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4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

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Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#381

Post by spauldo »

waltbosz wrote: post #220
nine_zeros wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Is the privatized NC DMV any better than the public one? I was just at the Delaware DMV getting my 2 vehicles inspected and registration renewed, and while not an entirely horrible experience, it did seem like there were a lot of inefficiencies and complacentcy. I've also noticed the difference in the US post offices around me and the FedEx stores and wonder why the post offices aren't nicer customer experiences.

We've had privatized tag agents in Oklahoma for as long as I can remember.

It actually works pretty well. If you need a driver's test or CDL background checks, you need the DPS office (which is very hit-and-miss). For everything else - tags, license renewal, etc. - a tag agent handles it. They all charge the same fees and offer the same services, so it doesn't matter which one you go to. If the local agency is always busy, someone will open another one.

I'm not normally a fan of privatization, but this is one of the cases where it makes sense. It's one of the few things Oklahoma gets right.

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#382

Post by oblio »

timeon wrote: post #191
spwa4 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because a LOT of people have been left out of economic progress in Europe especially, and in the US. They want, even need change, and Trump came with a "believable" story for change. As in, more change than a president Harris would have delivered. Unless we get economic progress more equally spread this will get worse and worse.

Why it will get worse? They got what they voted for.

Didn't Trump just cut taxes for the top 1% while most of his voters are low earners with low educational attainment?

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#383

Post by unnamed76ri »

parineum wrote: post #275
Arubis wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That particular playbook long predates Trump: campaign on the ineffectiveness and incompetence of government and, once elected, prove it—with ineffectiveness and incompetence. Repeat ad infinium.

CA has been a one party state minus a couple governors my entire life. You'd think the Democrats would have this place running like a well oiled machine by now.

The oil for those machines would have to be a special CA blend that costs double though.

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#384

Post by vlovich123 »

treis wrote: post #365
jzb wrote: post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is worth making the point: a lot of people simply don’t see it (yet?) for what it is and still support the people doing it.

Because this is more like dialing it back to pre-covid: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES9091000001 Unfortunately the two choices are expansion and haphazard reduction

I don’t know why the number of employees is a problem when the reduction is offset by instead contracting out that work and just needing to also pay middlemen for that work. It’s the worst of both worlds.

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#385

Post by oblio »

Yeul wrote: post #86
spicyusername wrote: post #4

Wow, that's terrible news... I just don't understand why this is something people would want.

Even the US is not exempt from economic rules. Trump and the rich want less taxation. The deficit cannot grow infinitely. Something has to be cut.

I'm confused, won't Trump's tax measures increase the deficit by trillions? Isn't he already spending more than Biden over the same time interval?

How exactly is Trump reducing the deficit by any significant margin?

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#386

Post by stogot »

treis wrote: post #365
jzb wrote: post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is worth making the point: a lot of people simply don’t see it (yet?) for what it is and still support the people doing it.

Because this is more like dialing it back to pre-covid: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES9091000001 Unfortunately the two choices are expansion and haphazard reduction

As a proponent of a “smaller fed”, I wish it was not haphazard but that we some actual thought went into it rather than shooting from the hip

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#387

Post by mrobins »

giantg2 wrote: post #243
jebarker wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Their science missions are inspiring, but not as inspiring as they ought to be Are they 1% as inspiring as what the DoD does with their budget? I don't mean to be snarky, but level of inspiration is pretty subjective and difficult to put a price tag on. Honestly, I feel like the NASA budget needs to be considered in context relative to the DoD budget and then these cuts look much less convincing as being necessary.

"Are they 1% as inspiring as what the DoD does with their budget?" It would be closer to 2%, but we could measure it by engagement. Ask people what their last positive interaction was with NASA vs the military. The military does all sorts of outreach with things like the Blue Angels, stadium flyovers, competitions at fairs, etc. Ask them what NASA has done over the past year vs what the military has done over the pas…

How many people on HN have a James Webb wallpaper?

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#388

Post by fennecbutt »

jzb wrote: post #303
noobermin wrote: post #302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not worth making this point anymore. Bannon et al have been explicit for decades now they want to destroy the federal government. It's ideological, that's it quite simply. All these discussions about efficiency, even more so the debt given they just blew up the debt to never before seen levels just shows that sincerity is not deserved when talking to Rs.

It is worth making the point: a lot of people simply don’t see it (yet?) for what it is and still support the people doing it.

Well there's also just the "own the libs durrrrr!" crowd.

Politics has become a sports game. I lack confidence in a good chunk of the population to vote in their best interests, perhaps democracy isn't the right way. Or voting on something should require an exam on the subject.

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#389

Post by stogot »

CamperBob2 wrote: post #351
rekrsiv wrote: post #307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not about reducing costs, it's about funding the tax breaks for the rich.

No, that particular act of stupidity is about fucking up NOAA so it can be privatized by Trump cronies, while simultaneously burying "inconvenient truths" that inconvenience the same people. Defunding NASA is about the tax cuts. NOAA is different.

Side note: Inconvenient Truth documentary might have actually been more widely accepted if it wasn’t a political ad for Al Gore

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#390

Post by cosmic_cheese »

Eisenstein wrote: post #286
parineum wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

CA has been a one party state minus a couple governors my entire life. You'd think the Democrats would have this place running like a well oiled machine by now.

Why would you think that? No one is saying that the Democrats are good at anything. This is not a algebra, taking something from one side doesn't get added to the other.

Worth mentioning that democrats have their own issues bogging things down, such as internal splintering, state gov fighting NIMBY-aligned local gov, localities throwing tantrums if they’re not included (big factor in the SF ↔ LA rail project), etc.
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