Some who know my history have asked me how I feel about the way federal employees are being treated recently. One day employed, the next foroughloed, laid off, or just dumped by the wayside. They know that my federal job was “reinvented” out of existence under the Clinton/ Gore Reinvention of Government in the ’90’s.
You should think twice before you ask me about this. It’s like the “Niagara Falls” comedy sketch. I turn, my hands clench, and I walk towards you. ” Slowly I turned …step by step…” I reach for your neck, and you begin to regret that you “triggered” me.
You should understand it was a career-ending event. Fifteen and a half years of work as a practicing anthropologist ended. The day after it was over, I began a new life. The Department of the Interior job was my last government employment.
The next day, I walked into my friend’s boatyard and returned to what I had done on the Cap’n’s boat years earlier – repair, painting, and scraping. Soon, I had a small business as a marine woodcarver going. And I swore never to work for any government again.
So yes. I look at what’s going on and get “triggered”. I had all the protections and benefits of the law, and it was still a traumatic event. Most of these people are not allowed to wind down, tie up loose ends, or even say goodbye. For many of them, it will be as it was for me, a career-ending event. What will come afterward will bear little relationship to what preceded.
At best, these types of things are unwieldy. The optimist viewing this from a far remove will view this and talk about how they will move on, grow and become reborn after a stultifying career as a government functionary.
To you I say F-Off! Slowly I turn…step by step… run jerk wad…run!
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I am furious over this, a really complicated fury since so many of these self-same gubmint employees voted in a way that turned out to cost them their jobs, out here, anyway. As for being summarily let go? Happened to me, too. My evil boss — the one that threw me up against the wall — couldn’t get rid of me unless he gave Business Communication classes to another department. The union wouldn’t help us. Five of us.
As many of the recent Town Meetings are showing in Republican led districts, people did not think through the effects of electing the current leadership, and what their policies might entail.
I have started to wonder if a free and fair election will be allowed in those districts. There is too much for the party in power to lose.
When straight-up propaganda is the driving force behind “decisions”? I could go off on this but I don’t want to. Vita brevis etc.
Lou, what happened to you then was shitty and I’m sorry you were treated like that. Martha too. I recall how federal work was a constant low-level battle for respect, and locking of horns with dopes from D.C. even when my position was not under threat. I was led on for years that as soon as my supervisor retired, I was a shoo-in for the position, but when he retired the position was eliminated. I quit the National Weather Service at that point and went to school.
I am furious too, since my federal pension is currently under DOGE control and most of my friends are still federal employees. They tell me about the constantly ridiculous emails they must endure, making clear they are not of value. The pure insult of having to list 5 things they did each week, supposedly to keep their jobs. Federal work is all public service, and it a makes a person not want to serve anymore. As you know, civil servants do not get rich.
Another thing that makes me furious is the people who don’t know any better, and still think it’s a good thing. My step-father saying, “All those government employees just sit around and drink coffee all day anyway, this is the right thing to do.” My half-brother saying, “G-d damned jerks at the USFS screwing up our forests for everyone, they deserve to all be fired. Shut that whole agency down!” It’s heartbreaking that they are so empassioned about something they know nothing about. It’s because they are being fed lies. And what can you and I do about it? Pretty much nothing. Except open up our mouths and write in our blogs. We can document the truth. Thank you for using your voice, Lou. Thank you for telling your painful story and the way it impacts you still, all these years later. We need to know.
Crystal, thank yo for your very insightful comments!!
With regard to all the criticism of public sector work, I noted that while working with teachers on public programs, their hardest assignment was teaching critical thinking skills. No critical thinking skills? You are likely to not be able to parse the processes and objectives of public service.
The Stooges left a mark on many of us. I had a cousin who was not allowed to watch them because he was twisting the noses of kids at school 🙂
Yup!
It is difficult to be the punchbag. My whole life, people have said that the public sector needs reform. So all these people are continually reforming. Seems thankless.
So many people who do the jobs do them because they intently believe that they are doing things in and for the public interest. That’s despite the abuse.
❤️❤️
We are of the same mind though I can’t resort to violence anywhere but in my dreams. I have not slept well for months. I stay on YouTube waiting for the news that it’s over and the healing can start. Slash and burn is not how you fix anything. They always hurt the people with the least to fall back on. The stress of what’s happening to my country has left me drained. Writing and sewing etc. are a struggle right now. A lot of my family have government jobs. SS, VA, etc. The other part of the family voted for this. And therein lies the extreme stress.
You are right the family splits are hard to deal with. In my family too.