I am retired military.
Here is what concerns me with this rhetoric of "let's screw these people!"
- The article says "details are sketchy." OK, then what do they mean exactly? I know that Reagan had already basically gotten rid of civil servant defined plan retirements decades ago (those in it at the time were grandfathered). Do they want to eliminate 401K (TSP) matching? Really? That is going to "make America Great Again?" Most companies do matching.
- When people attack all Feds, it is a pretty broad brush. Navy shipyard workers and DoD nurses at Walter Reed who care for our combat wounded are lumped into the same stew as useless Dept of Education eaters and EPA extremists. I am all for cutting agencies and useless bureaucrats, but I want to see it done with some cranium capacity expended. Trump should be smart enough for this.
- Trump, on the campaign trail, lauded the Secret Service, the FBI agents (who defied the traitor Comey), the Dept of Defense, and others. He is also winning the hearts of the middle class American workers (of which many civil servants are). He is fighting for their jobs. This could change the dynamics of American politics for decades. Is he now going to screw middle class workers in government who do good things? They will work for him soon. DoD teachers, electricians, Border Patrol agents.....we are going to "stick it to them!" Again, why? Why not stick it Mexico, China, Illegal Invaders, drug dealers, Iran, domestic terrorists, selfish entitled takers, criminals, and the like?
- Hasn't Obama already "stuck it to" Fed civilians pretty good? I know he froze their pay for years, scaled back benefits, and laid them off several times. If Trump comes in and turns that around some, he could deal the Democrats a death card. Why blow this historic opportunity?
- Is this rhetoric of "cut these bastards" coming from Trump, or Congress? If from Congress (as the article says), then my reaction is: "OK - you bastards go first." I want to see their retirements cut, and then they can go after VA hospital staff, the Border Patrol, the DoD engineers, and the rest. I don't trust Congress. Paul Ryan took unilateral action to generate "cuts" in 2013. He cut the pensions of our military, including Veterans who were 100% disabled from combat injuries! Again, I don't trust these guys.
Trump has a unique opportunity. I think going after middle class civil servants who we want to do good for this nation is the wrong approach. There are SO MANY other things that can be cut. Why screw our own people? Is is just for blood sport for the masses? Almost 45% of DoD civilians are military, uniformed veterans themselves. We need to burn these people?
I hope he cuts the EPA, Dept of Education, and all the rest of the scumbags. But this broad brush approach is the wrong way to go.
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