Amazon Boycott, Anyone?

[sweetana3]

A big issue is that the best and brightest have not usually wanted to work for the government. (I retired after31 years of service) For most of that time, I was considered crazy for doing it. During periods of financial crisis, I was no longer crazy. But it was the stability and benefits, not the salary, that kept me like golden handcuffs. No longer the case. No stability, fewer benefits, crazy management, etc. and we are back to the past and the government being a low end place to work.

[flowerseverywhere]

I'm guessing that climate, overall health and cancer research will continue without any discernible degradation if staffing is cut back to 2019 levels and funding remains at 2024 levels.

As for my thoughts on the VA, I think that if personnel cutbacks occur at the level you've referenced, there will still be approximately 400,000 employees servicing the needs of our veterans. Using an off the top of my head calculation, that would be approximately 1 VA employee for every 40 living US military veterans.

As a veteran myself, I've never utilized any VA services other than receiving approvals for GI Bill education benefits and a VA home loan, both back in the 70's when the the VA enjoyed staffing levels less then 50% of today's headcount. It occurs to me that there is almost certainly a fair amount of bloat in every government agency, especially considering in this case that the vast majority of veterans in any given year have no contact with or services provided by the VA, which would bring that 1 in 40 number down to something along the lines of 1 VA employee for every 20 or fewer veterans receiving services during each year.

Overall, I'm thinking we veterans will be just fine.

this makes me incredibly sad. I worked in a large VA hospital. Veterans often had to wait months for outpatient appointments. On an inpatient unit, many of the patients had multiple medical and psychiatric problems. Agent Orange and now burn pits are incredibly harmful to multiple systems. PTSD, depression, suicide prevention all factor in to complicating veteran care. Traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, burns and wounds need extended complicated care. I met ex pow’s, men who came back to find girlfriends and wives had moved on. Vietnam vets returned to hostile citizens who snugly watched the action on TV while our soldiers slogged through muck, were shot at or shot down.

the veteran suicide rate is almost 60% higher than average citizens. The absolute last thing that should be cut is medical care. There are systems and jobs that could be redundant or not needed. But if you care at all about veterans saying cutting 80,000 workers without careful assessment would be a death sentence.

[catherine]

My brother would be dead if it weren't for the VA, and I'm not exaggerating. If there are inefficiencies in the VA, it's probably because of outdated systems that there is no budget to replace, not because of the workforce.

[happystuff]

As you all know, I usually avoid the Politics thread, but I saw catherine's post mentioning the VA in the "What's New". My primary dr and healthcare is through the VA.

And now I am stepping away. Have a great day, everyone.

[Rogar]

I see in today's paper that the VA reductions are not expected until June. There are something like 100 lawsuits over the mass firings among the various agencies. It may be months before we see the big impact? What I'm seeing is that DT is expecting the states make up any shortfalls due to DOE cutbacks or total elimination. If the market continues to tank, some may see a reduction in taxes in the form of less capital gains taxes.

Whether, as Alan says, the numbers overall will just be a throw back to 2019 levels is yet to be seen, but I consider very unlikely.

[KayLR]

My brother would be dead if it weren't for the VA, and I'm not exaggerating. If there are inefficiencies in the VA, it's probably because of outdated systems that there is no budget to replace, not because of the workforce.

This, yes! My DH's primary care is through the VA and it has been our experience that the system works at a glacial pace and unless you are persistent you will fall through the cracks. Recently he had a vision checkup and it took 12 weeks for his glasses to arrive! Can you imagine having to wait that long for a pair of glasses under your present coverage?

After we moved it took almost a year for his records to be transferred. This was after we accidentally found a PA who would take him on as a primary; the VA had no doctor s available.

This is how we say "Thank you for your 22 years of service!"

[early morning]

KayLR, that's terrible. I agree that we owe our men and women who served MUCH better than that. There must be a lot of regional differences in VAs. Both my FIL and BIL utilized the VA here, as did a first cousin. (WWII no active war service, other two Vietnam active duty) I gotta say, their experiences at our local VA were much better than what you experienced. They had little trouble getting appointments, services, or meds. The VA arranged dialysis services for BIL out of state when we took him traveling with us. My cousin was offered (and refused) help with housing, food, and outpatient mental health services. All three received hospice services at or through the VA here. I am grateful for them, and I'm fine with my tax dollars supporting them. I don't see cuts as being helpful, when the cutters have no idea what those cut actually DO. We need to do MORE for our vets, not less.

[Alan]

This, yes! My DH's primary care is through the VA and it has been our experience that the system works at a glacial pace and unless you are persistent you will fall through the cracks. Recently he had a vision checkup and it took 12 weeks for his glasses to arrive! Can you imagine having to wait that long for a pair of glasses under your present coverage?

After we moved it took almost a year for his records to be transferred. This was after we accidentally found a PA who would take him on as a primary; the VA had no doctor s available.

This is how we say "Thank you for your 22 years of service!"

I think the problems and delays you, Catherine and Flowers mention have more to do with the bureaucracy associated with any government program and less with lack of resources, funding or support. It's the same as healthcare in Canada or the UK or any other socialized healthcare system.

I recall just about 6 years or so ago when Congress passed the Mission Act which helped, and actually encouraged, veterans receive timely healthcare through private physicians and hospitals, but access to the systems set up to facilitate that care seems to have disappeared around 2021. I wonder why?

[Tybee]

Interesting reading from someone who just retired from SSA about DOGE:

Ex. J - Flick Decl..pdf (courtlistener.com)

[Rogar]

Over the winter I was looking into sending a couple of paper i-bonds in my safety deposit box to a Treasury Direct account. When I set up the account they were saying it could take 8n to 12 weeks before the bond would show up in my account. There were cautions saying to send it registered or certified mail with receipt confirmation. That seemed like an inexcusably long to time process the paper bonds. Now, there is no way I'd send them until all the layoffs and reorganization dust settles. Who knows how long it would take.

Here's an interesting (or disturbing) first person account of a Forest Service firing.

https://www.hcn.org/articles/losing-...t-service-job/