Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With 7 of the 12 richest counties in the US surrounding DC, Trump should work on decentralizing this vulgar concentration of bureaucrat wealth by moving federal agencies to the middle of the country. Example: Dept. of Education to Betsy Devos's hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. That alone would lock up Michigan as a red state in 2020.

The agencies can slash bloat and wages in the process (lower cost of living in flyover country), it would be a boom for non-coastal economies, and policies would likely better reflect real America versus insulated coastal elite outlook.

And what would this cost? I mean, the government already has buildings and infrastructure in place. What will it cost to replicate?

The government just rents from someone elsewhere.

--a fed in the flyover country (well, sort of)

Most government offices are in GSA facilities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With 7 of the 12 richest counties in the US surrounding DC, Trump should work on decentralizing this vulgar concentration of bureaucrat wealth by moving federal agencies to the middle of the country. Example: Dept. of Education to Betsy Devos's hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. That alone would lock up Michigan as a red state in 2020.

The agencies can slash bloat and wages in the process (lower cost of living in flyover country), it would be a boom for non-coastal economies, and policies would likely better reflect real America versus insulated coastal elite outlook.

And what would this cost? I mean, the government already has buildings and infrastructure in place. What will it cost to replicate?

The government just rents from someone elsewhere.

--a fed in the flyover country (well, sort of)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Moving the federal government out of DC and scattering it randomly across flyover country would make it even more dysfunctional and inefficient than it is now. Guaranteed.

Though, that's what some Republicans seem to want.

Lol @ even more dysfunctional. You mean more dysfunctional than the Pentagon WASTING $125 BILLION per year? Tens of thousands of contractors at $180K to $210K. Time to spread the wealth. DC is too fat.

I love a good socialist! Hear hear!

Serious question: why don't the flyover states try getting tech start ups? It would be far easier and better to lure high tech college kids with cheap living and creating a diverse workforce than it would to lure government contractors, who are leaving.

There are plenty of tech startups in flyover states. There is plenty of talent in flyover states, too. Do you seriously think that flyover states are all cornfields and coal mines?

Anonymous wrote:Moving the federal government out of DC and scattering it randomly across flyover country would make it even more dysfunctional and inefficient than it is now. Guaranteed.

Though, that's what some Republicans seem to want.

Lol @ even more dysfunctional. You mean more dysfunctional than the Pentagon WASTING $125 BILLION per year? Tens of thousands of contractors at $180K to $210K. Time to spread the wealth. DC is too fat.

Anonymous wrote:With 7 of the 12 richest counties in the US surrounding DC, Trump should work on decentralizing this vulgar concentration of bureaucrat wealth by moving federal agencies to the middle of the country. Example: Dept. of Education to Betsy Devos's hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. That alone would lock up Michigan as a red state in 2020.

The agencies can slash bloat and wages in the process (lower cost of living in flyover country), it would be a boom for non-coastal economies, and policies would likely better reflect real America versus insulated coastal elite outlook.

Bureaucratic wealth?! Yes, those Feds are making bank. RFLMAO.

Serious question: why don't the flyover states try getting tech start ups? It would be far easier and better to lure high tech college kids with cheap living and creating a diverse workforce than it would to lure government contractors, who are leaving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With 7 of the 12 richest counties in the US surrounding DC, Trump should work on decentralizing this vulgar concentration of bureaucrat wealth by moving federal agencies to the middle of the country. Example: Dept. of Education to Betsy Devos's hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. That alone would lock up Michigan as a red state in 2020.

The agencies can slash bloat and wages in the process (lower cost of living in flyover country), it would be a boom for non-coastal economies, and policies would likely better reflect real America versus insulated coastal elite outlook.

or maybe Michigan would become solidly blue, with all these highly educated, liberal leaning fed workers moving to the state.

I assume you are being sarcastic, but the sad truth is that a lot of people in depressed areas in flyover country cannot work for federal agencies not because the agencies are in DC, but because they lack the education. the USPTO has actually opened satellite offices in other areas, and thousands of trademark or patent attorneys telework from anywhere in the US already, but in order to work there you need to be a patent or trademark attorney, not an unemployed coal miner....

The FBI could be moved and plenty of talent could be found. You take one extreme example and paint the rest of the gov. Absurd

The FBI already has field offices outside of DC. I believe the majority of the government staff - like 85% is already outside of DC

Move the FBI headquarters they are only looking at DMV area. Treasury direct is based in Parkersburg West Virginia Really helps that area

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/digger/wp/2016/10/24/fbi-headquarters-decision-delayed-until-next-year/?client=safari

The Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which runs Treasury Direct, is based in Washington DC. They have one of their 5 regional centers in Parkersburg, WV. This is the exact same DC headquarters and regional field structure that most of the rest of the government has, including th FBI. Moving headquarters outside of DC makes no sense for organizational purposes, but of course they should have field offices, like they do right now.

Stop with all of your facts and logic! Sad!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better question would be why the people in Michigan, etc. feel they are "entitled" to Federal jobs. The D.C. area has an educated workforce. Federal careers aren't a welfare program. Any attempt to redistribute our Fed agencies should be called out as a redistribution of wealth.

The federal "swamp" built this. This place was a dump 25 years ago. Now it's just vulgar compared to the rest of the country. 7 of the richest dozen counties! No wonder all the agencies are out of touch and useless.

If Michigan became part of Canada know one would care.

haha - though I think all of the blue states would rather annex with Canada and let the red welfare states survive on their own.

Speak for yourself. I'm always a Michigander at heart even if I don't live there anymore, and if any annexing is going to happen it will be the US annexing Canada. We've had a plan since HS for this. We'd simply march in during the Stanley Cup Finals when all of Canada is drunk and otherwise occupied. It would be quite peaceful, actually For obvious reasons, we may leave Quebec alone.

I want to be annexed by Canada where they believe in science and have government healthcare.

What's stopping you?

Ah, Trump thought. Re-read and ponder why PP has not annexed Michigan.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better question would be why the people in Michigan, etc. feel they are "entitled" to Federal jobs. The D.C. area has an educated workforce. Federal careers aren't a welfare program. Any attempt to redistribute our Fed agencies should be called out as a redistribution of wealth.

The federal "swamp" built this. This place was a dump 25 years ago. Now it's just vulgar compared to the rest of the country. 7 of the richest dozen counties! No wonder all the agencies are out of touch and useless.

If Michigan became part of Canada know one would care.

haha - though I think all of the blue states would rather annex with Canada and let the red welfare states survive on their own.

Speak for yourself. I'm always a Michigander at heart even if I don't live there anymore, and if any annexing is going to happen it will be the US annexing Canada. We've had a plan since HS for this. We'd simply march in during the Stanley Cup Finals when all of Canada is drunk and otherwise occupied. It would be quite peaceful, actually For obvious reasons, we may leave Quebec alone.

I want to be annexed by Canada where they believe in science and have government healthcare.

What's stopping you?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With 7 of the 12 richest counties in the US surrounding DC, Trump should work on decentralizing this vulgar concentration of bureaucrat wealth by moving federal agencies to the middle of the country. Example: Dept. of Education to Betsy Devos's hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. That alone would lock up Michigan as a red state in 2020.

The agencies can slash bloat and wages in the process (lower cost of living in flyover country), it would be a boom for non-coastal economies, and policies would likely better reflect real America versus insulated coastal elite outlook.

And what would this cost? I mean, the government already has buildings and infrastructure in place. What will it cost to replicate?

How much is it costing to buy land in NOVA for all these agencies outgrowing their inner-beltway properties and building new places? Land is much cheaper in Oklahoma than DMV region.

Federal employee and puzzled. I do very specialized legal work for for SSA. Complex administrative regulatory stuff. It takes two years to train an experienced attorney without an SSA background to do the job without supervision of some sort-- and a couple more to be truly competent. Most of our employees, including AlJs, are in our field offices and hearing offices all over the country. And we are right now having significant problems finding qualified ALJs for hearing offices in many areas. Significant enough that they just reopened the ALJ register and are actively recruiting.

But, the appellate and Court legal staff -- more than 500 people-- are Baltimore or D.C. based. A significant number are already retirement eligible. The younger ones have kids and schools and non-fed spouses with jobs. I don't know anyone who would pick up and move.

So after we all choose not to go to BF nowhere, who, exactly, does our jobs? And while you answer that, keep in mind that we are on a one year backlog. Making progress, but still a huge backlog. While new people are being trained by people who aren't there to,train them, it becomes a 3 year backlog. And the people who are screwed are people who need SSI and retire,ent to survive-- Trump voters.

OpP-- your plan doesn't work, because folks will not move. And many jobs are highly skilled and technical. It's not just having an education. It's having the right education and experience, and then on the job learning.

Moving the federal government out of DC and scattering it randomly across flyover country would make it even more dysfunctional and inefficient than it is now. Guaranteed.

Though, that's what some Republicans seem to want.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better question would be why the people in Michigan, etc. feel they are "entitled" to Federal jobs. The D.C. area has an educated workforce. Federal careers aren't a welfare program. Any attempt to redistribute our Fed agencies should be called out as a redistribution of wealth.

The federal "swamp" built this. This place was a dump 25 years ago. Now it's just vulgar compared to the rest of the country. 7 of the richest dozen counties! No wonder all the agencies are out of touch and useless.

If Michigan became part of Canada know one would care.

haha - though I think all of the blue states would rather annex with Canada and let the red welfare states survive on their own.

Speak for yourself. I'm always a Michigander at heart even if I don't live there anymore, and if any annexing is going to happen it will be the US annexing Canada. We've had a plan since HS for this. We'd simply march in during the Stanley Cup Finals when all of Canada is drunk and otherwise occupied. It would be quite peaceful, actually For obvious reasons, we may leave Quebec alone.

I want to be annexed by Canada where they believe in science and have government healthcare.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every fed on this board bitches and moans about going to the office and that everyone should telework from home because going in in so 1990s. Until the prospect of moving the agencies crops up. Now everyone needs to be together because there is sooooooo much interaction.

I guess telework isn't practical and those of you who do are fleecing the taxpayer and really ought to be canned.

Hot take. +1

So we should be punished with a move to the rust belt? I do not understand the logic. Telework actually does work in many situations. I love it as it is the only day where I can sit and focus on producing work, rather than getting pulled into meetings and having people swing by ask ask questions on stuff (also work, but I also need to do stuff like write and do budgets that requires longer term focus)

Didn't say only the Midwest. Just anywhere but DC-VA. It's a coastal elite echo chamber bubble. People here don't understand what he rest of the country is like. And there's too much tax payer funded wealth concentrated here. It's out of control -- last 20 years especially.

Many of us that live in DC grew up in these areas and left them for a reason. I travel back over holidays and summer for the obligatory family visits, and am always reminded why I do not live there and why I do not want to go back.

I would be OK with the DC government moving to Boston, Seattle, Portland or other urban areas. Maybe even Chicago. Not flyover, seen it, done it, over it.

You were an economic migrant to this area. If you had no choice you would become an economic migrant back

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better question would be why the people in Michigan, etc. feel they are "entitled" to Federal jobs. The D.C. area has an educated workforce. Federal careers aren't a welfare program. Any attempt to redistribute our Fed agencies should be called out as a redistribution of wealth.

The federal "swamp" built this. This place was a dump 25 years ago. Now it's just vulgar compared to the rest of the country. 7 of the richest dozen counties! No wonder all the agencies are out of touch and useless.

If Michigan became part of Canada know one would care.

I know one who would care