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Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

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Re: Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

#31

Post by dnissley »

hello_moto wrote: post #14

The Administration actions are all to fund the $4.5 trillion tax cut. * DOGE - Cut Expenses * Tariff - Bring Revenue (another form of Tax, the victimized countries can't/don't influence USA politics); this is essentially Sales/VAT Tax without being said as Sales/VAT Tax. * Cutting Aids - Cut Expenses * Ukraine - Cut Expenses They're looking for all avenue to fund $4.5 trillion tax cut for the Billionaires. That is th…

Yeah all these cuts could be reasonable steps towards financial responsibility. Provided they put the savings towards funding future liabilities and paying off debt. Unfortunately that won't happen and we'll basically be in the same bad financial position as before, if not worse.

Re: Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

#32

Post by myko »

CharlieDigital wrote: post #22
apsec112 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The PACT Act was a new bipartisan statute, passed in 2022, that expanded the VA's responsibilities and how many people were eligible: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honoring_our_PACT_Act_of_2022

I feel like this should be higher because of facts. The PACT Act is perhaps the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history.[22] The PACT Act brings these changes: - Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras - Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures - Add…

I only have health care now due to the PACT Act. Absolutely pissed about what is happening to the VA now.

Re: Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

#33

Post by Raidion »

blindriver wrote: post #15

Holy hell, they hired 83,000 people since 2019? Does no one care we are $36T in debt? 40% of our income taxes go to paying just the interest on our debt!

It's not the hiring people that's the problem. Assuming those people "cost" 300k a year all in (benefits/offices,etc) which is probably high, that's $24 billion. The government spent $6.8 trillion, cutting these jobs cuts spending by .3891%.

Cutting the people without cutting the programs won't do much and is (IMO) a problem in that you should be able to access government services in a way that the writers of the laws (house/senate) have clearly agreed to. When you're cutting this widely, it's hard to believe you're not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Re: Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

#34

Post by myko »

redeux wrote: post #6
simonsarris wrote: post #2

It's so difficult to evaluate this stuff from afar. In 2019 there were 399,000 workers. Now 482,000. In 2022, the Biden admin tried to slash 50,000 workers and was stymied, and then the VA hired 61,000 the following year. What's the right number? I'm sure people leaning one way politically will confidently say one thing, though they may have said something else in 2022, and vice versa. I find it hard to have a proble…

The primary problem with the VA is not the staffing level, it’s the quality of care and responsiveness. If these additions were put in place address those problems then I’d argue they’re necessary. We made a commitment to our military members when they agreed to the oath of enlistment/office and we aught to live up to that. The VA doesn’t and shouldn’t have unlimited funds but at the same time, cutting personnel with…

> it’s the quality of care and responsiveness

Both great in my experience, and in my friends I have seen in the VA system.

That said, I still hear old veterans bitch about it like it sucks, even as they're completely taken care of and hand held throughout the care process.

Re: Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

#35

Post by xnx »

hello_moto wrote: post #14

The Administration actions are all to fund the $4.5 trillion tax cut. * DOGE - Cut Expenses * Tariff - Bring Revenue (another form of Tax, the victimized countries can't/don't influence USA politics); this is essentially Sales/VAT Tax without being said as Sales/VAT Tax. * Cutting Aids - Cut Expenses * Ukraine - Cut Expenses They're looking for all avenue to fund $4.5 trillion tax cut for the Billionaires. That is th…

The goal is to rhetorically balance the "savings" from firing people with the additional giveaways to the rich to a low numeracy audience. The deficit and debt will continue to increase, but at least we will also get a recession.

Re: Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

#36

Post by duck »

mystraline wrote: post #27
blindriver wrote: post #15

Holy hell, they hired 83,000 people since 2019? Does no one care we are $36T in debt? 40% of our income taxes go to paying just the interest on our debt!

Who are we in debt TO?

Looking at this the other day and found this helpful: https://www.pgpf.org/article/the-federal-government-has-borr...

Re: Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

#37

Post by Y_Y »

unsnap_biceps wrote: post #9
jorblumesea wrote: post #4

Ignoring the obvious humanitarian aspect of it (veteran suicide rate, societal promises of healthcare: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honoring_our_PACT_Act_of_2022 ), politically you have to wonder why do this. Vets usually vote conservative, are often employed by the VA. It's an economically unstable time with other administration policies like tariffs. It won't reduce the deficit by any significant %. VA hospitals a…

It really seems like that a large number of politicians no longer seem to think that their actions will impact future voting. And I mean this on both sides, there's a lot of inaction on the D side. I wonder if popularism has just broken our electorate where they're convinced everyone is going to vote the way they are going to vote regardless of who they're voting for and thus there's no need to actually represent the…

What future?

Re: Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

#38

Post by kstrauser »

blindriver wrote: post #15

Holy hell, they hired 83,000 people since 2019? Does no one care we are $36T in debt? 40% of our income taxes go to paying just the interest on our debt!

If the average VA employee cost were $100,000, which I suspect is way more than they pay the average staffer, then those VA employees' annual pay would be about 1/4000th of that debt.

There are way, way worse things we could be wasting our money on than providing the decent healthcare we promised our veterans.

Re: Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

#40

Post by kstrauser »

dnissley wrote: post #31
hello_moto wrote: post #14

The Administration actions are all to fund the $4.5 trillion tax cut. * DOGE - Cut Expenses * Tariff - Bring Revenue (another form of Tax, the victimized countries can't/don't influence USA politics); this is essentially Sales/VAT Tax without being said as Sales/VAT Tax. * Cutting Aids - Cut Expenses * Ukraine - Cut Expenses They're looking for all avenue to fund $4.5 trillion tax cut for the Billionaires. That is th…

Yeah all these cuts could be reasonable steps towards financial responsibility. Provided they put the savings towards funding future liabilities and paying off debt. Unfortunately that won't happen and we'll basically be in the same bad financial position as before, if not worse.

> Provided they put the savings towards funding future liabilities and paying off debt.

This is me laughing bitterly. We know darn well that's not what'll happen.

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