Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

I Am A Federal Employee
FedSmith.com ^ | April 6, 2011 | Kelly Arsenault

Posted on 04/07/2011 6:13:38 PM PDT by Poundstone

As we draw closer to a government shutdown, I have been reading with great interest. You see, I am a federal employee employed at Fort Drum as a civilian mail clerk. I am looking at the possibility of a furlough for as long as it takes for Congress to reach an agreement. It could be days or it could be weeks, but regardless of how long, I am more concerned at how much. How much will this affect my family? How much will it hurt us financially? The uncertainty is maddening as I, and my fellow federal workers, watch the stage show that is called Washington Politics gamble with our way of making a living.

(Excerpt) Read more at fedsmith.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: employees; federal; shutdown
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-118 next last
To: CitizenM
USPS is not going to shut down, so why is the guy whining?

Now the retirees will not get their payments on time, but they will get them since that sort of "pay" is computed annually not on a pay period basis ~ or, of course, they could simply call back the retirees and give them their old jobs for a few weeks (at full pay of course).

I'd immediately take sick leave (having walked away from 1500 hours).

61 posted on 04/07/2011 7:07:36 PM PDT by muawiyah (Make America Safe For Amercans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf

>> A lock-out is a lock-out and it sucks

Don’t whine to me. Go call your boss... Barry’s responsible for *this* shutdown.


62 posted on 04/07/2011 7:07:36 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Trust in God, but row away from the rocks!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone

Kelly needs to face the reality that a FED job is always at the mercy of Congress.
What the Government Gives...the Government can take away.

And UNIONS have no say in it.

Frankly, does Kelly feel any empathy with the 14 million unemployed or under employed Americans?

Hard to shed tears on this one.


63 posted on 04/07/2011 7:08:10 PM PDT by Marty62 (Marty60)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Migraine

I retired last week and joined a private firm, so I’m not affected by any shutdown. I do remember the 95-96 shutdown. It’s true we all got reimbursed for lost pay, but there was a lot of mental stress during the shutdown period.


64 posted on 04/07/2011 7:09:16 PM PDT by Poundstone (A recent Federal retiree and proud of it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone
You must be one of those non-essential employees.
Didn't even bother to check your link to make sure we could find the rest of your sob story.

Welcome to the party Mac. Most of us got the pain a lot sooner, and we will NEVER get retroactive pay.

Yes, we also have families.

65 posted on 04/07/2011 7:09:32 PM PDT by Publius6961 (There has Never been a "Tax On The Rich" that has not reached the middle class)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Our man in washington

God bless you. If more had your attitude (and I’m not just talking government employees, I’m talking Americans) we’d all be better off.

I hope it goes well for you, but then again, folks like you make their own luck.

FRegards


66 posted on 04/07/2011 7:09:58 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Trust in God, but row away from the rocks!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf

“If Uncle Sam wants to cut back, then eliminate terminate or trim programs and agencies.”

Thats what the fight is all about, Repubs are trying to cut and dems are having a tizzy-fit. I worked for the Feds fro 30 years and had lots of no-pay shut-downs but I was always prepared no matter what, when or how. This punk should be too!


67 posted on 04/07/2011 7:10:04 PM PDT by 95B30 ( The Professional Left: "Their morals are crooked, their take logic is flawed, their honor is stolen)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone

This SHOULD be of extreme concern to ALL Americans: how many elderly are going to have to CHOOSE between dog/cat foot & their medication?

Lets see how they rationalize the next ‘Tea Party’ landslide.

Unless I’m mistaken: that WILL happen.


68 posted on 04/07/2011 7:10:47 PM PDT by raygun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone

As someone who was laid off last October and soon to become a Senior Citizen (June), I guess I don’t have much sympathy here. Especially since it was Obama who killed off my job. If this person wants to blame someone, then Harry and Nancy are the people who didn’t pass a budget last year. Start there.


69 posted on 04/07/2011 7:11:49 PM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July, democrats believe every day is April 15.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

OBTW: the reason there’ll be such backlash:

U.S. GI who aint gitnpaid

These people have a LONG LONG LONG memory.

Burn. Baby! Burn!


70 posted on 04/07/2011 7:13:33 PM PDT by raygun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone

Maybe this poor Federale should try life in the Dreaded Private Sector...when they shut you down, it’s not just a furlough - You’re FIRED, DONE, FINISHED.

Then you’ve got to go looking for a job again.

I have ZERO sympapthy. All I ask is that they continue to pay those most important civil servants, Our Troops!


71 posted on 04/07/2011 7:13:46 PM PDT by mkleesma (`Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fini
I’m a federal employee and I say shut it down.

You're a real patriot. I'll buy you a couple of steaks!

72 posted on 04/07/2011 7:14:14 PM PDT by ladyjane
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; Delacon; ...

Thanks Poundstone.


73 posted on 04/07/2011 7:16:56 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Thanks Cincinna for this link -- http://www.friendsofitamar.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Publius6961

Note the first comment: to scroll down in the URL provided to find this article.


74 posted on 04/07/2011 7:17:50 PM PDT by Poundstone (A recent Federal retiree and proud of it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone

Given a choice of feeding my kids or yours, guess what’s going to happen.

Take care of your own family and quit stealing from my family.


75 posted on 04/07/2011 7:22:08 PM PDT by sergeantdave (The democrat party is a seditious organization and must be outlawed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone; All
I had the misfortune of riding the MARC train into Washington DC this morning surrounded by pissed-off government employees. They bitched the entire way about the "baggers," Republicans, Boehner, Beck, and oh yeah, Sarah Palin.

I don't have a shred of sympathy for these people, who somehow think that their mostly meaningless government jobs are so important to the country.

Let them go home and stay home for good.

76 posted on 04/07/2011 7:22:43 PM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone
I'm not and have not been since I ETS'd over 30 years ago. Before that and since then I've been a taxpayer as an employee and an employer. As an employer I was taxed for my healthcare coverage while Congresscritters, federal employees and the CEO of GE were not because I was a small businessman with an S-Corps. When times were tough the government didn't bail me out, I just stopped taking a pay check so my employees could get theirs.

When times were better I moved into a higher tax bracket and the government took more of my money so government workers could retire at age 55 while I was still busting my ass 60 hours a week. I worked extra hours while my kids were in college to pay for their educations in cash since we made too much for any government largesse.

I'm not whining, I'd do it all over again my way but you won't be getting any sympathy for a two week furlough here. I do wish you well but it is long past time that the ATM is closed for business.

77 posted on 04/07/2011 7:33:55 PM PDT by jwalsh07
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone
I am more concerned at how much. How much will this affect my family? How much will it hurt us financially?

Millions of Americans sharethis common thought as tax day approaches.

78 posted on 04/07/2011 7:37:15 PM PDT by SampleMan (If all of the people currently oppressed shared a common geography, bullets would already be flying.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone; silverleaf

Waaaah. Civilian/non-governmental teat sucking businesses have been bleeding jobs because the teats have taken too much from the corporations for decades. Now you cry when reality catches up to you!

Screw you and your whining. You had your ‘stable’ government jobs for decades on OUR backs. Now that it is time to reign in the spending you cry. Well, I’ve had to reign in my spending for nearly 10 years because of government intervention at every level of business for the last several decades.

No one can afford to pay your inflated salaries for what the type/amount of work you do. If you think I don’t know what the pay scales, I will tell you, where I live ALL GS employees receive a 35.35% ‘locality’ increase to their bases GS pay scales. So an advertised GS-7 position that is in a range of $37k-45k, would get a 35% increase OVER that advertised rate.

Sorry- we can’t afford to pay that anymore. Good luck finding a real job, I’ve spent two years trying to find one that I’m not overqualified for.


79 posted on 04/07/2011 7:43:08 PM PDT by SFC Chromey (We are at war with Islamofascists inside and outside our borders, now ACT LIKE IT!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Poundstone

I think the proper term is “paid vacation”.


80 posted on 04/07/2011 7:47:18 PM PDT by Mobties (Reduce the government footprint! Let the markets work!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-118 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson