And what of the sequester?

[Rogar]

It doesn't seem like it was too long ago that the sequester and other budget deficit problems were headlines and that we would be facing dire consequences. Now you hardly hear a whisper of things, at least in main stream media.

I spoke to a national wildlife refuge employee last week and they have lost four of their six naturalists, mostly through attrition and mostly due to the sequester. As a result, they've had to turn some of their guided tours in small buses into self-guided auto tours and I'm sure some other programs have been cut, but this person did not think there has been any drastic problems. I really have not heard much more. It at least seems like some of the dire predictions are not happening. I'm sure the recovering economy has something to do with the loss of money into the system not having much effect.

At this point my estimation of things has changed and I'm starting to think that more across the board budget cuts might not be so bad?

[Alan]

At this point my estimation of things has changed and I'm starting to think that more across the board budget cuts might not be so bad?
Welcome to my world.

[iris lilies]

Welcome to my world.

ditto. Cut 10% across the board. Let's go.

[Rogar]

It would actually be nice to have some sort of plan. Like maybe cutting the military and bolstering infrastructure maintenance and education. But since no one can agree...?

[ToomuchStuff]

From those I have talked to, while they are on a hiring freeze (for those retiring, and the ones they are getting rid of), a lot of the people being cut are the ones you wouldn't want working there anyway (abuse of power, slackers, etc).

[Gregg]

ditto. Cut 10% across the board. Let's go.

Works for me, but rather than just trying to reduce the deficit, because they won't anyway, lets make some investments that will pay it off later (like infrastructure). Spending valuable 2013 dollars and getting to pay the bill with 2043 dollars is the bargain of a lifetime.

[bUU]

It doesn't seem like it was too long ago that the sequester and other budget deficit problems were headlines and that we would be facing dire consequences. Now you hardly hear a whisper of things, at least in main stream media.


Head Start is an early childhood education program designed to meet the needs of low-income children and their families. In 2012, COI’s Head Start program provided services to 167 three-and-four-year-old chldren. Due to the sequester, Head Start classes in Hudson, Chatham and Philmont were reduced from five to four days a week, Tuesday through Friday. At Taconic Hills Elementary School, the five days were retained, but staff hours were reduced. Because of sequestration, said Sharpe, Head Start and its clients have lost, in May and June, 322 early childhood education contact hours, 1,200 nutritious meals and 209 family worker support contact hours. Ten slots for children were not filled because there was no money for them, while 23 children remain on the waiting list. ... Also on the sequester’s chopping block was low-income housing, targeting the same population group as Head Start. The Housing Choice Voucher program, more widely known as Section 8, helps 242 low-income Columbia County families with monthly rent payments, and it paid $1.3 million to area landlords on behalf of participating households in 2012. The waiting list for the voucher program includes more than 1,000 eligible families.http://www.registerstar.com/news/article_81e97a60-f0df-11e2-ba83-0019bb2963f4.html


The Navy has 10 fewer ships worldwide compared to just a few months ago. It has no warships at all off South America to help combat the drug trade. And training cutbacks will force many units to specialize in a sub-set of their assigned missions instead of getting ready for the full range of tasks required. Those are just some of the consequences so far of the ongoing budget cuts called sequestration, as outlined this morning for reporters by the Chief of Naval Operations. Next year, if full sequestration continues — and there’s no political movement so far towards a fix — the Navy will have to pay its $14 billion share of the cuts by canceling major maintenance “availabilities” for some 60 ships and conduct line by line reviews of procurement contracts to find ways to trim costs without reducing the number of ships and planes it buys.http://breakingdefense.com/2013/07/19/fewer-ships-at-sea-fewer-missions-less-training-cnos-sequestration-damage-list/


Continuing budget cuts forced by the federal sequester would hurt efforts to improve the quality of Michigan’s lake and rivers, environmental advocates and government officials warned Tuesday. Standing on the Moravian Road bridge over the Clinton River in Clinton Township, officials said programs funded by the Michigan Revolving Fund and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative would suffer if Congress doesn’t halt the across-the-board spending cuts. “Now we’re threatened with a budget in Washington that would double those cuts,” said U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, a Royal Oak Democrat who represents most of Macomb County. Officials said if millions of dollars in cuts are continued, funding for future public works projects and other initiatives would be jeopardized and hurt water quality across the state, affecting all residents and visitors.http://www.macombdaily.com/article/20130702/NEWS01/130709902/sequester-cuts-will-hurt-lake-st-clair-clinton-river

But the sequester is a Field Day for those who couldn't care less about the poor, couldn't care less about national security, couldn't care less about clean water for future generations, etc.

[Mrs. Hermit]

Husband is "sequestered" every Friday until October. 20% pay cut for most in this area. That is having an effect locally.

[Lainey]

Same here, Mrs. Hermit. The international corp. I work for has gov't contracts, and layoffs are expected shortly.
The ripple effect is already starting.

[Spartana]

Sister got laid off - and then re hired but transferred - when her very large aerospace defense contractor employer closed several facilities due to government budget cuts created by the sequester. Friends in the coast guard said that much of their international law enforcement patrols have been cut - especially those in Asia and So. America - as well as in the states. They are asking for more local law enforcement help from city and state agencies. Other similar jobs of friends have been affected by the sequester too.

[Lainey]

AZ Federal public defender's office budget got cut due to the sequester, but, surprise, the work keeps coming in, so as a result their director is forced to contract with outside attorneys.
Result? Expects to have to spend an extra $6M this budget year. Privatization = higher costs, less benefit. As usual.

[creaker]

The thing I find amazing is they took austerity and got the entire world to call it something else.

[Gregg]

AZ Federal public defender's office budget got cut due to the sequester, but, surprise, the work keeps coming in, so as a result their director is forced to contract with outside attorneys.
Result? Expects to have to spend an extra $6M this budget year. Privatization = higher costs, less benefit. As usual.

That is a classic example of our extremely shortsighted approach to...everything. At the same time I don't think its in any way a fair example of the results of privatization at work. It is an example of FORCED privatization, something that had to be done because other options were eliminated.

I'm not in any way saying the PD's office should go private, just that privatizing can be a viable option. Especially when proposals are submitted to the free market and competitive bidding is part of the equation. It can also be a great way to handle extra work loads that are temporary so the government doesn't have to take on employees that will only be let go when things get caught up. People forget how expensive it is to hire and train a new employee. Even though private outsourcing may have a higher per hour cost it can end up saving money in the long run in some cases.

In Lainey's example it pays to remember that it is the government who is responsible for both the sequester that made the outsourcing necessary and the terms that apply to the outside attorneys who take on that work. The blame for any extra costs or diminished services rests solely with an inept Congress, not the private sector. Privatization is certainly not a panacea, but neither is it an option that should be demonized at every turn without looking at what is really going on.