Musk takeover

[reeshau]

White House now saying Amy Gleason is the head of DOGE. When reached for comment, reporter found her in Mexico. Remember that 24 hours ago, government lawyers couldn't answer that question to a judge's face. Her LinkedIn says she's a senior adviser at USDS, not the head of an agency or department.

https://x.com/weijia/status/1894486802443968754

https://x.com/samstein/status/1894487259346293029

https://bskye.app/profile/kyledcheney.bsky.social/post/3lizpqzuq3322

I wonder if she is going to be at that cabinet meeting, along with Elon...

[mtnrider]

@wenchsenior I wouldn’t pull it all out of stocks but 2-5 years worth of spending.  This will end up likely being 5-10 years worth of spending above his pension if his jobs stays.  This is where I’m at right now with my investments.

This is my plan too.  Still majority in index funds.  But given the pe10 and all the political craziness, I allocated a bit more cash equivalents.  It's still within my IPS bands.

If the market go up at the same rate, I leave a few dollars on the table.  If not, I have enough to pay the bills for the next few years.  I'm also keeping my chops up in case I have to go back to work in some kind of neofeudal networked states system. 

[Poundwise]

Just for giggles, I bought TSLS today. And I made some fun money!

I could have announced this appropriately in so many different MMM threads.

[achvfi]

@wenchsenior I wouldn’t pull it all out of stocks but 2-5 years worth of spending.  This will end up likely being 5-10 years worth of spending above his pension if his jobs stays.  This is where I’m at right now with my investments.

We were kicking around that idea as well.

I wonder if that idea is why the market has been taking a hit recently.

Maybe? Possibly just general instability combined with concern of likelihood of imminent firing of a couple million federal employees hitting the economy over a time span of less than 6 months.

That's crazy.  There is no impact to firing millions of n'er-do-wells beyond greater government efficiency.  PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN WITH THE CHAINSAW.

I mean they are trying to break the system. Eventually it will break.

While millions of layoffs around the country is the norm, impact of hiring freezes and layoffs in federal govt is significant change I would think. These are not typical job-losses but some of the most stable jobs being lost or not created in first place. Also what is its impact on private contractors, states, state govt employees, school districts so on.

I would think cascading impacts of what is happening now will be felt over several months.

[Fru-Gal]

I'm also keeping my chops up in case I have to go back to work in some kind of neofeudal networked states system.

"Please milord, may I have some gruel?"

[dragoncar]

Just for giggles, I bought TSLS today. And I made some fun money!

I could have announced this appropriately in so many different MMM threads.

Been short since $400 so I’m kinda a big deal and ready to time the entire market

I really should sell a bunch of SPY because inevitably when I do that musk and co will calm down, say it was all a prank, and go back to the regularly scheduled GOP shitshow (which will not harm markets)

[partgypsy]

https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1iyafta/heres_the_mass_resignation_letter_from_usds/

[NorCal]

@wenchsenior I wouldn’t pull it all out of stocks but 2-5 years worth of spending.  This will end up likely being 5-10 years worth of spending above his pension if his jobs stays.  This is where I’m at right now with my investments.

We were kicking around that idea as well.

I wonder if that idea is why the market has been taking a hit recently.

Maybe? Possibly just general instability combined with concern of likelihood of imminent firing of a couple million federal employees hitting the economy over a time span of less than 6 months.

That's crazy.  There is no impact to firing millions of n'er-do-wells beyond greater government efficiency.  PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN WITH THE CHAINSAW.

I mean they are trying to break the system. Eventually it will break.

While millions of layoffs around the country is the norm, impact of hiring freezes and layoffs in federal govt is significant change I would think. These are not typical job-losses but some of the most stable jobs being lost or not created in first place. Also what is its impact on private contractors, states, state govt employees, school districts so on.

I would think cascading impacts of what is happening now will be felt over several months.

My personal network probably isn't typical, but many of the government employees I know are highly skilled, but don't necessarily have easily transferable skills.

One friend specializes in modelling the physics of launching things into outer space.  The only other employers looking for that skillset happen to be defense contractors, and they're all about to get DOGE'd as well. 

Another can't tell me much about what he does, but it has something to do with NORAD's radars. 

Others in medical research have mixed options.  There's plenty of private medical research, but the top of that pipeline is all a combination of academia and grant funding. 

[41_swish]

I wonder how the Republicans would act if the inverse was going on. A Democrat president with an unelected tech oligarch doing God knows what. They would probably lose their minds.

[Kris]

I wonder how the Republicans would act if the inverse was going on. A Democrat president with an unelected tech oligarch doing God knows what. They would probably lose their minds.

As they should.

This is insanity.

[Well Respected Man]

White House now saying Amy Gleason is the head of DOGE. When reached for comment, reporter found her in Mexico. Remember that 24 hours ago, government lawyers couldn't answer that question to a judge's face. Her LinkedIn says she's a senior adviser at USDS, not the head of an agency or department.

https://x.com/weijia/status/1894486802443968754

https://x.com/samstein/status/1894487259346293029

https://bskye.app/profile/kyledcheney.bsky.social/post/3lizpqzuq3322

I wonder if she is going to be at that cabinet meeting, along with Elon...

She's reportedly on vacation in Mexico. Things are running very smoothly in her absence.

[41_swish]

I wonder how the Republicans would act if the inverse was going on. A Democrat president with an unelected tech oligarch doing God knows what. They would probably lose their minds.

As they should.

This is insanity.

You're right. This is inanity and should be treated as such.

[Travis]

Cabinet meeting going on right now. Musk making a show about how DOGE is just tech support, they'll make minor mistakes (like shutting down approved USAID programs), and that his "5 bullet" email wasn't serious but an attempt to see who were real employees. Cabinet basically told by Trump to bend the knee to Elon.

https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1894798370335592449

https://x.com/Acyn/status/1894794268474253749

https://x.com/acyn/status/1894794607864758319

https://x.com/Acyn/status/1894793806136123870

The whole meeting if you're brave

https://www.youtube.com/live/OMpL4Hze__4?si=LZN2CCDOeFLdOPH7

[economista]

I was told this morning that my business line has 487 employees nationally, and our leadership has said that the RIF has to take us down to 160. So that’s a great way to start the day. I’m trying to hard to stay optimistic that I’ll make it to the top of the list and get to keep my job, but it’s not looking good.

[achvfi]

I was told this morning that my business line has 487 employees nationally, and our leadership has said that the RIF has to take us down to 160. So that’s a great way to start the day. I’m trying to hard to stay optimistic that I’ll make it to the top of the list and get to keep my job, but it’s not looking good.

Do you get any sort of severance or any notice period if you get picked? What about other benefits like health insurance for those that got layoffed.

[economista]

I was told this morning that my business line has 487 employees nationally, and our leadership has said that the RIF has to take us down to 160. So that’s a great way to start the day. I’m trying to hard to stay optimistic that I’ll make it to the top of the list and get to keep my job, but it’s not looking good.

Do you get any sort of severance or any notice period if you get picked? What about other benefits like health insurance for those that got layoffed.

If they follow the official RIF guidance from OPM you get 1 week of severance for every year of service up to 10 years, and then 2 weeks of severance for each year of service after 10 years. I’m at almost 13 years, so I would get maybe 14 or 15 weeks of pay as my severance package? I have no idea what the deal with health insurance is. I guess I will find out if it happens to me. I’m sure there is information on OPM about it but considering that this administration hasn’t been following any of the other laws/policies around legally firing people, who knows if it is even relevant?

[Travis]

Guidance from Trump: If they're "nonessential" during a shutdown, then they're not needed. Non-essential isn't the same as "redundant."

https://bskye.app/profile/donmoyn.bsky.social/post/3lj3wsb3sgs2b

[Travis]

The DOGE people at HUD have access to contracts, grants, and personal information and have financial interests in knowing that information.


https://bsky.app/profile/timmarchman.bsky.social/post/3lj4dp5aqjs2h

https://www.wired.com/story/doge-hud-systems-access-ai-proptech-real-estate-mobile-home/

[achvfi]

I was told this morning that my business line has 487 employees nationally, and our leadership has said that the RIF has to take us down to 160. So that’s a great way to start the day. I’m trying to hard to stay optimistic that I’ll make it to the top of the list and get to keep my job, but it’s not looking good.

Do you get any sort of severance or any notice period if you get picked? What about other benefits like health insurance for those that got layoffed.

If they follow the official RIF guidance from OPM you get 1 week of severance for every year of service up to 10 years, and then 2 weeks of severance for each year of service after 10 years. I’m at almost 13 years, so I would get maybe 14 or 15 weeks of pay as my severance package? I have no idea what the deal with health insurance is. I guess I will find out if it happens to me. I’m sure there is information on OPM about it but considering that this administration hasn’t been following any of the other laws/policies around legally firing people, who knows if it is even relevant?

Yeah, so much uncertainty. It is not much but good to know officially affected people are supposed to get some severance.

What about pension contributions and other deferred comp matching vesting like in private sector 401k match? can you still expect pension at some point of time?

[economista]

I was told this morning that my business line has 487 employees nationally, and our leadership has said that the RIF has to take us down to 160. So that’s a great way to start the day. I’m trying to hard to stay optimistic that I’ll make it to the top of the list and get to keep my job, but it’s not looking good.

Do you get any sort of severance or any notice period if you get picked? What about other benefits like health insurance for those that got layoffed.

If they follow the official RIF guidance from OPM you get 1 week of severance for every year of service up to 10 years, and then 2 weeks of severance for each year of service after 10 years. I’m at almost 13 years, so I would get maybe 14 or 15 weeks of pay as my severance package? I have no idea what the deal with health insurance is. I guess I will find out if it happens to me. I’m sure there is information on OPM about it but considering that this administration hasn’t been following any of the other laws/policies around legally firing people, who knows if it is even relevant?

Yeah, so much uncertainty. It is not much but good to know officially affected people are supposed to get some severance.

What about pension contributions and other deferred comp matching vesting like in private sector 401k match? can you still expect pension at some point of time?

For the pension you have to work a minimum of 20 years. So I’m hoping that even if I get fired I will be able to come back to the government at some point in the future for at least 7 more years to earn my pension. The TSP is the 401k equivalent and that money is ours. They don’t do any deferred comp really - I think once I had been with the government for 2 years the TSP match was fully vested? I might be wrong on that because I haven’t thought about it in forever. But at least my TSP will stay with me forever. I could roll it over just like you can do with 401ks when you leave  a private company but honestly the fees on the TSP are the lowest you are going to find so it makes sense to just keep the money there until withdrawal time. .

[Travis]

Leavitt lashes out for being called on for the administration lying about DOGE's leadership.


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/karoline-leavitt-amy-gleason-press-hounds-b2705392.html

[Travis]

That $400 million contract for Cybertrucks was supposed to be $400k. It was changed after inauguration and backdated to make it look like a Biden decision. Contract has since been cancelled after the fraud was exposed. In a sane universe, somebody should go to jail for trying to pull that off.



https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/elon-musk-armored-tesla-forecast-400-million-state-department-contracts?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/1894545987206840689

[DoubleDown]

I was told this morning that my business line has 487 employees nationally, and our leadership has said that the RIF has to take us down to 160. So that’s a great way to start the day. I’m trying to hard to stay optimistic that I’ll make it to the top of the list and get to keep my job, but it’s not looking good.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I'm a retired Federal employee (technically I resigned at 48, deferred pension until I reached minimum retirement age), and I think what is happening to Federal employees is beyond disgusting and insulting. Hoping for all the best for you!

[Archipelago]

MEMO just leaked from HUD.

Instructions are to commence total nationwide firings of all GS 13 level employees and below across all offices of HUD.  There is a special note indicating that there is no reason to rank employees by RIF (legal process for reduction in force) point preference (which would under normal conditions allow fired employees the option of transferring laterally or to lower paid positions) since literally all positions they could be transferred to are also being eliminated.

HUD served as one of the 'test cases' for the illegal firings of probationary employees, followed by the rest of the agencies. I assume this will be the same.

My wife is a probationary employee (less than 1 year of service) with the VA. But she is also considered a medical provider and does client care each day.

Lots of uncertainty going on.

[DoubleDown]

For the pension you have to work a minimum of 20 years. So I’m hoping that even if I get fired I will be able to come back to the government at some point in the future for at least 7 more years to earn my pension.

Actually, unless you are in some unusual situation, you have already earned a lifetime pension, once you reach minimum retirement age (MRA)! With 13 years of service, you will receive at least 13% of your pay, for life, once you reach that age. Your MRA depends on when you were born (similar to Social Security), but typically it's around age 56 or 57. Your full retirement age is around 62, and you take a penalty for every year you start your pension before that age (again, exactly like Social Security). In return for taking it early, though, you get all those extra years of payments. The critical thing to remember is to take a DEFERRED retirement. If you do not, you will be issued a one-time, paltry lump-sum payment in lieu of the pension. I mean, I guess if someone knew they were going to die in a year they could take the payment, but otherwise it's best to take the pension.

One downside: When you resign under a deferred retirement, your pay level is frozen, and gets whittled away through inflation. No more annual cost-of-living raises, etc. For that reason, among others, I started my pension right at my MRA.

[GuitarStv]

That $400 million contract for Cybertrucks was supposed to be $400k. It was changed after inauguration and backdated to make it look like a Biden decision. Contract has since been cancelled after the fraud was exposed. In a sane universe, somebody should go to jail for trying to pull that off.

Nothing the president does while in office can be illegal, and he has the power to pardon anyone who does anything illegal on his behalf.

[Travis]

That $400 million contract for Cybertrucks was supposed to be $400k. It was changed after inauguration and backdated to make it look like a Biden decision. Contract has since been cancelled after the fraud was exposed. In a sane universe, somebody should go to jail for trying to pull that off.

Nothing the president does while in office can be illegal, and he has the power to pardon anyone who does anything illegal on his behalf.

They still have to be convicted to get a pardon. Logging onto a computer that everyone keeps shouting you have no business being near and just awarding yourself a $400 million contract is fraud and theft. I won't hold my breath that this will result in an arrest.

Just like Elon is awarding himself control over the FAA.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/26/musk-starlink-doge-faa-verizon/

[Travis]

DOGE and the VA Director are trying to turn off 800 contracts including the ones that determine our disability ratings, evaluate for PACT Act illnesses, and cancer treatment programs. They probably didn't even read what they were about to shut off.

https://apnews.com/article/doge-veterans-affairs-cuts-health-services-contracts-9a726b744e402da01d711023b0fc49a1

[Fomerly known as something]

I was told this morning that my business line has 487 employees nationally, and our leadership has said that the RIF has to take us down to 160. So that’s a great way to start the day. I’m trying to hard to stay optimistic that I’ll make it to the top of the list and get to keep my job, but it’s not looking good.

Do you get any sort of severance or any notice period if you get picked? What about other benefits like health insurance for those that got layoffed.

If they follow the official RIF guidance from OPM you get 1 week of severance for every year of service up to 10 years, and then 2 weeks of severance for each year of service after 10 years. I’m at almost 13 years, so I would get maybe 14 or 15 weeks of pay as my severance package? I have no idea what the deal with health insurance is. I guess I will find out if it happens to me. I’m sure there is information on OPM about it but considering that this administration hasn’t been following any of the other laws/policies around legally firing people, who knows if it is even relevant?

Yeah, so much uncertainty. It is not much but good to know officially affected people are supposed to get some severance.

What about pension contributions and other deferred comp matching vesting like in private sector 401k match? can you still expect pension at some point of time?

For the pension you have to work a minimum of 20 years. So I’m hoping that even if I get fired I will be able to come back to the government at some point in the future for at least 7 more years to earn my pension. The TSP is the 401k equivalent and that money is ours. They don’t do any deferred comp really - I think once I had been with the government for 2 years the TSP match was fully vested? I might be wrong on that because I haven’t thought about it in forever. But at least my TSP will stay with me forever. I could roll it over just like you can do with 401ks when you leave  a private company but honestly the fees on the TSP are the lowest you are going to find so it makes sense to just keep the money there until withdrawal time. .

Not 20 years. With 5 years you are edible for a differed FERS pension.

[achvfi]

I was told this morning that my business line has 487 employees nationally, and our leadership has said that the RIF has to take us down to 160. So that’s a great way to start the day. I’m trying to hard to stay optimistic that I’ll make it to the top of the list and get to keep my job, but it’s not looking good.

Do you get any sort of severance or any notice period if you get picked? What about other benefits like health insurance for those that got layoffed.

If they follow the official RIF guidance from OPM you get 1 week of severance for every year of service up to 10 years, and then 2 weeks of severance for each year of service after 10 years. I’m at almost 13 years, so I would get maybe 14 or 15 weeks of pay as my severance package? I have no idea what the deal with health insurance is. I guess I will find out if it happens to me. I’m sure there is information on OPM about it but considering that this administration hasn’t been following any of the other laws/policies around legally firing people, who knows if it is even relevant?

Yeah, so much uncertainty. It is not much but good to know officially affected people are supposed to get some severance.

What about pension contributions and other deferred comp matching vesting like in private sector 401k match? can you still expect pension at some point of time?

For the pension you have to work a minimum of 20 years. So I’m hoping that even if I get fired I will be able to come back to the government at some point in the future for at least 7 more years to earn my pension. The TSP is the 401k equivalent and that money is ours. They don’t do any deferred comp really - I think once I had been with the government for 2 years the TSP match was fully vested? I might be wrong on that because I haven’t thought about it in forever. But at least my TSP will stay with me forever. I could roll it over just like you can do with 401ks when you leave  a private company but honestly the fees on the TSP are the lowest you are going to find so it makes sense to just keep the money there until withdrawal time. .

Not 20 years. With 5 years you are edible for a differed FERS pension.

Oh good! I was thinking that would be not fair otherwise.

[partgypsy]

For the pension you have to work a minimum of 20 years. So I’m hoping that even if I get fired I will be able to come back to the government at some point in the future for at least 7 more years to earn my pension.

Actually, unless you are in some unusual situation, you have already earned a lifetime pension, once you reach minimum retirement age (MRA)! With 13 years of service, you will receive at least 13% of your pay, for life, once you reach that age. Your MRA depends on when you were born (similar to Social Security), but typically it's around age 56 or 57. Your full retirement age is around 62, and you take a penalty for every year you start your pension before that age (again, exactly like Social Security). In return for taking it early, though, you get all those extra years of payments. The critical thing to remember is to take a DEFERRED retirement. If you do not, you will be issued a one-time, paltry lump-sum payment in lieu of the pension. I mean, I guess if someone knew they were going to die in a year they could take the payment, but otherwise it's best to take the pension.

One downside: When you resign under a deferred retirement, your pay level is frozen, and gets whittled away through inflation. No more annual cost-of-living raises, etc. For that reason, among others, I started my pension right at my MRA.

  I heard the opposite should do a postponed retirement not a deferred retirement.

[ToughMother]

For the pension you have to work a minimum of 20 years. So I’m hoping that even if I get fired I will be able to come back to the government at some point in the future for at least 7 more years to earn my pension.

Actually, unless you are in some unusual situation, you have already earned a lifetime pension, once you reach minimum retirement age (MRA)! With 13 years of service, you will receive at least 13% of your pay, for life, once you reach that age. Your MRA depends on when you were born (similar to Social Security), but typically it's around age 56 or 57. Your full retirement age is around 62, and you take a penalty for every year you start your pension before that age (again, exactly like Social Security). In return for taking it early, though, you get all those extra years of payments. The critical thing to remember is to take a DEFERRED retirement. If you do not, you will be issued a one-time, paltry lump-sum payment in lieu of the pension. I mean, I guess if someone knew they were going to die in a year they could take the payment, but otherwise it's best to take the pension.

One downside: When you resign under a deferred retirement, your pay level is frozen, and gets whittled away through inflation. No more annual cost-of-living raises, etc. For that reason, among others, I started my pension right at my MRA.

  I heard the opposite should do a postponed retirement not a deferred retirement.

You have to be MRA to do postponed retirement. If you are MRA, that is the more flexible choice. If you are not MRA, then deferred retirement is the way to go.

[Travis]

Update on Musk trying to take over the FAA's comms

https://bsky.app/profile/esghound.com/post/3lj5xfoosg22a


Elon reaching out to retired air traffic controllers to come back. They age out at 56 by law.

https://bsky.app/profile/evansutton.bsky.social/post/3lj6cbaqmqk2l

[41_swish]

Every day it just seems to get crazier and crazier... I tried to not freak out at first, but now all of this is worrying me.

[OzzieandHarriet]

Every day it just seems to get crazier and crazier... I tried to not freak out at first, but now all of this is worrying me.

Yeah, and it’s hard to know what to do.

[spartana]

DOGE and the VA Director are trying to turn off 800 contracts including the ones that determine our disability ratings, evaluate for PACT Act illnesses, and cancer treatment programs. They probably didn't even read what they were about to shut off.

https://apnews.com/article/doge-veterans-affairs-cuts-health-services-contracts-9a726b744e402da01d711023b0fc49a1

I had a phone message yesterday that the VA cancelled 2 of my future appts. One regular twice-per-year appt with my primary care provider and the other for the hemotology-oncology clinic I've been getting treatment and testing from for the last 6 months. When I tried to re-schedule they were basicly "meh call us in a couple of weeks". So I think there's going to be a big impact on a lot of vets sooner then I thought.

[Travis]

Analysis on cuts to Forestry and Parks services

https://www.levernews.com/the-firefighting-fire-sale/

[Travis]

Musk lashed out at Verizon this morning for their FAA infrastructure falling apart. Verizon got the contract from L3Harris a month ago and is still installing their own equipment.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/starlink-terminals-are-being-sent-restore-us-air-traffic-control-connectivity-2025-02-27/

[mtnrider]

Analysis on cuts to Forestry and Parks services

https://www.levernews.com/the-firefighting-fire-sale/

Private firefighters and selling off public lands?  Don't I remember this from some dystopian libertarian novel?  Snowcrash?  (Yes, I'm aware that rich folk and companies use private firefighting services.)

Saw that video of Musk with the chainsaw in the link.  Having felled my share of trees, I cringed.  It wasn't running, but ugh.  That's some "masculine energy" all right.

[dragoncar]

Analysis on cuts to Forestry and Parks services

https://www.levernews.com/the-firefighting-fire-sale/

Private firefighters and selling off public lands?  Don't I remember this from some dystopian libertarian novel?  Snowcrash?  (Yes, I'm aware that rich folk and companies use private firefighting services.)

Saw that video of Musk with the chainsaw in the link.  Having felled my share of trees, I cringed.  It wasn't running, but ugh.  That's some "masculine energy" all right.

Looking forward to buying citizenship at my local Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong franchise

[mtnrider]

Analysis on cuts to Forestry and Parks services

https://www.levernews.com/the-firefighting-fire-sale/

Private firefighters and selling off public lands?  Don't I remember this from some dystopian libertarian novel?  Snowcrash?  (Yes, I'm aware that rich folk and companies use private firefighting services.)

Saw that video of Musk with the chainsaw in the link.  Having felled my share of trees, I cringed.  It wasn't running, but ugh.  That's some "masculine energy" all right.

Looking forward to buying citizenship at my local Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong franchise

You joke, but that is similar to the dead-serious Networked States/Dark Enlightenment theory that people in the Trump admin have espoused.

[dragoncar]

Analysis on cuts to Forestry and Parks services

https://www.levernews.com/the-firefighting-fire-sale/

Private firefighters and selling off public lands?  Don't I remember this from some dystopian libertarian novel?  Snowcrash?  (Yes, I'm aware that rich folk and companies use private firefighting services.)

Saw that video of Musk with the chainsaw in the link.  Having felled my share of trees, I cringed.  It wasn't running, but ugh.  That's some "masculine energy" all right.

Looking forward to buying citizenship at my local Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong franchise

You joke, but that is similar to the dead-serious Networked States/Dark Enlightenment theory that people in the Trump admin have espoused.

Not joking at all.  Mr Lee has arguably the best security of all the burbclaves

[Fomerly known as something]

DOGE and the VA Director are trying to turn off 800 contracts including the ones that determine our disability ratings, evaluate for PACT Act illnesses, and cancer treatment programs. They probably didn't even read what they were about to shut off.

https://apnews.com/article/doge-veterans-affairs-cuts-health-services-contracts-9a726b744e402da01d711023b0fc49a1

I had a phone message yesterday that the VA cancelled 2 of my future appts. One regular twice-per-year appt with my primary care provider and the other for the hemotology-oncology clinic I've been getting treatment and testing from for the last 6 months. When I tried to re-schedule they were basicly "meh call us in a couple of weeks". So I think there's going to be a big impact on a lot of vets sooner then I thought.

When you do get an appointment make sure to thank everyone.  Someone who works in surgery at the VA has had 3 veterans so far berate them for being a government employee.

[spartana]

DOGE and the VA Director are trying to turn off 800 contracts including the ones that determine our disability ratings, evaluate for PACT Act illnesses, and cancer treatment programs. They probably didn't even read what they were about to shut off.

https://apnews.com/article/doge-veterans-affairs-cuts-health-services-contracts-9a726b744e402da01d711023b0fc49a1

I had a phone message yesterday that the VA cancelled 2 of my future appts. One regular twice-per-year appt with my primary care provider and the other for the hemotology-oncology clinic I've been getting treatment and testing from for the last 6 months. When I tried to re-schedule they were basicly "meh call us in a couple of weeks". So I think there's going to be a big impact on a lot of vets sooner then I thought.

When you do get an appointment make sure to thank everyone.  Someone who works in surgery at the VA has had 3 veterans so far berate them for being a government employee.

Oh jeeze. Most vets seem to be pretty deeply appreciative of their ability to use the VA and most have had good experience (like me). But it's scary how others view it, the vets who use it, and the employees as leeches on the government and its systems.

Now the VA clinic isn't even answering the phone (at 3:30 today) and it's not going to voice mail. Shut down or everyone fired? Probably just busy and the VM is filled up. I think the My Healthevet website was down too but they are going to a different system.so likely just that...likely. I have this creepy feeling Elon Musk is reading my medical file.

[Herbert Derp]

Does anyone know what percentage of government workers are out in the field doing hands-on work, versus those that are working from home doing bureaucratic paper pushing jobs?

I suspect that there is a greater opportunity to increase efficiency in the latter group via software and AI automation. But software systems and AI cannot currently inspect restaurants or clean up waste in our national parks.

At least on the white collar side of things, I think the federal bureaucracy is in bad need of a refresh. Technology has changed a lot in the last few decades, and we no longer need 1,000 people to file pieces of paper into filing cabinets in a limestone mine.

A government that can rapidly and efficiently get things done for the American people is very important. It simply takes too long to get stuff done. Just look at the California high speed rail project. I think that downsizing and streamlining the white collar part of the federal workforce will take the United States in a direction where it is more capable of getting stuff done.

[LaineyAZ]

DOGE and the VA Director are trying to turn off 800 contracts including the ones that determine our disability ratings, evaluate for PACT Act illnesses, and cancer treatment programs. They probably didn't even read what they were about to shut off.

https://apnews.com/article/doge-veterans-affairs-cuts-health-services-contracts-9a726b744e402da01d711023b0fc49a1

I had a phone message yesterday that the VA cancelled 2 of my future appts. One regular twice-per-year appt with my primary care provider and the other for the hemotology-oncology clinic I've been getting treatment and testing from for the last 6 months. When I tried to re-schedule they were basicly "meh call us in a couple of weeks". So I think there's going to be a big impact on a lot of vets sooner then I thought.

When you do get an appointment make sure to thank everyone.  Someone who works in surgery at the VA has had 3 veterans so far berate them for being a government employee.

Wow, this is really surprising - a vet would insult someone to their face whose job it is to help them with a serious medical condition?  I cannot understand that mindset.

[sixwings]

Does anyone know what percentage of government workers are out in the field doing hands-on work, versus those that are working from home doing bureaucratic paper pushing jobs?

I suspect that there is a greater opportunity to increase efficiency in the latter group via software and AI automation. But software systems and AI cannot currently inspect restaurants or clean up waste in our national parks.

At least on the white collar side of things, I think the federal bureaucracy is in bad need of a refresh. Technology has changed a lot in the last few decades, and we no longer need 1,000 people to file pieces of paper into filing cabinets in a limestone mine.

A government that can rapidly and efficiently get things done for the American people is very important. It simply takes too long to get stuff done. Just look at the California high speed rail project. I think that downsizing and streamlining the white collar part of the federal workforce will take the United States in a direction where it is more capable of getting stuff done.

Yes and it’s all free too in fantasy land!

Government digital transformation isn’t easy or cheap. Most of the services that government provides are unique and don’t have readily built AI models and processing systems to handle it, the data it holds is subject to all sorts of privacy issues, and in a lot of situations the cost for building these government specific applications is very large. When I was at a large government crown corporation, the cost to replace our core system was in the 50M range. Our entire annual budget for the teams it would have helped was 10M, and would have given us savings in the 2-4M range. It was literally a 10 year+ ROI and it took 50M, which we would have to ask the government for, to get there (and the government would have said no). It’s just usually not that simple.

Saying “AI should do it” and hand waving away the complexities of that is silly too for lots of reasons. For instance, which existing AI model should do it and what is the model doing with the data it’s going to gather from doing whatever work you think the AI model should do? Do you really think OpenAI or some other AI corporation should have access to all the government databases?

There’s always ways to streamline things through thoughtful deliberate work, but the way Musk and team is doing it is reckless and very very stupid. Just hand waving it away by saying”AI can do it and just replace the systems” isn’t really an option.

[CheapskateWife]

Wow, this is really surprising - a vet would insult someone to their face whose job it is to help them with a serious medical condition?  I cannot understand that mindset.

Loads of vets have fallen down the right wing / conspiracy rabbit hole, coupled with PTSD you end up with some interesting combinations.  I was having blood drawn this week and listened sympathetically to a phlebotomist who regretted her vote after getting the 5 things email.  She had vets pee in the corner instead of in the bathroom, and another vet that completely disrobed to have blood drawn.  Its an interesting population.

Hoping there are enough people dealing with the last straw to turn this thing around.

[Herbert Derp]

There’s always ways to streamline things through thoughtful deliberate work, but the way Musk and team is doing it is reckless and very very stupid. Just hand waving it away by saying”AI can do it and just replace the systems” isn’t really an option.

AI can absolutely help a lot with bureaucratic processes. For example, LLMs can quickly digest, analyze, and summarize legal documents. Humans used to have to do that all on their own. Now we have AI to help us do it much more efficiently. I’ve heard of lawyers using AI to greatly increase their productivity.

It’s not about randomly replacing people with AI. It’s about using AI to empower a smaller group of competent bureaucrats, such that they become more productive and agile than a large group of bureaucrats who don’t use AI.

[Sailor Sam]

Does anyone know what percentage of government workers are out in the field doing hands-on work, versus those that are working from home doing bureaucratic paper pushing jobs?

I suspect that there is a greater opportunity to increase efficiency in the latter group via software and AI automation. But software systems and AI cannot currently inspect restaurants or clean up waste in our national parks.

At least on the white collar side of things, I think the federal bureaucracy is in bad need of a refresh. Technology has changed a lot in the last few decades, and we no longer need 1,000 people to file pieces of paper into filing cabinets in a limestone mine.

A government that can rapidly and efficiently get things done for the American people is very important. It simply takes too long to get stuff done. Just look at the California high speed rail project. I think that downsizing and streamlining the white collar part of the federal workforce will take the United States in a direction where it is more capable of getting stuff done.

This is deeply bullshit reasoning. Yes, the government is rife with bureaucracy, and yes there is strong call to examine what parts are stupid and what parts are sane.

On the stupid side, my XO is required to fill out an IT checklist for all purchases, to ensure none of the special IT rules are triggered. We just submitted a request for IT clearance for: a delivery of cleaning supplies for the upcoming 9 month deployment; a delivery of mattress because our current mattress suck balls; a delivery of galley equipment to repair broken grilltop elements; a delivery of emergency spill equipment for the upcoming 9 month deployment.

The requirement for the IT checklist, which came about to ensure absolutely no IT purchase could accidentally sneak through is very, very stupid. It's a classic example of the govt working harder, and not smarter. Plus gross paternalistic vibes. 

But to say all non-field employees are wasteful leeches is so vastly ignorant. A ship needs 75-150 shoreside support personnel to keep us running. These folks took an oath the the constitution, care deeply about the ship and her mission, and work all hours to keep us field people operational. They aren't doing "paper pushing." They are just as fundamental to the safety of life and property as the people sailing on the ship. They watch out for us, and our families, and no matter their politics they are human beings working hard.

I won't allow you to malign them with ignorant and unresearched malarkey. Your Dunning-Kruger is showing, and I for one am embarrassed and ashamed for you.