Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:17 pm Posts: 13551 Location: is a jerk in wyoming Gender: Female
I don't have a lot of knowledge about it other than what I've paid attention to on TV - which is very little to be frank about it - but it comes across - the entire situation of no one coming to any agreement so a bunch of mandatory cuts are going through instead etc - as a lot of partisan politics where neither side wants to give an inch, and no one cares about attempting to take actions that will be beneficial to the whole country. It's what I dislike most about politics, government, bureaucracy, whatever the right descriptor should be - I want our elected officials - all of them- to stop being rival gangs that fight for the sole purpose of fighting, and start - you know, governing. Go make a fucking difference in the country instead of allowing the mandatory cuts to take place which were only set up as a way to AVOID this kind of useless bickering.
Rather than risk Obama and other incumbents getting negative press, the Labor Dept went with this:
Legal notice “to employees of federal contractors, including in the defense industry, is not required 60 days in advance of Jan. 2, 2013, and would be inappropriate, given the lack of certainty about how the budget cuts will be implemented and the possibility that the sequester will be avoided before January”
In other words, don't warn people that government incompetence is about to cost them their jobs so close to an election. Wait until they are fucked, then tell them.
Rather than risk Obama and other incumbents getting negative press, the Labor Dept went with this:
Legal notice “to employees of federal contractors, including in the defense industry, is not required 60 days in advance of Jan. 2, 2013, and would be inappropriate, given the lack of certainty about how the budget cuts will be implemented and the possibility that the sequester will be avoided before January”
In other words, don't warn people that government incompetence is about to cost them their jobs so close to an election. Wait until they are fucked, then tell them.
Isn't this a legal requirement? Wouldn't they risk prosecution if they don't follow the legal protocols?
The idea of a statesman doing what is right because it is right unconcerned for ones position is truely dead.
If this actually happens, It may be time to have a little French Revolution revival in our nations capital.
Isn't this a legal requirement? Wouldn't they risk prosecution if they don't follow the legal protocols?
"You can't not comply with the law," Inhofe said on Tuesday. "Put yourself on the board of directors of Lockheed Martin. If they came out with a class-action suit of a thousand dollars per employee, that would be $120 million. You bet they're going to send out pink slips. And by the way, they don't have to wait until Nov. 2. They can send them out today if they want," - Sen. Jame Inhofe (R-Okla.)
Now I have no love lost for arms dealers, but lets not forget these cuts are split 50/50 between defense/domestic. This will be 1 million middle class jobs effected and billions in contract obligation lawsuits against the government and primary contractors.
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:42 pm Posts: 17495 Location: Surfside Beach, SC Gender: Male
It's just sickening to me that not only are all of these people losing their jobs, but the "administration" doesn't want to let those people know until after the election.
"Vote for me so I can f*ck you in the ass".
_________________ I remember thinking, "that's really gay". -- Cameronia
Shockingly, and I am shocked, the Obama White House missed the deadline on Friday set in the Sequestration Transparency Act (signed by Obama in August to show he was super-serious about fixing this) detailing how the first wave of federal cuts will be applied.
In case you think this is just bombs and tanks they are cutting, here's some of the effect on HHS:
• Cutting 100,000 children from its Head Start early education program.
• Cutting 12,150 patients from its AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
• Cutting 169,000 people from substance abuse treatment programs.
• Eliminate 2,300 new and competing research grants.
And Obama won't even detail the cuts so agencies can make plans to lessen the impact on those who depend on these programs. F**king election year politics.
broken iris, for the sake of avoiding further poisoning the virtuousness of our politics and the political process, couldn't you please be a touch less cynical?
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
broken iris wrote:
Shockingly, and I am shocked, the Obama White House missed the deadline on Friday set in the Sequestration Transparency Act (signed by Obama in August to show he was super-serious about fixing this) detailing how the first wave of federal cuts will be applied.
In case you think this is just bombs and tanks they are cutting, here's some of the effect on HHS:
• Cutting 100,000 children from its Head Start early education program.
• Cutting 12,150 patients from its AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
• Cutting 169,000 people from substance abuse treatment programs.
• Eliminate 2,300 new and competing research grants.
And Obama won't even detail the cuts so agencies can make plans to lessen the impact on those who depend on these programs. F**king election year politics.
I wonder if they've even made those decisions yet. Are these publicized cuts or are they estimates?
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Shockingly, and I am shocked, the Obama White House missed the deadline on Friday set in the Sequestration Transparency Act (signed by Obama in August to show he was super-serious about fixing this) detailing how the first wave of federal cuts will be applied.
In case you think this is just bombs and tanks they are cutting, here's some of the effect on HHS:
• Cutting 100,000 children from its Head Start early education program.
• Cutting 12,150 patients from its AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
• Cutting 169,000 people from substance abuse treatment programs.
• Eliminate 2,300 new and competing research grants.
And Obama won't even detail the cuts so agencies can make plans to lessen the impact on those who depend on these programs. F**king election year politics.
I wonder if they've even made those decisions yet. Are these publicized cuts or are they estimates?
These are from a letter that HHS Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources Ellen Murray sent at the request Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) detailing the 8% budget reduction's effect on the department. So they are estimates. According to Tom Harkin we would lose 15,000 teachers and aides and 10,000 special education workers based cuts to federal education funds (probably even less reliable estimates).
broken iris, for the sake of avoiding further poisoning the virtuousness of our politics and the political process, couldn't you please be a touch less cynical?
Living in the DC area, I know a lot of people who are really scared about what might happen. The cuts to federal spending have to made, I get that, but government should give people a chance to plan and protect their families. It's bullsh*t.
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
broken iris wrote:
thodoks wrote:
broken iris, for the sake of avoiding further poisoning the virtuousness of our politics and the political process, couldn't you please be a touch less cynical?
Living in the DC area, I know a lot of people who are really scared about what might happen. The cuts to federal spending have to made, I get that, but government should give people a chance to plan and protect their families. It's bullsh*t.
I'm not sure failing to release this is a political gesture, especially in a politicized city like DC where people are aware of what is going on. It enables the administration to make the 'see what government actually does' and 'are protecting tax cuts for the wealthy more important than these jobs.' If people know this is coming I'm not sure what failing to name names does politically. that's why I wonder if they are holding off to see if this can be avoided/haven't actually made the cuts yet.
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
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