The trough runs dry
The counterproductive drags on
the economy are worried that their days of feeding at the
federal rough are over:
Federal
workers nationwide are bracing for reductions in head counts, civil service
protections and salaries when President-elect Donald Trump and Congress turn
their attention to government spending later this year.
Trump, who ran on a promise to "drain the swamp," has identified hiring freezes at most federal agencies as a top priority for his early days in office. Republican lawmakers, many of whom have long advocated for reducing Washington's workforce, are looking to cut benefits and make it easier to fire poor performers.
The threats and preliminary steps taken by Congress have created anxiety for many of the government's 2.1 million employees.
"People don't know what to believe, and they're in a state of uneasiness," said Witold Skwierczynski, a Catonsville, Md., who heads the American Federation of Government Employees council that oversees Social Security Administration field offices. "That's the feeling I hear. People are unsettled."
Trump, who ran on a promise to "drain the swamp," has identified hiring freezes at most federal agencies as a top priority for his early days in office. Republican lawmakers, many of whom have long advocated for reducing Washington's workforce, are looking to cut benefits and make it easier to fire poor performers.
The threats and preliminary steps taken by Congress have created anxiety for many of the government's 2.1 million employees.
"People don't know what to believe, and they're in a state of uneasiness," said Witold Skwierczynski, a Catonsville, Md., who heads the American Federation of Government Employees council that oversees Social Security Administration field offices. "That's the feeling I hear. People are unsettled."
The God-Emperor Ascendant is
coming and his axe is sharp indeed. For once, an increase in the number of
unemployed Americans will be worth celebrating. But in the interest of fairness, every federal worker
being put out to pasture should be offered an employment opportunity. After
all, plenty of workers will be needed to BUILD THE WALL.