Furlough Thread

[RealMoneyIssues]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

Now, based on current scenarios and the agencies requirements, can you all live with next NINE years with 20% pay cuts?

The initial spending cuts were to equal $1.2Trillion over ten years. This sequestration effort in 2013 is the first year. So 10-1 equals 9 years left to keep reducing spending.

So your assumption is that your pay will be cut 20% for the next 9 years? Ok, don't see it, but like I said earlier, I am dense.

22 days out of 260 working days is a 8.5% cut and I assume that furloughs are being used as a political tool. I am sorry that all of you are the recipients of this political BS (that is NOT Birchtree Sentiment).

Like Jim said, the reason this year is such a big deal is because the sequester cuts are going to be implemented fully in a partial year (7 months, vice 12 months) due to can kicking. This shortened time to implement Sequester along with the inability for Congress (both Senate and House for those who do not know) to pass a budget has made this a bigger deal than it otherwise would have been.

I knew I shouldn't have gotten into this thread (the reason why I don't participate in the political forums), because I am not smart enough to understand all of this.

Sorry, I will stand aside for those smarter than me to discuss furloughs.

 

[Frixxxx]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

So your assumption is that your pay will be cut 20% for the next 9 years? Ok, don't see it, but like I said earlier, I am dense.

22 days out of 260 working days is a 8.5% cut and I assume that furloughs are being used as a political tool. I am sorry that all of you are the recipients of this political BS (that is NOT Birchtree Sentiment).

Like Jim said, the reason this year is such a big deal is because the sequester cuts are going to be implemented fully in a partial year (7 months, vice 12 months) due to can kicking. This shortened time to implement Sequester along with the inability for Congress (both Senate and House for those who do not know) to pass a budget has made this a bigger deal than it otherwise would have been.

I knew I shouldn't have gotten into this thread (the reason why I don't participate in the political forums), because I am not smart enough to understand all of this.

Sorry, I will stand aside for those smarter than me to discuss furloughs.

My assumption is that every year would be like this year, 4-5 months of no action then BAM 7 months of trying to hit the cuts.....meaning I am not trust the government to PLAN for 12 months. Sorry for the confusion RMI!:embarrest:

 

[WorkFE]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

FTR, for the time being, nobody is taking a 20% pay reduction (NOBODY)
You may, depending on your job, take a 20% reduction in hours worked. Now I know we are talking apples and oranges here but there is a significant difference.

 

[Frixxxx]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

FTR, for the time being, nobody is taking a 20% pay reduction (NOBODY)
You may, depending on your job, take a 20% reduction in hours worked. Now I know we are talking apples and oranges here but there is a significant difference.

Yea, I guess your right, I wonder how they will work 8.5% of work hours into the current pay system for the next 9 years. YEAH less pay, same work and more if they don't replace those that just say SCREW IT!

 

[Khotso]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

How Furloughs Will Affect Pay and Benefits - Pay & Benefits Watch - Pay & Benefits - GovExec.com

afterthought: I wish SHE would take a permanent furlough. "Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., said she thinks lawmakers need to sacrifice their own pay if federal employees are forced to take unpaid leave as a result of sequestration. “If the federal employees are going to take a 20 percent cut and be furloughed, we should take a 20 percent cut,” Mikulski said Tuesday on the Senate floor. “If they take a hit, we should take a hit, and I look forward to moving on that legislation,” said the new chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Many federal employees live and work in Maryland, so Mikulski’s staunch defense of feds and opposition to sequestration comes as no surprise."

So let me get this straight Warren, you wish Mikulski would take a permanent furlough because she thinks and says that Congress should take the same furlough/pay cut that fed employees are forced to take?

 

[WorkFE]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

My apologies to the temp, term and contractors who potentially could lose much more than 20%.

Frixxx,
I have been tracking man hours per my SSP's for the past 5 years. I am able to tell them what I can do in a 40 hour week and what I can not do. Now I will admit it is easy for me because I am a 1 person MDEP but when they cut hours I can show them what stops or what percentage of each service I can provide. It's their job to determine what level they want me to operate at and to except the risk at reduced levels or not.

 

[Frixxxx]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

My apologies to the temp, term and contractors who potentially could lose much more than 20%.

Frixxx,
I have been tracking man hours per my SSP's for the past 5 years. I am able to tell them what I can do in a 40 hour week and what I can not do. Now I will admit it is easy for me because I am a 1 person MDEP but when they cut hours I can show them what stops or what percentage of each service I can provide. It's their job to determine what level they want me to operate at and to except the risk at reduced levels or not.

All good, I'm project based and I have mapped out two years of planning based on requirements and I'm down three resources. They take a day away from me, milestones missed and scheduling conflicts ensue. If I have contractors in a holding pattern during my furlough days, the stoppage gets compounded. Then make me do less next year.....and well, it gets exacorbated and I exaspirated.
And at no time did furloughs enter into my risk matrix.

 

[wavecoder]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

aaahhhhh, breath deep my friends, and remember well the smell. today is the last day the stench of fiscal over spending rot and decay shall ever these nostrils assault. for tomorrow is a brand new clean world, a world of virtuous frugality and sensible budgets where no one need fear the furlough. a world where frivolous foriegn junkets and transfer payments to appease special interests are sacrificed in favor of paying the bills at home, a world of freedom from our financial overlords.

meanwhile, back at the ranch...

US: $60 million in new aid to Syria opposition - Yahoo! News

Because cutting hours for federal workforce will save a big percentage of government spending, right?

 

[Bquat]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

What worries me about this kind of furlough is that it's not like a spending cap furlough. This one is non-refundable for you guys.

 

[wavecoder]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

What worries me about this kind of furlough is that it's not like a spending cap furlough. This one is non-refundable for you guys.

i just wish for once, congress/white house would target big-spending issues rather than always targeting federal employees first. when it comes to the slice of the pie we cost to the government budget, we are microscopic.

sequestration won't handle anything when it comes to tackling the budget issue. if anything we're just getting penalized for the government's inability to get anything worked out

 

[RealMoneyIssues]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

Because cutting hours for federal workforce will save a big percentage of government spending, right?

Uh, no...

 

[WorkFE]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

if anything we're just getting penalized for the government's inability to get anything worked out

There are alot of us federal employees but the truth is we are a smaller voting block than some other places they could cut money.

 

[wavecoder]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

Uh, no...

i was being sarcastic

 

[James48843]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

What? We need to save $85 BILLION dollars, or else everyone loses their federal job?


Heck- that's an EASY one.

I know EXACLTY where we can save $85 BILLION dollars!

U.S. to Take Over AIG in $85 Billion Bailout; Central Banks Inject Cash as Credit Dries Up - WSJ.com

 

[WorkFE]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

That takes care of this year James, 9 more to go.

 

[nnuut]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

What? We need to save $85 BILLION dollars, or else everyone loses their federal job?


Heck- that's an EASY one.

I know EXACLTY where we can save $85 BILLION dollars!

U.S. to Take Over AIG in $85 Billion Bailout; Central Banks Inject Cash as Credit Dries Up - WSJ.com

Make that $44 Billion for 2013:

Widely quoted as $85 billion for spending in fiscal year 2013 (which ends on September 30), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) underscores that just $44 billion of spending reduction are slated for 2013, with the rest coming in later years. So what we're talking about is trimming $44 billion from total federal spending expected to be $3.6 trillion this year. If you use the $85 billion number, that's about 2.4 percent of the budget. If you use the $44 billion, you're looking at 1.2 percent.

If You Think the Sequester Cuts Will Tank the Economy, I've Got a Bridge In Brooklyn You Might Want to Buy - Hit & Run : Reason.com

 

[RealMoneyIssues]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

What? We need to save $85 BILLION dollars, or else everyone loses their federal job?


Heck- that's an EASY one.

I know EXACLTY where we can save $85 BILLION dollars!

U.S. to Take Over AIG in $85 Billion Bailout; Central Banks Inject Cash as Credit Dries Up - WSJ.com

Nope, they already paid US back...
Benmosche: AIG Paid America Back, But We Still Have To Consider Suing - Forbes

Unfortunately, it was already spent...

 

[James48843]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

Whitehouse Office of Management and Budget issues new memo-

Directs Agencies to immediate go to "increased scrutany". including what amounts to a hiring freeze, stop all federal employee awards, and stop any new conferences or travel not already scheduled.

" Discretionary bonuses is one of three areas OMB Controller Danny Werfel highlighted where agencies should place "increased scrutiny." The other two areas are the hiring of new employees and new training, conferences or travel.
"In light of the reduced budgetary resources available due to sequestration, expending funds on these activities at this time would in many circumstances not be the most effective way to protect agency mission to the extent practicable," Werfel wrote to agency and department heads. "Therefore, agency leadership should review processes and controls around these activities and ensure that these activities are conducted only to the extent they are the most cost-effective way to maintain critical agency mission operations under sequestration."


New OMB Memo here:


http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2013/m-13-05.pdf

Here we go.

The story is here:
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/110...es-to-stop-bonuses-hiring-under-sequestration

 

[nnuut]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

Don't be afraid, they are all JAW and NO TEETH!

 

[PLANO]

Re: *Re: Furlough Thread

I've been grinding my teeth all week as we've hosted a regional conference in my office. People flying in from all over, hotels, per diem...but we're going to furlough soon...it's crazy.

Here's an idea: cut foreign aid sufficient to meet the goal. Done, and it's not even 5pm yet. Next problem. But our President would rather the country go through this turmoil so he can win the argument. Ridiculous.