Let’s discuss the fired Federal workers. Why are they the victims of Project 2025 and its design to reduce the size of the Federal government? How does firing them improve government efficiency – which is the last word in DOGE?
Tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs in the past month. Many, like those who were on “probationary” status received notices that their termination was due to the quality of their work – they were FIRED for CAUSE. This is a permanent mark on their record, which in most cases was undeserved. And in some states, would prevent them from receiving unemployment benefits.
Others, who have earned full-time status, were terminated without prior notice, in violation of Federal law which requires a 30-day notice and a chance to contest alleged misconduct before termination. Most received termination notices via email, on Friday at 5:15pm and didn’t know they were fired until they were locked out of their offices on Monday morning. Is this any way to treat people who toil for the good of other citizens?
The Washington, DC area is the most affected by these layoffs. This is an area where the Federal government and businesses and organizations that support make up the largest employers. Where will these thousands of laid-off people find jobs? The Trump Administration has created a cadre of people who will at best be under-employed, or forced to move (at their own expense) leaving long-lived-in communities and uprooting children’s upbringing, or potentially winding up on public assistance or even homeless. Why punish these people for just doing their jobs?
And the aftermath for the government; how will these departments and agencies continue to enforce the laws and administer the programs lawfully authorized by Congress? How will a deleted workforce who are now scared and demoralized be motivated to be more efficient? How can you transition to new (more efficient) systems when there’s no one left who knows “how things work.”
Is this what MAGA voters wanted? The wholesale demolition of the Federal government? Perhaps some had the far radical view that no government is good government. But what of those who are on Social Security, Medicaid, are Veterans, have a HUD mortgage, get crop insurance, or just fly to a vacation? Are their services safe?
Yes, there’s a need to cut the Federal deficit. But firing those who did nothing to cause it (other than receiving their paychecks), and some who worked to reduce it, it isn’t the answer. Congress, as usual, isn’t doing its job.
The just-approved Continuing Resolution passes the buck to President Trump to slide funding around, regardless of its effect. Laws passed by Congress won’t be enforced. Programs authorized by Congress won’t proceed. Yet somehow this is all ok in the name of DOGE.
Maury Schlesinger
Easton
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
Agree with your comments, especially the one suggesting that these random firings may actually have the opposite effect of causing even more inefficiency in the affected agencies. Yes, there is waste, fraud,and abuse in government agencies and programs, but only a methodical and thoughtful evaluation of the systems and processes that allow these to happen will be effective in beginning to solve the problems. This random firings we have seen are clearly unencumbered by the thought process, and are designed to foment chaos and uncertainty in our country.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Where was the public outcry by Democrats when the federal government forcibly under dire threat shut down schools robbing kids of education and emotional development, closed down private businesses and industries often doing them irreparable harm and pushing them into extinction, while laying off millions of public and private employees and workers, based on flimsy and often false assumptions and declarations, all in the name of Covid 19, while at the same time failing to protect those citizens most in danger and really in need of protection against infection, while also wasting hundreds of billions the public monies to waste, fraud and abuse, that ignited historic and seemingly implacable inflation, and threat of federal bankruptcy of the US government. And now, to add arrogance and ignorance to these four past years of malfeasance, these same political actors fight tooth and nail all efforts to reform such this wildly bloated, out of control, reckless and ineffective government spending, fraud and abuse. It’s all quite remarkable.
Eva M. Smorzaniuk MD says
I have a hard time classifying a viral epidemic that killed over 1 million Americans as an inconsequential reason to enact public safety measures. The difference is that we were dealing with a virus about which we knew nothing, and trying to base reaction on the best available science of the day. Comparing that to the slash and burn technique of DOGE is not appropriate.
Carol Voyles says
But our economy did better once President Biden took office. More debt had been created as a share of our economy during Trump’s single term in office than ever before – reaching and exceeding our nation’s debt as a share of our economy following WWII.
Shut down our schools for COVID? Or what? With our current administration’s views regarding precautions such as vaccination, one child in Texas has died of measles, so far – the first in over half a century.
Wilson dean says
Mr. Schlesinger has done a very good job of pointing out the mindless approach used by DOGE in approaching their task. This exercise has nothing to do with rooting out fraud or increasing government efficiency. It has everything to do with moving regulators out of the way of oligarchs whose only goal is to further increase their wealth at the expense of the public.
Reed Fawell 3 says
No, this Wilson Dean comment is directly contrary to the facts of history. Time and again fine men and their commissions have tried to curb this enormous waste, fraud and abuse in the US Federal system of government over the last 75 years and failed miserably. The tactics used by Doge over the past 60 have been more successful than those 75 years of effort combined. And the fact that such effective efforts by definition will cause unavoidable pain and mistakes is obvious.