U.S. government shutdown drags into fourth week amid stalemate

[wayned]

TSA workers could end the shutdown real fast!  They should all go on strike and not report to work, any of them, and see how fast DT will sign a bill to reopen the government when all of the country's airports are closed.  Maybe the Air traffic controllers should join in also and see what he does if Air Force One is grounded.  What have they got to loose, they are not being paid anyway and there is nobody to step in to replace them!

[Katia]

Well, getting fired, especially by the federal government, is still considered a black mark on your resume, and especially if it's for refusing to go to work.

 

(I have a coworker who pointed out that Border Patrol should all walk off the job and see where we stand then... that one would be interesting.) 

[Tug]

Ahhh I don’t think you can be forced to work without pay there’s a name for that hummm let me think oh yes I have it it’s called slavery

[DM07]

On 1/15/2019 at 3:37 PM, Srinivas said:

Just shows the nation functions just fine without a bloated bureaucracy.

US needs to trim some fat.

Small gov for essential services, low taxes.

Yeah...and all the people, who loose their government - job, could work in the booming coal- industry!

...oh...wait...

[wayned]

18 minutes ago, Katia said:

Well, getting fired, especially by the federal government, is still considered a black mark on your resume, and especially if it's for refusing to go to work.

 

(I have a coworker who pointed out that Border Patrol should all walk off the job and see where we stand then... that one would be interesting.) 

They wouldn't be fired, who would they hire to replace them if the only offer was we might pay you $X sometime in the future when Trump stops his tantrum.   Now they are recalling 46000 IRS workers who have been furloughed to work without pay so they are no longer eligible for unemployment.  They should do the same thing.  In addition nobody is saying anything about the couple of million contract employees and private businesses that are suffering because of his crap! DT is a psychopath that cares absolutely nothing about anybody but himself!  It's time that someone really stuck it to him!

[wayned]

57 minutes ago, Katia said:

have a coworker who pointed out that Border Patrol should all walk off the job and see where we stand then... that one would be interesting.) 

What about the secret service?  The entire workforce that is being forced to work without pay due to DT's tantrum should go home and stay there until the government reopens and their back pay is deposited into their accounts!

[Patriot1066]

On 1/15/2019 at 3:37 PM, Srinivas said:

Just shows the nation functions just fine without a bloated bureaucracy.

US needs to trim some fat.

Small gov for essential services, low taxes.

He will soon have saved enough for the wall by simply cutting down on waste! 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/16/state-of-union-pelosi-asks-trump-delay

 

Interesting Pelosi who in no small part had a hand in the dems unreasonable funding restrictions wants the president not to complete the State if the Union address because he has bravely stood firm on what the voters voted for. A Wall.

 

He is though supporting great American brands and not letting the shut down affect the running of the Whitehouse. Fantastic and clever!

 

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1072425/donald-Trump-us-news-government-shutdown-stops-catering-donald-trump-mcdonalds-white-house

 

Trump will persevere until he wins next time!

[Katia]

1 hour ago, wayned said:

They wouldn't be fired, who would they hire to replace them if the only offer was we might pay you $X sometime in the future when Trump stops his tantrum.   Now they are recalling 46000 IRS workers who have been furloughed to work without pay so they are no longer eligible for unemployment.  They should do the same thing.  In addition nobody is saying anything about the couple of million contract employees and private businesses that are suffering because of his crap! DT is a psychopath that cares absolutely nothing about anybody but himself!  It's time that someone really stuck it to him!

Do you think he'd have any qualms about firing them all?  Remember, this is the guy who likes to fly off the handle without thinking.

[mtls2005]

6 minutes ago, Patriot1066 said:

He will soon have saved enough for the wall by simply cutting down on waste! 

 

This makes about as much sense as the GoFundMe campaign.

 

Don't hear too many crowing about how successful that was going to be?

[Katia]

1 minute ago, mtls2005 said:

 

This makes about as much sense as the GoFundMe campaign.

 

Don't hear too many crowing about how successful that was going to be?

Somebody told me he tweeted that he could pay for the wall using federal employees' salaries... did he really?

[bristolboy]

2 minutes ago, Patriot1066 said:

 

 

Interesting Pelosi who in no small part had a hand in the dems unreasonable funding restrictions wants the president not to complete the State if the Union address because he has bravely stood firm on what the voters voted for. A Wall.

 

Trump staked the midterms on the threat posed by illegal immigrants. That didn't turn out too well for him, did it?

[Thakkar]

1 hour ago, wayned said:

They wouldn't be fired, who would they hire to replace them if the only offer was we might pay you $X sometime in the future when Trump stops his tantrum.   Now they are recalling 46000 IRS workers who have been furloughed to work without pay so they are no longer eligible for unemployment.  They should do the same thing.  In addition nobody is saying anything about the couple of million contract employees and private businesses that are suffering because of his crap! DT is a psychopath that cares absolutely nothing about anybody but himself!  It's time that someone really stuck it to him!

When you think of all that Trump has done:

Shut down the government.

Divided Americans against Americans.

Alienated close neighbors.

Alienated allies.

Insulted friendly world leaders.

Given unaffordable tax breaks to people who don’t need it.

Hindered investigations into Russian election interference.

Withdrawn US from international agreements that were initiated BY US.

Taken away healthcare from citizens.

Initiated trade wars that weaken the economy.

Made US mistrusted by friends and allies, thus isolating The US.

Exacerbated racial tensions within the country.

Tanked the stock market.

Further ballooned the deficit.

Weakend environmental protections.

Further reduced trust in government.

Made allies reluctant to share intelligence by disclosing secrets to adversary.

Attacked and denigrated independent news media, a lynchpin of American democracy.

etc

 

...you’d think he wakes up every morning thinking: “What would Putin want?” And proceeds accordingly.

 

 

[wayned]

40 minutes ago, Katia said:

Do you think he'd have any qualms about firing them all?  Remember, this is the guy who likes to fly off the handle without thinking.

No, he wouldn't, but if he tried I think that the GOP would finally grow some gonads and put a stop to this!

 

Just think about what would happen if he did, all US airports would remain closed because there was no security and no air traffic controllers.  Not exactly people that you can find to replace them at the local homeless shelter especially since you don't intend to pay them.  I'm surprised someone hasn't thought about this solution yet!  Talk about digging a hole and pulling the dirt in after you jumped in!

[Cryingdick]

2 hours ago, wayned said:

TSA workers could end the shutdown real fast!  They should all go on strike and not report to work, any of them, and see how fast DT will sign a bill to reopen the government when all of the country's airports are closed.  Maybe the Air traffic controllers should join in also and see what he does if Air Force One is grounded.  What have they got to loose, they are not being paid anyway and there is nobody to step in to replace them!

If you want to see how fast most red state conservatives care you are going to lose. Most people around here aren't feeling the pain. 

[Cryingdick]

53 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Trump staked the midterms on the threat posed by illegal immigrants. That didn't turn out too well for him, did it?

 

If anybody knew the answer they would be rich wouldn't they? 

[wayned]

9 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

If you want to see how fast most red state conservatives care you are going to lose. Most people around here aren't feeling the pain. 

I don't know where "here" is but if the all US airports and airspace was closed down, it would be a large laxative  for the  "red state" to  find a toilet!

[Berkshire]

More Trump embarrassing himself with his stupidity.  Wheels?  Walls?  Somebody make it stop!

 

 

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, Cryingdick said:

 

If anybody knew the answer they would be rich wouldn't they? 

Well, there was something called an election. The Republicans ran on the immigration issue and go badly beaten up. I guess to you that signifies "who knows" And this despite the fact of a strong economy. And the fact that polling data correlated nicely with the election results and even Fox News showed that most Americans don't consider illegal immigration an emergency. Of course, it's clear that it's not so much the border situation as that the majority of Americans really really don't like Trump.

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, Cryingdick said:

If you want to see how fast most red state conservatives care you are going to lose. Most people around here aren't feeling the pain. 

The official Cryingdick poll. 

[zydeco]

On 1/15/2019 at 5:02 PM, Berkshire said:

Geez man, get educated already.  This shutdown will cost taxpayers billions. 

Not if the furloughed are RIFed.

[zydeco]

12 hours ago, Credo said:

So, he has a list of political enemies from each affected department?   He's going to target them?   These are by and large ordinary working people, not policy makers.   According to Trump they support him!

No, you cannot RIF targetted individuals. You can, however, go through the RIF process and take people out by veteran status, length of service, and then, lastly, of course, job performance.

[bristolboy]

1 minute ago, zydeco said:

Not if the furloughed are RIFed.

Right, they're going to do a mass RIF. Somebody (ies) got a bee in their bonnet. And a disinclination to use Google.

Furloughed feds won’t be RIFed if government shutdown extends past 30 days, OMB says

"Agencies won’t need to consider targeted layoffs, otherwise known as reductions-in-force (RIFs), if the current partial government shutdown continues for another few days.

While federal statute typically instructs agencies to RIF targeted groups of employees who have been placed on furlough status for 30 days or more, the regulations don’t apply to emergency furlough situations, the Office of Management and Budget confirmed Tuesday."

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/government-shutdown/2019/01/furloughed-feds-wont-be-rifed-if-government-shutdown-extends-past-30-days-omb-says/

[zydeco]

12 hours ago, Srinivas said:

Well Im saying it's a possibility with shutdown furloughs. There are people that work against new administrations like in doj by draggin their feet to process requests for documents etc.

 

Fed employees are difficult to fire but procedures for long furloughs allow for select people to be called back to work, while some may be let go. Usually under budget reasons so im not sure about current situation. its called RIF procedure.

 

 

Cannot pick and choose. There is a process. Veterans have first priority, length of service is second, and last in the determination of who goes is job performance. Of course, entire departments could go, such as Education, Commerce, HUD, Energy, HHS.

[wayned]

Guarantee that if all TSA and ATC went on strike and refused to work the shutdown would be over in a very short time!

[Berkshire]

3 minutes ago, wayned said:

Guarantee that if all TSA and ATC went on strike and refused to work the shutdown would be over in a very short time!

I'm not sure if the ATCs want to mention the word "strike," in light of what happened in the Reagan years....

 

[Reagan fires 11,000 striking air traffic controllers Aug. 5, 1981]

 

https://www.politico.com/story/2008/08/reagan-fires-11-000-striking-air-traffic-controllers-aug-5-1981-012292

 

Perhaps they can all call in sick.

[Srinivas]

3 hours ago, zydeco said:

Cannot pick and choose. There is a process. Veterans have first priority, length of service is second, and last in the determination of who goes is job performance. Of course, entire departments could go, such as Education, Commerce, HUD, Energy, HHS.

Maybe entire depts is the plan, especially SES of which the   2/3 are Obama hires

and the other 1/3 would have a longer length of service.

 

https://www.govexec.com/management/2016/12/nearly-70-percent-ses-will-experience-their-first-presidential-transition-senior-executives-trump/134024/

 

[bristolboy]

5 minutes ago, Srinivas said:

Maybe entire depts is the plan, especially SES of which the   2/3 are Obama hires

and the other 1/3 would have a longer length of service.

 

https://www.govexec.com/management/2016/12/nearly-70-percent-ses-will-experience-their-first-presidential-transition-senior-executives-trump/134024/

 

Not so. 2/3 were Obama hires. The number is probably considerably lower now if past experience is any indication. This is from the very same article. It's good to read past the headlines.

"But the fact that most current senior executives will mark January 2017 as their inaugural presidential transition at the SES level is neither cause for concern, nor even that unusual, said current and former SESers, as well as those familiar with the process. According to OPM, 65.8 percent of the SES in 2007 and 2008 had not been through a presidential transition as senior executives before Obama took office.

“We are transitioning all the time, whether it’s the [presidential] transition or not,” said Jason Briefel, legislative director at the Senior Executives Association."

 

[Srinivas]

6 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

It's good to read past the headlines.

"But the fact that most current senior executives will mark According to OPM, 65.8 percent of the SES in 2007 and 2008 had not been through a presidential transition as senior executives before Obama took office.

“We are transitioning all the time, whether it’s the [presidential] transition or not,” said Jason Briefel, legislative director at the Senior Executives Association."

 

Even better if you have reading comprehension. Slow down Bboy I was not commenting on who had transition experience.????

just stating that SES COULD be wrecked by Trump vis RIF as 2016 article states

"The bulk of the current career Senior Executive Service – composed of roughly 7,000 individuals across the executive branch – were appointed to the SES during the past seven years during the Obama administration"

[bristolboy]

18 minutes ago, Srinivas said:

Even better if you have reading comprehension. Slow down Bboy I was not commenting on who had transition experience.????

just stating that SES COULD be wrecked by Trump vis RIF as 2016 article states

"The bulk of the current career Senior Executive Service – composed of roughly 7,000 individuals across the executive branch – were appointed to the SES during the past seven years during the Obama administration"

Or maybe you should read again what you wrote. Here is it for your edification:

"Maybe entire depts is the plan, especially SES of which the   2/3 are Obama hires

and the other 1/3 would have a longer length of service."

You'll notice you used the present tense. "2/3 are Obama hires". Not were Obama hires as of jan 20, 2017.

[Srinivas]

27 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Or maybe you should read again what you wrote. Here is it for your edification:

"Maybe entire depts is the plan, especially SES of which the   2/3 are Obama hires

and the other 1/3 would have a longer length of service."

You'll notice you used the present tense. "2/3 are Obama hires". Not were Obama hires as of jan 20, 2017.

 

27 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Or maybe you should read again what you wrote. Here is it for your edification:

"Maybe entire depts is the plan, especially SES of which the   2/3 are Obama hires

and the other 1/3 would have a longer length of service."

You'll notice you used the present tense. "2/3 are Obama hires". Not were Obama hires as of jan 20, 2017.

If bulk of SES were Obama hires  as of Dec. 2016 when article was written,

then they would still be Obama hires a month later on inauguration day of Jan.20 2017.

like I said slow down.