Absolutely agree. My team was back to work the day after the COVID banishment ended. The site we staff, quite literally did not want any more than the bare minimum staff present - to avoid losing the entire manufacturing capabilities.
So, the team has been on-site for nearly 3 years. When you get back, you realize how much has changed (new manufacturing staff, new hires, lack of cross-training), but mostly the inter-personal relationships that form from daily interactions.
It can be argued that SW and HW Engineers can perform at home - which may be true; but they cannot train the next generation of new hires. There is sense of teamwork on a video chat. Some agencies work very well with each other, and showing up makes everything more productive.
Federal Workers are generally, given a choice on a 2 week pay cycle
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Straight 8 hour day 5 days a week- you get 8 hours leave on a Holiday
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Four 10 hour days a week - you get 8 hours leave on a Holiday
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Flex hours, you work out with your Supervisor your schedule - 8 hours for Holiday
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9/5/4 - You work 9 hour days M-Thurs, Fri is 8 hours, and every other Friday off. But Holidays you are only given 8 hours for Holiday, you make up that hour during your pay cycle.
Your choice, so work an extra hour, or burn vacation time to get 80 hours per pay cycle.
While I embrace what Pres. Trump is saying, does he have the authority to order the rank and file American?
If he can forbid barbaric medical procedures for minors with a stroke of a pen; then can the next president order vaccines?
Disney is cancer
- Killed Pixar
- Killed Star Wars Universe
- Killed Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Killed their own animation studios
- Killed their own Classics Collection
- Killing their parks
I cannot think of a single Disney success story, since Endgame
It may be like in some places; but it's not like that everywhere.
Those who work well together, welcome the audits. I welcome an inspection by DOGE - please, come and take a look. Please do.
There are Fed Employees who are happy with their job, who do dangerous work, and care deeply about our nation. Many are veterans, who know their work matters to our warfighters. Many take great pride in their work,
It's a shame we get painted with the same brush as other agencies, who bring shame on us all.
Instead of giving them $20-40K to resign; they are getting 8 months Administrative Leave - your AGENCY cannot compel you to do anything, except for "rare circumstances".
If you plan to retire during this time frame, it would be wise to take this, get Administrative Leave (and accumulate leave) with full benefits. Start retirement on Sept 29th - and then get reimbursed for all Annual Leave you have accumulated.
I can see this being a popular decision for those ready to retire soon. We will see what happens with those leaving the Fed Gov't and then coming back as a Contractor (generally part time, in my experience).
But 100% immunity, and you can't spread it, and if you still get it, it won't be as bad. Ok, 90% immunity and some people have strokes Ok 80% immunity and some people have heart attacks and strokes OK 50% immunity, and some people have heart attacks, strokes and neurological
But, we will throw in a free donut.
There are so many variables, that I am suggesting a slower transition. I expect automation to become much more prominent in the factories - including Optimus doing many repetitive operations (as well as home care, food prep, essentially replacing low skill and repetitive jobs).
As we produce more, and compete; the materials we do import (via tariffs), should decrease due to self-sufficiency. I would expect at some point a transition to export tariffs would also transition in - you are right, we are cutting a lot of gov't waste; but the Gov't has to be continuously fed. It's going to be interesting.
Corruption is very expensive to maintain.
Just like the Drug Cartels, paying off judges, politicians, police - and keeping your gangs flush with cash (to justify the risk) means that it's all a house of cards.
Starve them for money - and the wheels are coming off that wagon.
Then, the Mexican Civil War - for decades people have been kept in fear, forced to support corrupt politicians. When the wheels come off; there are going to be millions of very pissed off Mexicans, no unafraid to let their voices heard.
it's going to be messy, brutal and extremely violent.
Capitalism is the engine that will drive everything. We can make cars in the USA cheaper than made elsewhere. Volume production results in lower prices.
While people are paying REDUCED taxes, you employ more people. Like I said, it's going to be a balancing act as we transition from an income tax, to lower taxes and Gov't funding via tariffs.
Nobody knows for certain what is coming, or where the new equilibrium will be - so I would rather a soft landing, over a hard landing.
At first, the US consumer. Then, as US manufacturing, oil production, energy production ramps up - American goods will be in direct competition with overseas - and being a US produced good, will be exempt from the tariff.
Then, US goods will be cheaper than imported. It's not a solution solved overnight.
Fair question. Say tax rate is 22%, and we have an idea after a month or so of what tariff income is, then tax rate drops to ~15%, then a quarter later we see oil, and production increasing. Drop taxes to ~10% Review data, and adjust. It's going to balance out at whatever the new equilibrium point well be. Eventually, taxes will be zero, as manufacturing increases.
Just like dieting - you make minor changes - you don't go on a starvation diet right off the bat.
Why not get a stable income from tariffs, and then reduce the taxes? As manufacturing comes back, tariff income will grow - and our Fed taxes would fall. This is going to rebalance the economy.
Dramatically changing things, without any attempt to control things - is like jumping on the bathroom scale. Everything will fluctuate wildly.
If only those French possessed the internet, and the brains to look up history.
We BOUGHT the US Virgin Islands back in 1913 for $25M.
Odds are very likely that Greenland would either be purchased from Denmark; or there would be a 2 step process.
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Greenland votes (~50,000 population) to declare independence from Denmark
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Greenland votes to merge with the United States
Greenland is a self-governed country, and frankly Denmark hasn't done squat for them. The interest in joining the USA are not insignificant.
Because, during the investigation phase - they are innocent until proven guilty. So, they are placed in paid leave, all access to buildings, networks, computers is suspended.
Then, they will be fired, after the investigation of insubordination - I suspect that the 60 days is at the maximum side, I suspect that it will be much closer to 30 days (I may be wrong, but it's important to "dot the 'I's and cross the 't's" on every detail. We don't want a judge to have grounds to reverse the CinC - they all made a decision to commit insubordination. Now they can enjoy the fruits of their labor.
I can't help myself from going tangential.
When I lived in Austin, TX- there was a morning DJ that was hilarious. During the whole Jeffrey Dahmer incident, he managed to call the HR department of Froneri, which owns the Eskimo Pie brand. This was where Dahmer worked, prior to being arrested.
While asking general "reporter questions" he managed to sneak in "exactly how many Eskimos are in an Eskimo pie?"
Not a surprise, they hung up on him .... but that was funny.
Then there are groups that welcome an audit. Please, compare my team against other teams - so we can staff up, gear up and do more.