Other feds just very depressed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, do depressed. I really need to get offline because seeing the vitriol directed at at feds by Elon and Vivek and others is making me crazy. I’ve been in an office for many, many years with incredibly smart people who work really hard - all lawyers - and most of the people at our client agency are really good too. The client has a few duds, sure, but I doubt any more than any large corporate organization.

I really like my job and I do work less than I would at a law firm for example, but I also make about 1/3 or less of law firm money so that seems like a pretty fair trade.

Most Americans - inc this new crew taking over DC - have absolutely no idea what federal employees do and the complexities of our jobs. I am quite sure there is waste in govt but I have no confidence that this crew is discerning enough or careful enough to figure out where it exists. They just want to burn it all down.

Seriously, get offline. I’ve stopped listening to any news, recycled the news sections of the paper this weekend (we get the Sunday times, so I kept the non-news parts) and have limited my online presence to just dcum and instagram. It definitely helps.

Also, try to go for a walk in the sunshine and do hobbies- I’ve been reading, sewing, and lifting weights. Again, it really helps. I figure I’ll reengage with the world at some point but not for awhile.

You are totally correct from a mental health perspective and I’m definitely trying to distract and disengage from news but for those of us that do actually need a paycheck I’m not sure keeping our heads totally in the sand is going to work you know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, do depressed. I really need to get offline because seeing the vitriol directed at at feds by Elon and Vivek and others is making me crazy. I’ve been in an office for many, many years with incredibly smart people who work really hard - all lawyers - and most of the people at our client agency are really good too. The client has a few duds, sure, but I doubt any more than any large corporate organization.

I really like my job and I do work less than I would at a law firm for example, but I also make about 1/3 or less of law firm money so that seems like a pretty fair trade.

Most Americans - inc this new crew taking over DC - have absolutely no idea what federal employees do and the complexities of our jobs. I am quite sure there is waste in govt but I have no confidence that this crew is discerning enough or careful enough to figure out where it exists. They just want to burn it all down.

Seriously, get offline. I’ve stopped listening to any news, recycled the news sections of the paper this weekend (we get the Sunday times, so I kept the non-news parts) and have limited my online presence to just dcum and instagram. It definitely helps.

Also, try to go for a walk in the sunshine and do hobbies- I’ve been reading, sewing, and lifting weights. Again, it really helps. I figure I’ll reengage with the world at some point but not for awhile.

You are totally correct from a mental health perspective and I’m definitely trying to distract and disengage from news but for those of us that do actually need a paycheck I’m not sure keeping our heads totally in the sand is going to work you know?

I’m not pp but I’ve taken a similar ostrich perspective.

The reality is we have no idea what will happen. Even what he says is not a good and reliable barometer of what he does. I think there’s two paths right now. Get out, in which case sure go full resume and start applying. Or wait and see. And for that it’s reasonable to assume that any large scale changes/firings would take years to execute and there is simply no reason to spend the next six months freaking out about every news article. What happens on the ground in agencies is not going to in the news before it’s in the rumor mill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, do depressed. I really need to get offline because seeing the vitriol directed at at feds by Elon and Vivek and others is making me crazy. I’ve been in an office for many, many years with incredibly smart people who work really hard - all lawyers - and most of the people at our client agency are really good too. The client has a few duds, sure, but I doubt any more than any large corporate organization.

I really like my job and I do work less than I would at a law firm for example, but I also make about 1/3 or less of law firm money so that seems like a pretty fair trade.

Most Americans - inc this new crew taking over DC - have absolutely no idea what federal employees do and the complexities of our jobs. I am quite sure there is waste in govt but I have no confidence that this crew is discerning enough or careful enough to figure out where it exists. They just want to burn it all down.

Seriously, get offline. I’ve stopped listening to any news, recycled the news sections of the paper this weekend (we get the Sunday times, so I kept the non-news parts) and have limited my online presence to just dcum and instagram. It definitely helps.

Also, try to go for a walk in the sunshine and do hobbies- I’ve been reading, sewing, and lifting weights. Again, it really helps. I figure I’ll reengage with the world at some point but not for awhile.

You are totally correct from a mental health perspective and I’m definitely trying to distract and disengage from news but for those of us that do actually need a paycheck I’m not sure keeping our heads totally in the sand is going to work you know?

I know what you mean and I'm torn between "can't look away" and trying to distract myself. But I think there's a difference between following and stewing over all this stuff, and preparing as a set of practical steps (emergency fund, updated resume, doctor's appointments, network with your non-fed acquaintances). I'm trying to minimize the former and do more of the latter.

That said, here I am on DCUM, bad idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Quick ways for the federal government to save money:

Establish a windfall elimination program for those receiving military disability benefits who are also gainfully employed. Stop the double dipping since almost everyone who has served in the military is some percentage disabled these days and those payments are huge.

Scrutinize SSDI and remove those off the program who are able to work. Too many rural areas rely on SSDI as income due to lack of opportunities but that’s not why that program exists.

Implement those two very controversial plans and the government could save trillions.

Those are really good ideas. I know plenty of veteran double dippers.

You do not have to be unemployed to get VA benefits, so they are not "double dipping." You do have to be unemployed to get Social Security disability before retirement age.

[Anonymous]

Save money, dust off resume.

[Anonymous]

How long do you think it will take for the cuts to start happening?

I love my job, work very hard, and always thought I would stay at my agency until retirement. I now face the prospect of losing my job in my late 50s... I can't afford to retire and know how hard it is to find a new job at my age.

It feels bleak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long do you think it will take for the cuts to start happening?

I love my job, work very hard, and always thought I would stay at my agency until retirement. I now face the prospect of losing my job in my late 50s... I can't afford to retire and know how hard it is to find a new job at my age.

It feels bleak.

Assuming that you have been at your agency for a while, if your agency has a RIF, you'll probably be in good shape to remain. Yes, if you're at the Education Department, you need to worry about them shutting it down entirely, but I'm not sure how that could even happen - so much of what the department does, like student loans, would need to be handled somewhere else. And it would take quite a few years to wind down. By that time, Dems could very well control the House and slow things down even more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How long do you think it will take for the cuts to start happening?

I love my job, work very hard, and always thought I would stay at my agency until retirement. I now face the prospect of losing my job in my late 50s... I can't afford to retire and know how hard it is to find a new job at my age.

It feels bleak.

It depends on the agency. Military, defense, and veterans will increase.

What makes you think your agency will have cuts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, do depressed. I really need to get offline because seeing the vitriol directed at at feds by Elon and Vivek and others is making me crazy. I’ve been in an office for many, many years with incredibly smart people who work really hard - all lawyers - and most of the people at our client agency are really good too. The client has a few duds, sure, but I doubt any more than any large corporate organization.

I really like my job and I do work less than I would at a law firm for example, but I also make about 1/3 or less of law firm money so that seems like a pretty fair trade.

Most Americans - inc this new crew taking over DC - have absolutely no idea what federal employees do and the complexities of our jobs. I am quite sure there is waste in govt but I have no confidence that this crew is discerning enough or careful enough to figure out where it exists. They just want to burn it all down.

Seriously, get offline. I’ve stopped listening to any news, recycled the news sections of the paper this weekend (we get the Sunday times, so I kept the non-news parts) and have limited my online presence to just dcum and instagram. It definitely helps.

Also, try to go for a walk in the sunshine and do hobbies- I’ve been reading, sewing, and lifting weights. Again, it really helps. I figure I’ll reengage with the world at some point but not for awhile.

You are totally correct from a mental health perspective and I’m definitely trying to distract and disengage from news but for those of us that do actually need a paycheck I’m not sure keeping our heads totally in the sand is going to work you know?

I’m not pp but I’ve taken a similar ostrich perspective.

The reality is we have no idea what will happen. Even what he says is not a good and reliable barometer of what he does. I think there’s two paths right now. Get out, in which case sure go full resume and start applying. Or wait and see. And for that it’s reasonable to assume that any large scale changes/firings would take years to execute and there is simply no reason to spend the next six months freaking out about every news article. What happens on the ground in agencies is not going to in the news before it’s in the rumor mill.

+1 I cannot worried 24/7 for something that may never happened. I have limited the amount of time that I spend reading the news, social media, even DCUM and I feel good.

[Anonymous]

Trump just announced his 10 pt plan on X (Trump war room) He plans to move 100k fed jobs out of DC area as soon as he takes office. Said it would happen immediately.

[Anonymous]

^^x link for above

https://x.com/trumpwarroom/status/1638237107310194717?s=61&t=xGYrzsuWzBB4yNhGVPkNpw

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trump just announced his 10 pt plan on X (Trump war room) He plans to move 100k fed jobs out of DC area as soon as he takes office. Said it would happen immediately.

That video is from his campaign launch nearly two years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump just announced his 10 pt plan on X (Trump war room) He plans to move 100k fed jobs out of DC area as soon as he takes office. Said it would happen immediately.

That video is from his campaign launch nearly two years ago.

Yes and he just won that campaign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump just announced his 10 pt plan on X (Trump war room) He plans to move 100k fed jobs out of DC area as soon as he takes office. Said it would happen immediately.

That video is from his campaign launch nearly two years ago.

Yes and he just won that campaign.

I recall that he followed through on every one of his 2016 campaign promises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trump just announced his 10 pt plan on X (Trump war room) He plans to move 100k fed jobs out of DC area as soon as he takes office. Said it would happen immediately.

lol, immediately?