Good evening, everyone.
I'm tangentially involved in the DOGE/OPM purge of government employees. Because of old guys like me ready to retire, and because of an apparatus slow to recognize a wave of retirees, I've been working for three years to get a pipeline of new hires to make sure we don't have a critical lapse in capacity. The Exec Order on a hiring freeze required us to notify 220 accounting, economics and finance major new hires that we've rescinded their job offers. Some had already relocated and secured apartment leases in their new duty stations. Imagine your child pulling up stakes to make a new way, only to have a commitment withdrawn. These aren't slugs; they are bright kids willing to work hard to learn the financial analysis skills to assess banks and borrowers. We're not bloating the blotter; we have a similar pace of attrition. In addition to my hiring commitments, I believe they may fire another 500+ employees who are being trained in my craft but are still in a probationary period. Because I burn through about half of my new hires - due to departures from job demands, those departing for other opportunities, or those falling short - my recent hires and spurned commitments are a critical part of my agency's future. None of this is good for an agency that has been intentional to run lean.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a fiscal conservative, and I'm certain we have plenty of fat in government operations to yield savings.
Birthdays. I have counterparts who were upset over the quick buyout deadline of February 6th. I couldn't resist, and took glee in noting that Ronald Reagan, a champion of smaller government, was born on February 6th, and that that must be the rationale behind the date. Once they verified my declaration, I was derided for knowing Reagan's birthday, all in good fun. In the end, I had to confess why I knew Reagan's birthday...
My dad would be 87 today. He was the man who formed me, and who had a positive impact on so many he encountered. He always noted that he shared a birthday with President Reagan, and that he was named for another celebrity who shared his birthday, George Herman Ruth.
So, here's to my Dad, a man who came from nothing, impacted so many in a positive fashion, and here's to knowing that every federal agency isn't full of clock-watching malcontents.
RTR,
Tim
I'm tangentially involved in the DOGE/OPM purge of government employees. Because of old guys like me ready to retire, and because of an apparatus slow to recognize a wave of retirees, I've been working for three years to get a pipeline of new hires to make sure we don't have a critical lapse in capacity. The Exec Order on a hiring freeze required us to notify 220 accounting, economics and finance major new hires that we've rescinded their job offers. Some had already relocated and secured apartment leases in their new duty stations. Imagine your child pulling up stakes to make a new way, only to have a commitment withdrawn. These aren't slugs; they are bright kids willing to work hard to learn the financial analysis skills to assess banks and borrowers. We're not bloating the blotter; we have a similar pace of attrition. In addition to my hiring commitments, I believe they may fire another 500+ employees who are being trained in my craft but are still in a probationary period. Because I burn through about half of my new hires - due to departures from job demands, those departing for other opportunities, or those falling short - my recent hires and spurned commitments are a critical part of my agency's future. None of this is good for an agency that has been intentional to run lean.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a fiscal conservative, and I'm certain we have plenty of fat in government operations to yield savings.
Birthdays. I have counterparts who were upset over the quick buyout deadline of February 6th. I couldn't resist, and took glee in noting that Ronald Reagan, a champion of smaller government, was born on February 6th, and that that must be the rationale behind the date. Once they verified my declaration, I was derided for knowing Reagan's birthday, all in good fun. In the end, I had to confess why I knew Reagan's birthday...
My dad would be 87 today. He was the man who formed me, and who had a positive impact on so many he encountered. He always noted that he shared a birthday with President Reagan, and that he was named for another celebrity who shared his birthday, George Herman Ruth.
So, here's to my Dad, a man who came from nothing, impacted so many in a positive fashion, and here's to knowing that every federal agency isn't full of clock-watching malcontents.
RTR,
Tim
.
