spending.
Let me share just a small bit of what he wrote.
“A 2011 GAO report gave a sampling of the vastness of what could be cut, consolidated, and rationalized in Washington: 44 overlapping job-training programs, 18 for nutrition assistance, 82 (!) on teacher quality, 56 dealing with financial literacy, more than 20 for homelessness, etc. Total annual cost: $100 billion to $200 billion, about two to five times the entire domestic sequester.”
I wonder if any of you would agree with what he said or just continue to spew your foul hatred of government employees, big and small. I bet none of you even dared to read the article “As sequestration nears, federal workers brace for furloughs, vent anger at politicians and the ignorant public (my addition to the article’s title) at http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/02/28/184471/as-sequestration-nears-federal.html .
Here’s just a few snippets from that article:
“It’s lost on none of them (federal workers) that they’re being forced to slash their own families’ budgets because politicians can’t agree on how to balance the federal budget.
“They expect us to do our jobs, so we expect them to do their jobs,” said Marsha Hayden, a 61-year-old microbiologist with the Food and Drug Administration from Adelphi, Md.”
Also,
“Gretchen Carreiro, a 41-year-old program specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said it felt as if the rest of the country had little sympathy for federal workers’ plight.
‘It’s like your job doesn’t even count. It’s like you should be doing it for free because you work for the taxpayers, so you kind of feel like it’s a slap in the face,” she said.’”
FR posters like dalereed, CodeToad, JRandomFreeper, sickoflibs, jwalsh07, Timber Rattler, and sarasmom have absolutely no clue of the pain they are causing by just throwing a blanket of condemnation over all the government (and just how wrong they are) and not being more sympathetic with the worker bees who are just trying to make a living and who live paycheck to paycheck, just like them.
But to you, sarasmom, I will reply to your post. You ask me, basically, what my job is. Ok, fair enough. Just a short backstory, first, to lay the groundwork.
I am a military veteran of nearly 13 years (10.7 active duty, 2 inactive reserve) in the United States Air Force. So yes, I am a citizen of the USA. I was born in central Indiana in 1960, AND I CAN PRODUCE MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE UNLIKE THE CURRENT RESIDENT OF THE WHITE HOUSE. I separated in 1992 when I discovered that the AF Chaplaincy was endorsing witchcraft and Satanic worship in their chapels. I couldn’t cross train so I separated. In effect, I was blacklisted because I spoke out against their new policies. (Does that sound like your typical federal worker or enlisted military member???)
In 2001 I was nearly killed in an auto accident when another driver thought the red light meant go and ran through the intersection, t-boning the car I was driving. The impact zone of the side impact was just behind the driver’s seat so I escaped serious injury, however, if that driver had a split faster, or I had been a split second slower, I could possibly be in Glory right now and not here giving you fits.
The driver hit me going 65 MPH and according to witnesses never hit the brakes. The force of the impact was so powerful it spun the car around twice. I say “according to witnesses” because I have no recollection of the accident. I remember driving across an old iron bridge out of town and the next thing I remember is being cut of my car. The Jaws of Life were used and I have memory of it. Let’s face it, that thing is loud!
After recovering (I did sustain some injuries) I started going to college. During that time I started working at a local military base in 2004 via STEP (Student Temporary Employment Program). I did that for 3 years until I attained full-time status in 2007. I have now been a full-time employee for just 5.5 years. Yes, wow, I worked my way up. I wasn’t “given” a handout or did anything unethical to get my job. Oh the horror!!!! Betcha that bursts your bubble huh?
While I worked in STEP, I went to college to attain a degree in something I already knew; PC support, network administration and routing. Though I already had practical knowledge I had no documentation/degree to back up what I knew. When I started as a student worker I had as a goal to work up the ranks until I could become a full-time computer assistant/worker. The grades were typically GS-05, 07 or 09. HOWEVER, the federal government decided to bring in contractors to do all the computer work, thereby throwing all my hard worked plans out the window.
Right now, currently, my skill set is such that I can accomplish any numbers of IT related jobs; from simple PC repair to systems analysis to network administration to help desk. But since they are all now outsourced I have been stuck in the job I now possess:
GS-04 Office Automation Assistant.
I net right around $22000. That’s it. When the sequester starts for me I will lose $4555 a year. I will make $17445. Oh, and by the way, I PAY TAXES TOO, just like you, so I not some money hungry tax stealing thief like you make me out to be.
Something you folks need to keep in mind here. I’M NOT THE ENEMY. There are many federal employees who feel the same way as you, and many of them with deeper convictions than you. Yes, there are those who stick their noses in the air and think their crap don’t stink. Trust, I rub shoulders with many like that. Those are the ones you see and you think we’re all that way. WE’RE NOT.
Of course trying to convince you of that is impossible because you refuse to see otherwise. Trying to converse with you is impossible because of your preconceived ideas and images of federal workers. To those of you like that, I dare you to take another look and see if you perhaps you’re wrong about some of us. Of course I know you won’t do that and it’s useless to even ask if of you. You’re incapable of it, but just once I would like to be proven wrong.
In the movie entitled “Boy’s Town” with Spencer Tracy and Andy Rooney, Father Flanagan says, “There is no such thing as a bad boy.” In the movie he was proven right, in real life I’m sad to say that statement is probably just plain wrong.
Using that principle but switching it up a bit, you all think that there in no such thing as a good decent government worker and that we're all bad. We're not, but would any of you dare to admit that?
Isn’t Congress still covered by CRCS? And there are many employees still in the system on CRCS - true, none hired after a date certain.
How bad do you think it will be once the government collapses under the weight of its own debt? Cutting 2 cents out of every dollar spent/borrowed/printed is not end of the world stuff. The government has never stopped growing, and it won’t this time either.
Oh and Tammy imagine how many paper clips you could sell if you could get the government out of our pockets?
Kind of curious, with your IT background, do you also have any background in Technical Writing or Instructional Design in that field? You could probably triple or quadruple your salary shifting your field of focus a bit. Also, there is a big move in the corporate world (at least with many of the companies I work with) to move towards vets due to their discipline and stability.
If you do have some background in those areas, let me know the part of the country you are in and I’ll focus you a job req opening if you are interested.
Once you have gotten the feel for helping people and are starting to generate some income from fixing computers, networks, etc. - you will want to think about how to market yourself. You are a vet so that is an automatic plus - I would use that in your marketing. People love working with vets - given a choice between 2 equally qualified candidates most people (hardcore liberals excepted) will pick the vet. You would also want to do things like setting up a website - it will help with credibility even though you may not get a lot of traffic. If you get to that point, freepmail me and I can help with the website. You would also want to do normal things like creating business cards. Joining local organizations are also helpful and if you have any connections to schools or churches in your area those are really good places to get clients. If you do good work, word will spread and you will get more customers.
It is hard working for yourself but you are your own boss and you can't be fired. And ultimately, in the environment we are in, having some degree of autonomy in how you make money can only be a good thing.
Only those congressmen who were in the system before 1984 are covered by CSRS.
Yes, there are still federal employees in CSRS but the last are beginning to retire and over the next 20-30 years most will die off.
Only those congressmen who were in the system before 1984 are covered by CSRS.
Yes, there are still federal employees in CSRS but the last are beginning to retire and over the next 20-30 years most will die off.
I’ve simply lost all sympathy with these little kids. Time to toughen up or shut up. They complain that someone else didn’t provide for them, like a job.
Really?
I have to shake my head at your comments.
Just because you work for a government contractor getting hit by the sequester, we are supposed to turn around and say that all government spending is good? And just because it hurts someone we should stop it?
To date this is the ONLY way that government is going to cut spending. We cannot seem to get our representatives to learn some other way. If this is all that can be done, then it is what we should do.
My comments still stand. When a private company has to cut their budgets we do it with a razor. We take our employees into consideration. We look for redundancy and areas we can do without. Cutting people is our last option. And then, we will cut carefully—culling out non-performers and offering early retirements so we can maintain our efficiencies.
I run my own business. My revenues are down nearly 20% over the last four years. I feel your pain.
The difference is that I have taken steps to keep my good employees and continue to put out a consistent product so we can keep moving forward. When revenues come back, we will be stronger for it.
I have not gone onto a web forum and wrung my hands over it. Instead, I worked harder to protect and built my business penny by penny. I’ve been awake at nights trying to make it work. I’ve tried different products and services to try to make it work.
When you come onto a site like this you will get honest responses to your comments.
I have empathy for folks in your spot. But, I have no sympathy. Those of us in the private sector have been dealing with this crap for years and years. I am 52 and this is the fourth recession that I’ve managed a business unit through.
All that time I have worked along side folks in well paid union protected jobs, local government employees, and federal government and military contractor employees. Over the years I have often heard them comment on how it must suck to have to keep shareholders happy.
Well, your shareholders are angry. They are expecting a better return on their investment. You are a small pawn in that battle. The problem is your masters have never had to belly up to the bar before and they do not know how to do it. They are acting like little babies. They need to man up and do the right thing. Learn how to be managers. But they won’t because in the end, most of them are idiots. I am not calling YOU an idiot—but you work for them.
So, on a personal note, I appreciate the pain and fear you are going through. It sucks. I’ve been there and done that. If you lived next door to me, i would bring you over for a meal and help you keep your car running.
But the truth is the truth. Either we win this battle to keep government spending down or we don’t. In battles there are bodies left on the beaches. I would happily help you get back on your feet. But the war goes on.
The best thing you can do is to get another job (they are out there) and get on the phone with your representatives and tell them to get to work.
One difference between us,is that when I honorably completed my second term of active duty in the USAF, I did so with the sure and certain knowledge that I would never again work for the Feds, even though my former husband (also a veteran) remained in Civil Service, in a highly skilled and dangerous support position. He typically spent weeks and months of boring, easy, daily preventative maintenance and continuous training, along with sudden surges of frantic, hard and dangerous skilled physical work.
The men who get the power turned back on in the middle of violent storms...yeah I know those kind of people. Both in Government and civilian life. I certainly don't begrudge them their wages, or undervalue their essential contributions.
You say you “separated” from the USAF because of religious reasons. Fair enough. I'll take you at your word.
Even though the dates and times don't add up...unless you took a break in service, and then went back because you couldn't make it on the “outside”, in the civilian world.
But then you went back to work for the Feds in your mid 40s, probably thinking you could eventually combine your past active duty military service time with a Fed job, and get a pretty cushy retirement, with minimal work.
Surprise! Tricked again, huh? Your take home pay is lessened by catch up contributions...
BTW, my beloved ex-husband is dead. I am old and sick, treading water and steadily sinking under the ever increasing weight of government taxes and policies.
Although it does seem I am still doing better financially, than your really whiney claims of self-inflicted but secure semi-poverty.
I contacted my elected officials at the fed level and demanded they either make real budget cuts or at the very least make certain the silly “Sequester Armageddon”/sarcasm-happens.
And yes, I read Krauthammers piece before I hit this site. I am now done with you, as I deem you a troll, and I no longer care to feed you anymore. You can report to your boss that very few here are buying what you are trying to sell.
You say I'm a troll; you couldn't be more wrong, but I expect nothing less from people like you who spew your hatred and condescending attitude in a self-righteousness manner. Once again, you blame people like me for your woes, saying that I'm a leech on society. Wow, just wow, so much for loyalty for a fellow veteran.
However, that being said, I applaud your military service, and that of your dearly departed. His, and your, contributions to the service of a "once grateful" nation are highly commendable. My eldest son also served in harms way in recent years so I know of what you speak when you make mention of his "highly skilled and dangerous support mission." He narrowly escaped death more than once during his tours overseas, only to see his friends blown to bits. I know you won't believe that because you seem to trust no one at their word, but it is the truth.
On that note, we will have to "agree to disagree." Once again, I say to you and all others, I'm not the enemy and your blanket disdain for anyone who serves in the federal service is wrong on many levels. I'm struggling to survive just like you.
Now get over your anger and stop "throwing out the baby with the bathwater."
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