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US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

bbc.com

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Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#211

Post by tkwj »

derekp7 wrote: post #125
tibbon wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen too many people say, "Oh, government workers should all know this stuff happens all the time, and if they don't have months or years of savings in the bank then it's just their fault". It's really sad that instead of being compassionate, too many are focusing on what "should" be instead of what is the reality for many people. Like you point out, the reality is that most people don't have savings. They shoul…

I was wondering if federal workers have an equivalent to 401k that they can take a loan from (TSP I think it is called)? Or are there a large number of affected employees that don't participate in this program?

This facility does exist but it also requires a repayment schedule to be set up. Even this assumes the system and people behind tsp.gov are actively processing loans.

https://www.tsp.gov/PlanningTools/Calculators/loanPayments.h...

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#212

Post by ocdtrekkie »

nemothekid wrote: post #117
ocdtrekkie wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody actually cares about the $5.7 billion dollars, it's chump change for the government. This is all about appearance. The Democrats will lose face if they sign off on a budget which allows him to build his wall, and Trump will lose face if he fails to start building it (presumably in time for the next election). (It's also notable that neither party, politically, has a good reason to end it. Trump will have a har…

> This is all about appearance. I don't think the democrats should cave because this is a terrible precedent that far outstrips "appearance". It feels like a perversion of checks and balances where, because on side doesn't get what they want, they shut down the entire government until the other side caves. I won't be a fan of future presidents shutting down the government every time they can't come to a bipartisan ag…

Sure, but it also means that your position is that our government should be shut down and people should be unable to feed their families to prevent giving the opposition a mostly meaningless amount of money to build a useless thing that pales in comparison to how much we've blown on the F-35 (literally like 1% of the cost), a largely useless airplane.

Which is to say, one party is certainly responsible for picking this fight, but both parties are responsible for not ending it.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#213

Post by robbick »

clarkevans wrote: post #128
awinder wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the longest shutdown ever, so we're kinda past the "reasonable expectation" line when you're in uncharted historical waters...

In many western countries, when a government can't form a working coalition or agree on a budget, new elections are called.

AFAIK - no other western country has these budget limits, if a budget doesn't pass then you continue to work from the old budget, no lack of pay etc

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#214

Post by akhilcacharya »

bouncing wrote: post #157
tibbon wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen too many people say, "Oh, government workers should all know this stuff happens all the time, and if they don't have months or years of savings in the bank then it's just their fault". It's really sad that instead of being compassionate, too many are focusing on what "should" be instead of what is the reality for many people. Like you point out, the reality is that most people don't have savings. They shoul…

When I was a kid, my dad was deciding between two engineering jobs; one for the US Department of Commerce and another in the private sector for a big aerospace contractor. The private sector one paid more, I remember, but my mother brought up to my dad something interesting: You're less likely to get laid off, and you'll always have more job security, with the stable paycheck provided by a government job. It's weird…

If this country was actually run like a business, the CEO would be fired by now.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#216

Post by rhexs »

bouncing wrote: post #157
tibbon wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen too many people say, "Oh, government workers should all know this stuff happens all the time, and if they don't have months or years of savings in the bank then it's just their fault". It's really sad that instead of being compassionate, too many are focusing on what "should" be instead of what is the reality for many people. Like you point out, the reality is that most people don't have savings. They shoul…

When I was a kid, my dad was deciding between two engineering jobs; one for the US Department of Commerce and another in the private sector for a big aerospace contractor. The private sector one paid more, I remember, but my mother brought up to my dad something interesting: You're less likely to get laid off, and you'll always have more job security, with the stable paycheck provided by a government job. It's weird…

Holy hyperbole. Call me when layoffs start happening, back-pay isn't actually paid, the pension and generous vacation schedule goes away, etc. If these jobs were so terrible the employees would be clamoring to leave. Instead, the employees realize the benefits are worth it and are still trying to stay.

Why are these public jobs considered "god-given rights"? I work in the private sector. If I don't get paid, I have to find a new job. That apparently doesn't apply to public sector employees anymore. Is there some sort of immutable compact I've missed here?

Rhetorical question of course. This is just more fake political outrage because "our guy isn't the president". How many anti-TSA threads and comments has hackernews hosted over the years?

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#217

Post by idbehold »

resters wrote: post #93

At the risk of introducing a political topic into this supposedly apolitical subject, why shouldn't any president simply make demands and then shut down the government until his/her political opponents cave? Seemingly this strategy will not work ever again for either party if proper steps are taken. It seems like a terrible abuse of executive power.

The problem is that one party wants the government to continue to run while the other doesn't really seem to care. So the strategy only really works for the other party.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#218

Post by bdcravens »

mbostleman wrote: post #160
save_ferris wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's explicitly illegal for Federal Workers to strike, per the Taft-Hartley Act. On top of that, there's not much indication that this administration really cares about what's popular. Federal workers haven't gotten a paycheck in over a month, suggesting that they should break the law because of the low likelihood of punishment underestimates the lengths to which this administration will go to punish those who oppose…

It may be illegal to strike but it's not illegal to to not work if you're not paid is it?

Depends on the job. There are some jobs where refusal to do your job may carry significant legal penalties (imagine if airline traffic controllers walked out with planes in the air)

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#219

Post by wonderwonder »

derekp7 wrote: post #125
tibbon wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen too many people say, "Oh, government workers should all know this stuff happens all the time, and if they don't have months or years of savings in the bank then it's just their fault". It's really sad that instead of being compassionate, too many are focusing on what "should" be instead of what is the reality for many people. Like you point out, the reality is that most people don't have savings. They shoul…

I was wondering if federal workers have an equivalent to 401k that they can take a loan from (TSP I think it is called)? Or are there a large number of affected employees that don't participate in this program?

Its very possible that if such a program does exist, the people in charge of running a program like that are currently not working.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#220

Post by [deleted] »

benj111 wrote: post #192
toomuchtodo wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In no first world country should you be afraid that your child will die because you can't pay your electric bill because you're not getting paid for a job you're forced to work . > A Kentucky family whose main source of income was lost because of the partial government shutdown worries they will soon loose the ability to care for their 15-month-old daughter who needs special equipment to stay alive. https://www.cnn.c…

On what level are they forced to work? They have the freedom to go find another job no? On some level we are all 'forced' to work, as we all need money. To be clear, I don't disagree with you, it just detracts from your point, that's all.

[deleted]
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