A Few Gripes

[VACoastie]

So We're going thrugh the sequestration deal right now and the government wants to send $60 million to Syria when they can't even pay their own employees their salary or cutting back their hours. Since when has America been more worried about other people than their own citizens and employees? oh wait I forgot we're in America... The land that takes care of other countries screw ups and makes their people pay for it.

Then we have New York's governor Cuomo all who believes that Hollywood should receive an exemption from New York laws ust because they give them tax breaks. Another fine example of rules for thee but not for me. I find it funny that the governor believes California producers/directors who are not from there will have more rights in his city than his own people simply because of movie production. Way to stay on course for Par buddy!

Finally, as if it hasn't been talked about enough, the Democrats still after two months want to continue with their gun bans even though it has many states saying no the federal government cannot do this, we had police officers state that they will not enforce these laws, when will they get the hint? When they happily get voted out of their office and sit in a nice ocean side home collecting a fat pension?

This stuff has been eating at my Ankles the past few days and I feel I want to kick the proverbial ankle bitter right off a 10 story building. I'm fed up with being fed up. Today and tomorrow consists of not so happy letters (written) getting sent to any and all politicians I can find their correspondence address for.

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[Reverenddel]

Ditto brotha...

It's like an irresponsible teenager with a BIG paycheck that would rather blow it on nonsense, than pay their auto insurance, and car payment.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR DUTIES, THEN HELP OTHERS!

[dorminWS]

What has never been explained to my satisfaction is this:

As I understand it, the big evil to the nasty old sequestration is that it requires everything get cut the same percentage across the board with no priority given to anything, and

We're talking about a less-than-2.5% cut.

So, HOW IN THE HELL does a 2.5% reduction in available funds require that ANYBODY be laid off or that ANY PROGRAM be cancelled or suspended? A 2.5% reduction in pay equates to taking a half-day off without pay once a month. That's a damn shame, but it beats the heck out of getting laid off.

I don't know about the rest of y'all, but it p!sses me off real bad that they think I'm too stupid to see through that. And any bureaucrat, federal, state or local, that can't deal with that small hiccough without disrupting operations should be fired as being guilty of either willfull malfeasance or utter stupidity and incompetence. THAT would save some money AND increase the efficiency (if we can all stomach the word "efficiecny" used in connection with "government) of the government as well.

[allingeneral]

They're a bunch of pinko communist bastards and they're trying to take everything from the ignorant masses quickly - while Obama has the opportunity - since much of the ignorant masses will follow Obama blindly due to his skin color.

They've been slowly pushing this agenda for a long time, and now is their big chance to really put the stranglehold on American freedoms and liberties.

[VACoastie]

Thank god we (the USCG) has solid leadership at the helm. From the rumors I've heard they refuse the lay off anyone and they will not cut back pay. Instead they will cut back operations. Back several years ago the Navy did something similar. They sent all their boats to the pier for 1 month and then bada bing bada boom they had the money they needed. Now the CG can do that too and just participate in Search and Rescue only but that means that drug and illegals can get through.. I dunno what their final plan is, but they seem to be going about it the least stupid way.

Formin, I was curious of that same crap too... I couldn't believe the ridiculous crap they were trying to throw at the people. If you had to ask me, I think they'll come up with something at the 23rd hour like they normally do and hold it off for another 6 months but I'm tired of them putting bandages on a wound that obviously needs surgical removal. Doing that causes gangs green and that's even worse

[dorminWS]

Well, looks to me like curtailing operations would cause much more disruption simply because it would necessitate a bigger cut. That's because there are, as there are with any kind of operations and equipment, fixed costs that can't be stopped by just parking the boat - they get paid whether the boat is parked or not. On the other hand, things like maintenence, repair and refits can be delayed entirely for a short while, albeit at greater expense later. Still, even at 5%, it is hard for me to see why there would need to be catastrphic reductions in services. The point has been made that the government will still be spending at the same level as 2-3 years ago. If the whole system didn't crash and burn then, why should we expect it to do so now?

[lonestarag]

So, HOW IN THE HELL does a 2.5% reduction in available funds require that ANYBODY be laid off or that ANY PROGRAM be cancelled or suspended? A 2.5% reduction in pay equates to taking a half-day off without pay once a month. That's a damn shame, but it beats the heck out of getting laid off.

Nobody is going to get laid off. Those claims are hollow rhetoric from Obama. He is trying to convince the public that is the case in hopes they will pressure Congress to vote for his alternative plan to raise a bunch more taxes. And the media is spoonfeeding it to anyone who will listen....

[GeneFrenkle]

I have doubts any federal (civilian) employee is going to be laid off. The employee unions would have an absolute fit over it. It smells like rhetoric to me.

[mtbinva]

I have doubts any federal (civilian) employee is going to be laid off. The employee unions would have an absolute fit over it. It smells like rhetoric to me.

Sorry Gene, I call BS. I got laid off.

On a side note, anyone hiring?

[GeneFrenkle]

Are/were you are of any employee union? I know epa, tras, irs have them. What agency?

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[Glockem]

Gentlemen, I have stayed out of the political discussions on this board frankly because I could not provide accurate input until this discussion. I am with the DOD in Army and we have laid off all term, temp, rehired annuitants, interns, etc and I have seen several laid off in my office. We DOD will be furloughed every Friday until the end of the fiscal year because our spending rate is faster than the continuing resolution we have been working under can support. Congress needs to pass a budget or an extension to carry us to September 30.

I am not as radically political as several of you appear to be, but please remember that the whole concept of Sequestration was established by the republican congress and the republican president George W. Bush during his second term. They did this because they wanted leverage against the democrats once Bush's 2nd term was complete as they thought there would be another republican president to be elected in 2008 which would continue big DOD spending. Surprise though, McCain lost because he was old and stuffy and then there second attempt with that douche Romney is why Obama is Still in office.

Sequestration is real and if congress doesn't fix the budget plan, then the impacts to DOD, the federal workforce, Americans and the American economy is going to experience a rippling affect that will push us further down the hill into a deeper recession. It doesn't matter if it is republican or democrat issues right now, it is all posturing, saber rattling, and very dangerous for the US economy.

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[Monkey]

Sequestration is indeed real.

Several of my former co-workers in the Five-Sided Center of Excellence are getting Friday-furloughed. MILSTAFF will cover until further notice.

We're welded to the pier until right before deployment (several months from now).

Even though the math is blatant, nobody has the balls to go after Entitlements. Until then, none of this even matters.

[GeneFrenkle]

I guess I'm thinking in very late 80's furlough terms that I went through. I stand corrected.

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[WRW]

If there is a lesson to be learned, it is that the federal government can not be trusted with as simple a task as balancing a checkbook.

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[allingeneral]

If there is a lesson to be learned, it is that the federal government can not be trusted with as simple a task as balancing a checkbook.

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The fact that it's been almost 4 years (FOUR YEARS!) since the last time Congress passed a budget may be a contributing factor.

[FiremanBob]

There is no reasonable comparison between the sequestration of 2008 and that of today. The Dems have been kicking this can down the road for 18 months purely as a craven political tactic to smear the Republicans in Congress.

It's time to rip away the veil of partisan narrative and see the situation for what it is. All of the stalling, stonewalling, and lying are coming from the Obama administration and the Dems in the Senate.