cha.house.gov -- Committee on House Administration
Notice to Non-Essential Employees ...
Dear ______:
This letter is to notify you that, due to the lapse of appropriated funds at midnight April 8, 2011, normal operations of the United States Government are suspended until funding is restored. Most United States Government employees must be furloughed.
With respect to the House of Representatives, only those functions which entail or directly support the legislative process and/or the House’s other constitutional responsibilities, or that entail safe-guarding of human life, and/or the protection of property, are permitted to continue.
[...]
Due to legal requirements, working in any way during a period of furlough (even as a volunteer) is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. To avoid violating this prohibition, we strongly recommend that you turn your blackberries off for the duration of the furlough.
(I was told yesterday, we might Today, we WILL have to commute into the Office next Monday, just to get our "Dear Blankitey-Blank Letters" ... Yeah Right! I'll be there 7am sharp!)
Since I don't "directly support the legislative process" (by building Databases to better Manage Resources) ... I'll soon be joining the ranks of the under-employed; Oh Well, I could use the break after -- the last 5 years of Silent Downsizing by Attrition ...
Well, Maybe if they let me keep my BlackBerry -- they could E-Mail me My Letter, eh?
Can't do that -- cuz they've "have to pay me" for checking my messages, Doooh!
Mass BlackBerry confusion in looming shutdown
money.cnn.com - April 8, 2011
By Jennifer Liberto, senior writer, and David Goldman, staff writer
WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) -- What happens when you apply an 1884 law to BlackBerries? Mass confusion.
The Antideficiency Act, passed by Congress during Chester Arthur's administration, prevents non-essential federal employees from working when the government has no budget with which to pay them. If the government were to shut down Friday, the 800,000 furloughed federal employees would actually be violating the law if they were to check their work e-mail. [...]
I thought every Job ... had "Dignity" ?
Every Job was worthwhile, and a vital link in chain, of a Healthy Economy?
WRONG!
Many Jobs are just NOT worth doing -- unless you're protecting Lives or Property ...
The rest you ... Ta-ta!
I'm a 'non-essential' worker
money.cnn.com - April 7, 2011
By Jessica Dickler, staff writer
Ron Thatcher may not get paid next week because he's "non-essential."
Thatcher is one of 800,000 federal workers who could be collateral damage in the budget battle between Congress and the White House. If the two can't find a compromise by Friday, the federal government will shut down and leave employees without pay.
Most, like Thatcher, will be considered "non-essential" and told to stay home. Those who are deemed "essential" to the protection of human life and property -- get to come to work, but still don't get paid. [...]
Nice! Keep working, Security Dudes ... your IOU is in the Mail ... Maybe!
But don't feel particularly "singled out" my fellow Federal Employees -- because according to this Career Counselor, Corporate America has been playing this game as well.
"Worker dignity" -- Huh? What's THAT add to the bottom line?
Non-Essential Employees
Lisa, Recruiter Uncensored -- 02.02.11
[...] When you look back over the past few years, during an incredible economic storm, many companies have, for all intents and purposes, said “non-essential employees need not report.” They’ve made a strategic decision to get by with the critical few needed to weather the storm. Skilled individuals with great work ethics and meaningful contributions to their employers still found themselves with a pink slip in hand and struggling to shake off the absolute shock. [...]
All in the Name of Austerity; Cut Spending; Cut the Fat;
Tighten your Belts; Share the Pain; Spread the Sacrifice;
Streeetch the Talking Points; Etc. etc.
Just don't look to 'Cut the Spending' in that Sector "that shall not be named" ...
(even though, most of the People already KNOW where the real Spending problem is.)
Public prefers cutting defense spending: Reuters/Ipsos poll
by Donna Smith, Reuters -- Mar 9, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of Americans prefer cutting defense spending to reduce the federal deficit rather than taking money from public retirement and health programs, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday showed.
The poll found 51 percent of Americans support reducing defense spending, and only 28 percent want to cut Medicare and Medicaid health programs for the elderly and poor. A mere 18 percent back cuts in the Social Security retirement program.
[...]
Lawmakers are more focused on cutting so-called discretionary spending, but some experts say Congress will eventually need to cut entitlements to make a major dent in the country's $1.6 trillion deficit and $14 trillion debt.
I guess those "Experts" never heard about "Raising Revenues" to pay for stuff?
(You know, actually PAY for all those Wars, as you Go.)
Hmmmm, if we keep cutting the $14,000,000,000,000 National Debt
by about roughly an annual $50,000,000,000 like they're trying now
Until all those "Non-Essential" Employees have magically disappeared ... into the Ether, I guess ...
THEN, America should be "Out of Debt" again, in about 280 YEARS!
Good Job, Austerity Hawks -- by Jove, I think you've Got it!
We all just need to Out-Live the Debt ... Doooh! -- Most excellent Tea Party plan!
Good Grief! WHO's Job is "Non-Essential" again?
Perhaps maybe it's those Budget Geniuses who would send most of America to the Unemployment Lines -- ALL for sake of sticking with their Unproven Motto:
MORE Tax Cuts WILL Create Jobs --
Yeah Right! In about 300 years, Maybe!
(I think we'll all be "Non-Essential" by then ... this must be that Fuzzy Austerity Math again.)