sasywtch, I agree those things will be heard from the general public. No big surprise. Federal employees aren't a popular favorite. I, along with some other posters here, was just surprised to hear it from YOU, one who would seemingly understand.
I didn't "get" that you were playing some sort of devil's advocate game. Your demonstration of no sympathy was successful I guess.
I don't actually think most here are LOOKING for sympathy, we're trying to discuss the reality of the situation. The focus then changed to having to defend ourselves!
Yep, I think you took my post wrong. To be honest, being furloughed is second nature to us now and we've learned to live with it. We are the government's ping pong ball. I was being honest though, time to buckle up and start cutting where you can. I found that the government, once they find out the public supports them, tend to do it again.
My work is awful and has been for quite sometime. I will admit though, our enforcement side does get the money and staff to ensure public safety. Our side, we had 30 employees, down to 20. I am normally at 4-6 weeks time period, right now I am working things that came in November 1, 2012 : )
I was just called an imbacile (?sp) idiot. We have people who paid their renewals and need it processed by the 1st so they can work but our one cashier (out of 3 that should be there) is working on monies that came in February 6. We all have to take turns answering the main phones one day a week which doesn't sound bad but now that's more time behind in your own work. It's honestly depressing going to work anymore. You're continually yelled at, berated, called names because after all, they pay my salary (according to them).
When we were furloughed 3 days a month, the cafes and stores downtown and those around where I work were very fearful of losing their businesses. They started laying people off, cutting their hours, closed on Fridays. Probably what I meant was, what you are going through now, we went through 5 years and to an extent, still going through. We were hoping since we were a self supporting agency, we would be exempt but we weren't. However, the legislature's office staff didn't get furloughed. Amazing, isn't it? They are state workers. I think they did 1 day finally when the backlash hit.
I can't tell you how many times I was told "you should be glad you still have a job". What was I suppose to say to that? I did say I was glad because I was. I was a single parent with one income and an ex who didn't pay the last few years of child support so it was just me. (due to the child support thread: my ex was in an auto accident, had seizures so no work for 2 years= no child support those 2 years).
Hope that explains it. I'm not being cold, just been there, done that and tired of being the government's ping pong ball.
but I don't understand how a 2.3% cut in the rate of growth, $85 Billion in a $3600 Billion (or $3.6 Trillion) budget can impact that painfully, if the powers that be at each agency looked at other items in the budget to cut, rather than current employees. The federal budget has grown by 40% since the 2007 FY budget, but I don't see how services have increased, especially since the Iraq War is out of the picture. How many of us have seen our own budgets increase by 40% over 6 years?
