The sequester.

[nadinbrzezinski]

Just came him from a rally by Federal Employees.

The short of it, 20-40% pay cuts depending on the agency. This puts national security at risk.

For example, apprehensions are up by Border Patrol Agents and this is putting the gains of the last ten years at risk...did I mention the border will become porous?

Oh, child care workers at base might not be able to afford to come to work...this puts readiness at risk

Consider this a preview, I gotta outline this and write it...but the very short...national security republicans in Congress are putting national security at risk.

I think I will have to contact (I do, for real) republicans who voted for it and ask how they marry these cuts with actual, on the ground, national security.

[haikugal]

1. K&R!!!!

[liberal_at_heart]

2. My children's school district is losing $350,000 next year.

and I was thinking about applying for a city bus driver job. That's not happening. They are not hiring.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Some of the comments are over stated

Sequestration does not effect uniformed members of the DoD, just civilians.

22 days is the max furlough time allowed by Federal law per year, thats about 20% for the rest of the FY, 10% on an annual basis. More than that, and it will change to a RIF (reduction in force). No RIFs have been authorized.

Childcare workers are paid out of non-appropriate funds and not subject directly to furloughs. However, if the base is basically being closed on every Friday, the childcare may close or at least cutback as well. Other MWR activities like the Exchange and Commissary are also not subject to the sequester

Support contractors will most likely follow whatever the facility they support does. Prime contractors are not impacted by sequestration, but will be by the CR.

Border Patrol is a harder call. They are under the same limits but the CR is probably as big if not bigger problem than sequestration.

Bottom line is no appropriated funds employee is going to lose more than 22 days this FY.

[Johonny]

4. a lot of the federal support agencies already cut prior to this

I mean it just isn't the federal people. My company gets contracts from several different federal agencies. Each one of them is cutting us and even when they aren't cutting you, you are losing your federal support people. It is hard to give them quality support when they're not around to deliver it to them. It fucks up the whole apparatus involved. Try doing inter-agency meetings when people are on mandatory days off left and right. Sure its only 10-20 days per person, but when your talking 4-5 agencies and 20 people that makes the meeting schedule drag out even longer. Which of course adds to cost in the end... just saying.

The problem is Republicans do not care about real things that happen to real people. They care about ideals. They sold the federal spending is a problem BS and they must do it because ideally they've been told and all believe it is true. If national security is really at risk doesn't matter, because in their mind they are doing the right thing. It is the same thing on nearly every issue. They have constantly shown that the real lives effected by their BS absolutism is totally immaterial to them. What counts is that they force you to live in their crap fantasy world. So there answer is national security was served by "fixing" long term debt, if it fucked your life than they don't care. See women with real life threatening pregnancies and republican idealist approach to abortion as a cue to how they really care about real people with real problems compared to forcing you to live in their BS fantasy world. In their BS fantasy world national security is being served because the Republican idealism "less spending" was served.

Meanwhile national security is obviously being hurt.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. I led with the national security angle

You could say I know my readers.

Child care workers meh...border patrol...now it affects me.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Not sure there is that much to the national security angle

DHS has choices as to where it is going to take it cuts. They could choose to leave the Border Patrol basically untouched in terms of sworn personnel. Where the cuts are taken is up to the administration.

Again I suggest you look at the CR as well as sequestration. Its impact is actually greater than many realize.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. That is due to the CR not Sequestration

[Johonny]

9. No one of the state reasons was clearly in anticipation of sequestration

I've only have a pile of emails about it. Sure CR hurt but so does sequestration on top of it. Agencies and the companies that deal with those agencies haven't sat around on their hands with their thumbs up there ass dude. They saw this coming and man they acted. I know what is happening in my part of the world, maybe where you are the sequestration shoe hasn't dropped yet IDK.

You keep saying it is only CR but that is not the reality for many of those on the ground.

Just saying

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Anything that has already happened was CR related

Heard today the DoD furlough notifications are being delayed.

[zappaman]

8. Kick and Rec!

for contacting (for real) republicans!
I can't stand it when someone fakes contacting republicans!