Kraut783
SOF Support
Yup, that's it. Some in a different format...but...yeah
The Trump Presidency 2.0
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What’s the downside? It already works like that, might as well work like that at a cost savings.
TLDR20
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To me the downside is calling the Va to get my GI bill sorted and waiting 5 hours instead of 5 mins. Calling the IRS to ask a question and getting a call back a month later instead of an hour later. These are things that will happen. They are real downsides.
TLDR20
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Have you used the VA for anything since you’ve gotten out? Everyone likes to rip on the VA, but they had excellent customer service in their education department. They were able to advise me into getting almost 7 years of benefits out of my 48 months. I never waited more than 5 mins to talk to a human being, and it was almost always the fault of someone at my school when I didn’t get paid.
TLDR20
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I’ve also as recently as last year dealt with the IRS pretty extensively, and as surprising as it was, they were easy to deal with, professional, and knowledgeable. They told me what I needed to give them, gave me an extension, and then offered a reduced payment option.
Now say we reduce that staff by someone made up percentage. Yeah maybe you don’t get audited (but realistically getting audited on an income under 250k is almost nonexistent), but maybe you have an issue and can’t talk to a person to explain it. Maybe the people left are just the crankiest workaholic shitbags in the agency. No one likes the tax man, but it is a lot easier to talk to one than to play letter tag with a nameless idiot who doesn’t like how you crossed your t’s.
Now say we reduce that staff by someone made up percentage. Yeah maybe you don’t get audited (but realistically getting audited on an income under 250k is almost nonexistent), but maybe you have an issue and can’t talk to a person to explain it. Maybe the people left are just the crankiest workaholic shitbags in the agency. No one likes the tax man, but it is a lot easier to talk to one than to play letter tag with a nameless idiot who doesn’t like how you crossed your t’s.
It’s good that Trump has made it legal to say “retarded” again, because this is fucking retarded
I've just gotten a text from my supervisor saying the emails are all fishing attempts, so this is as retarded as the original OPM resignation thing lol.
Wait, I took a sick day this upcoming Monday which I wouldn't have taken, but I had to because of the RTO. I can't work from home, but I have to respond to an email by COB Monday night...
Some fucking morons out there won't understand this little paradox.
I'm really struggling to understand how anyone can accept the DOGE boys and their methods.
Some fucking morons out there won't understand this little paradox.
I'm really struggling to understand how anyone can accept the DOGE boys and their methods.
Super agree! The country is getting back to normalcy, where words aren't violent; they're just descriptions of events. Much more baselining to follow.
I would assume this is pretty easy to do, considering he commands the single most powerful AI infrastructure in the history of the universe. Which "doofus bros" are you referring to? Anyone in particular you can name, or are they just all generally doofuses?
As to the other two posts, I tend to favor an entire body of work more than a singular good experience. I have different personal experiences, but those are singular, so I don't think they hold much weight. They weren't positive, but I would have a hard time painting an organization (IRS in this case) with 83K people as good or bad off of one interaction.
The government is gluttonous, slow, inefficient, and orders of magnitude larger than the founders ever intended, with a lack of appropriate checks and balances. No one likes change or new things- but we can all get there together.
Exciting times!
Kraut783
SOF Support
Elon Musk security deputized as US Special Deputy US Marshals. He will probably need it.
U.S. Marshals Service reportedly deputized Musk’s security team
Elon Musk’s Security Team Deputized By U.S. Marshals—Here’s What That Means
Did not know that Fauci had it.
U.S. Marshals Service reportedly deputized Musk’s security team
Elon Musk’s Security Team Deputized By U.S. Marshals—Here’s What That Means
Have Other People—like Anthony Fauci—had Deputized Security?
Yes. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who advised Trump on the COVID-19 pandemic, had his security detail deputized in 2020 after receiving threats to his safety. However, Fauci was reportedly guarded by other government employees—specifcally, agents from the Health and Human Services inspector general's office—unlike Musk, who has private security.Did not know that Fauci had it.
TLDR20
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So you are ok with an AI, you have no idea how is vetted, trained, or overseen deciding on who or what the government spends money on?
SpongeBob*24
Verified Military
So...what would you say you do here?
Devildoc
Verified Military
I get that Trump & Co are shooting first and asking questions later; myself, I'd like a more measured response and review.
That said, I'm astonished at how many people actually believe that the government is good to go as-is and don't see how bloated and inefficient it is, how much waste there is.
If the tax code was simpler, would we need 70k +/- people in the IRS? Or pick whatever department holds your heart.
That said, I'm astonished at how many people actually believe that the government is good to go as-is and don't see how bloated and inefficient it is, how much waste there is.
If the tax code was simpler, would we need 70k +/- people in the IRS? Or pick whatever department holds your heart.
You do realize a lot of those positions will be filled by contractors, right? And the burden rate will be higher, so at what cost savings? You might get away with removing or closing other agencies, but the DoD is not the same.
I forget the "price point" or whatever it is called where employing a contractor is cheaper than hiring a Fed.
It's not what y'all think.
Past about year 3 or so, that CTR will cost us more than one of those dirty, lazy Feds. I contracted for almost 17 years, the game isn't new to me. I hope some of you are doing the math...
Drain it, burn it, whatever. Cuts are NOT bad, but they need intelligence behind the knife.
And the knife is patently fucking retarded right now.
It's not what y'all think.
Past about year 3 or so, that CTR will cost us more than one of those dirty, lazy Feds. I contracted for almost 17 years, the game isn't new to me. I hope some of you are doing the math...
Drain it, burn it, whatever. Cuts are NOT bad, but they need intelligence behind the knife.
And the knife is patently fucking retarded right now.
This is a mix of strawman and a false binary, so I’m just gonna reject the premise out of hand. Here-
“So *you’re* ok with the vetting process we know to be corrupt, placing unqualified career politicians in charge of massive organizations, overseen by people financially incentivized to lie to you, deciding on who or what the government spends *your* money on even after decades of evidence that mal intent (worst case) or rank incompetence (most gracious case) has become the norm?”
See how unhelpful that line of questioning is? At least I’m operating from a known. You’re just calling people doofuses for using a process you can’t comprehend and don’t agree with (how you can disagree with something you admit you have no idea how it works is beyond me) in favor of keeping the status quo- for reasons I guess?
But to answer your question directly- yep, I’m not just ok with it, I voted for it and actively worked for it through three separate entities to help people get elected. I thought I’d made that pretty obvious via my relentless shitposting and ideological consistency.
… who said anything about the DoD? Certainly I didn’t. We were talking (initially) about the DMV, then that drifted to the VA, then the IRS.
Can you clarify your question a bit?
As a private sector contractor myself who also has a brother that is a government contractor, I want to say up front that I don't think contractors are a good replacement for employees especially in very large bureaucratic organizations. It causes a loss of tribal knowledge as they move in and out of positions. There's a case for contractors as point solutions or short term staff augmentation but they should be applied and then move on to the next one. Career contractors, the ones that get in a position and build a nest should be cut mercilessly. Hire them, get them to do the job they were hired for and then let them move on. If a project becomes a never ending program, replace the contractor with an employee (or offer employment to the contractor).
That said, there are distinct financial benefits to using contractors over employees at ANY income level. Yes, there's a point where the annual cost based solely on salary and benefits gets higher for a contractor than an employee. BUT, when you factor in retirement in an enterprise, whether public or private, that has a pension plan based on the traditional 20-year to 30-year timespan the lifetime cost of an employee far exceeds the lifetime cost of a contractor. As lives have gotten longer, the tail costs on retirement plans has tipped massively. Work for 20 years and collect retirement and medical benefits for the next 40. It only works without COLA and good investments by the pension plan. We've all seen how good the government has been at investing... Just ask those of us that are facing retirement without social security after paying into it our whole lives.
For government, there's another benefit to contractors as well. We all know that it requires a literal act of Congress to remove an employee. Employees of the US government can quickly get to a point where they are virtually impossible to fire directly. That's the reason DOGE started with probationary employees. They are the only ones that can be immediately released without cause. That's also why they have the resignation program. It doesn't take changes to the law to let people quit... Contractors on the other hand can be let go without warning, with no severance, for any reason at all with no notice. They aren't being fired, the contract is simply ending due to shifting needs. There's no law or union protecting them with the exception of true discrimination and even that is hard for the contractor to prove.
There is a place for both types of worker. Ongoing long term position with shifting requirements, employee. Short term need, contractor. The biggest issue is that the roles are not interchangeable, but they are treated that way in both the private and public sectors.
ETA: if there ever was a place where it makes sense for a contractor in government, it's the elected official. Work for 4 years and collect lifetime income and medical? Bah! Make them contractors, pay them well for the time they are in office, but don't amass huge expenses covering them for the rest of their lives.
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Regarding the Musk "five things you got done" emails: OPM does not have the authority to fire employees in other agencies, despite what he tweets.
Our offical guidance is "NGB and DOD have no idea what's going on, we're as suprised as you, no one is authorized to respond until OSD/SECDEF updates us".
Hell, Musk is clearly past the point of overstepping when even Kash Patel is directing people not to respond.
Our offical guidance is "NGB and DOD have no idea what's going on, we're as suprised as you, no one is authorized to respond until OSD/SECDEF updates us".
Hell, Musk is clearly past the point of overstepping when even Kash Patel is directing people not to respond.
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