The Week in Comments: Climate change, waste and shutdown... averted
The best in reader reaction to recent articles.
A roundup of some of the comments received this week in the GovExec.com Mailbag. All comments are presented in their original, unedited form.
On Benefits would continue to flow for furloughed employees
Bring it on - I'll take the month off or more provided my retirement and insurance are not impacted. I'll replace my fed income with private income, not a problem, or take a long vacation with my savings. I only work for the retirement package anyhow. Oh and thank you tax payers, gotta luv it!
Tom, I'm glad that you can weather this so easily. More than a few of us can't. I have a signature loan from having taken a loss on our last house from a mandatory move. My wife is a contractor -- we have to hope that her job will keep a paycheck coming in to cover the rent.
It would appear that some members of Congress see federal employees as faceless pawns. If they shut us down, then the next day every employee that can should march on Capital Hill and stay there until they do what they should have done last September - Let them look in our faces and tell us we're expendable so we can know whose opponents we need to send money in the 2012 elections.
On Inspector general backs NOAA in climate-change dispute
There is no mountain of evidence that will persuade Mr. Inhofe that global warming is real.
This article is very characteristic of many articles I have seen defending "man-made global warming." Where are the comments from the thousands of scientists that dispute the conclusion that the earth is warming due to human activity? These are intelligent, experienced, and educated men and women who are telling us a very different story...but since their conclusions do not fit the political paradigm of the liberal/progressive thought, they are ignored and ridiculed.
This is an issue of facts, not beliefs. If you think there are "thousands" of scientists that don't believe the evidence, name them, present THEIR peer-reviewed evidence, and document who paid them. The IPCC and all their peer-reviewed evidence are on the public record. The physics of nature do not bend to the economics of corporations - or to the politics of special interests. Delay in addressing Global Climate Change will only drive up the costs of doing something and may even result in our own extinction. But maybe that's what we deserve for our ignorant behavior on this and other environmental issues.
On NTEU bemoans lack of information on possible shutdown
Unions...LOL...time for them to go. The need for them went out in the 1950's. Airlines and autos went bankrupt...now the unions want to do the same for taxpayers.
Can't speak for all of DoD, but when the issue was raised at my command (75% civilian) we were told a shutdown wouldn't occur so don't worry. I argued that as supportive as our CG is, this may not be within his power to stop. We simply wanted to know if we were designated essential or not - but the answer was repeatedly "there will be no shutdown".
Congress claims that Fed workforce is not up to snuff, but as this article shows, often it's the managers and politicals that are seriously deficient in discharging their duties professionally. And shame on the Dem majority in last Congress for not being serious about passing appropriations bills and sending to the President by September 30, 2010.
Just keep antacids handy and it will all work itself out.
On Subcommittee finds GSA public relations contract wasteful
This is one of the reasons we are in such financial problems. The amount of money wasted in the federal government would probably pay off the national deficit. Instead of cutting salaries and laying people off why don't we cut waste.
Allowed the vendor to write their own statement of work? This is a violation of law. Why won't Robert Peck admit that?
On GAO report: Eliminating program duplication could save 'billions'
The only problem here is that the government never listens to the GAO who tells us all the time about the waste in our government. It is not the entitlement programs sucking the air out of the balloon but the overlap and the waste and the poor management and the incompetency in many areas.
How many of those programs are due to earmarks?
Nah - everythings perfect. We need at least 34 different intelligence agencies.
I would be more convinced if someone offered an example of overlap, where there might be significant cost savings.
Really, then what have you guys been doing the last 20 years, sleeping? Give me a break, hand slapping yourselves in the media will not make this all right in everyones eyes.
On Workers protest outside SSA offices nationwide
Everyone wants a blanced budget until it comes out of their budget.
Good for them! I am tired of being the scapegoat for everything that is wrong with this country. If this administration and Congress is so concerned about the budget, why don't they mandate that medicare deductions do NOT automatically stop when people get to $110,000 a year? They should continue.
The employees (from SSA and joined by other Federal agencies) marched on their lunch time. No need to charge them leave for standing up for what they believe in! They are protesting not only for themselves, but for those recipients who need their SS entitlements. Our congressional representatives need to retake Economics - what they are trying to do with huge cuts will not stimulate the economy. It will only spiral downward. Aren't they supposed to represent the people?
On Senate passes stopgap funding bill, averts shutdown
I'd like to know who the 9 were who voted againstthis, so, if they're from my state, I can make sure I vote against them next time.
They managed to achieve the very minimum. Good for them. Keep shooting for the stars, congress.
Let's hope there is NOT another threat of shutdown on 18 March!!
5 Republican's - Hatch, Lee, Paul, Risch, Crapo 3 Democrats - Harkin, Levin, Murray 1 Independent - Sanders
Total of 9 heroes that voted to shut down Gov't.