An ungrateful child?

I was in the best qualified pile for a chance to go to FLETC to be a U.S. Marshal. They sent offers out for the first class in April. I didn't make that class but was probably going to make the second class in July. Sequestration cancelled that class and all potential classes until FY14. So yeah, the sequestration sucks.

Republicans welcome this ripple effect of the sequester.

When the DOW hits record highs with the total job market so weak, the sequester is the fabricated silver lining.

Some businesses can get too big and fail. And other businesses are just waiting to eat the bottom feeders.

1. Claim the sequester weakened the economy to the breaking point
2. Justify another round of layoffs
3. Profit

Lionel Mandrake: ...disabled tenants in California who will lose their housing vouchers, the elderly cancer patients in South Carolina who are being denied their chemotherapytreatment...

oh noes!  The moochers aren't getting their handouts!  Why don't these bums go out and get jobs?  If we didn't take care of all these burdensome and unproductive parasite, America would be so much better!

They can't be moochers...'cuz they're white and vote Republican!

Ivandrago: I was in the best qualified pile for a chance to go to FLETC to be a U.S. Marshal. They sent offers out for the first class in April. I didn't make that class but was probably going to make the second class in July. Sequestration cancelled that class and all potential classes until FY14. So yeah, the sequestration sucks.

Law Enforcement? Government job? MOOCHER!

(I don't really think you're a moocher)

The solution is obvious. Elect a repub to the White House, then the deficit will cease to matter and we can go back to business as usual. Until then, America must suffer for electing and re-electing the black guy. Take that, you biatch!

Duke Phillips' Singing Bears: Ivandrago: I was in the best qualified pile for a chance to go to FLETC to be a U.S. Marshal. They sent offers out for the first class in April. I didn't make that class but was probably going to make the second class in July. Sequestration cancelled that class and all potential classes until FY14. So yeah, the sequestration sucks.

Law Enforcement? Government job? MOOCHER!

(I don't really think you're a moocher)

Oh, I'm definitely a moocher. I've only ever worked for government in one capacity or another. Military, Public Defender's Office. Trying for federal law enforcement. I also get disability from injuries I sustained while in the Army. I'm such a taker! (A very good friend told me I was a thief because I received disability)

GAT_00: Ivandrago: I was in the best qualified pile for a chance to go to FLETC to be a U.S. Marshal. They sent offers out for the first class in April. I didn't make that class but was probably going to make the second class in July. Sequestration cancelled that class and all potential classes until FY14. So yeah, the sequestration sucks.

I lost a very likely spot at ORNL.

Sucks. Do you have another job? I was pining all my post-law school hopes on USMS and now I've got nothing. I'm equally angry at both sides for it.

Ivandrago: Oh, I'm definitely a moocher. I've only ever worked for government in one capacity or another. Military, Public Defender's Office. Trying for federal law enforcement. I also get disability from injuries I sustained while in the Army. I'm such a taker! (A very good friend told me I was a thief because I received disability)

I'm going to have to know the exact nature and extent of you injuries in order to make a moral judgement regarding your worthiness to accept disability payments. I'm not against them, per se, but it's vitally important I be able to determine your level of American Hero-ness before I say if its okay for you to get money for being injured while in the "Army", if you know what I mean.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work sitting in a comfortable chair in an air conditioned building.

Strategy: Make the economy scream!

Ivandrago: I'm equally angry at both sides for it.

But how should I vote?

/seriously, it's the GOPs fault. They didn't want to raise taxes on wealthy people.

Duke Phillips' Singing Bears: Ivandrago: Oh, I'm definitely a moocher. I've only ever worked for government in one capacity or another. Military, Public Defender's Office. Trying for federal law enforcement. I also get disability from injuries I sustained while in the Army. I'm such a taker! (A very good friend told me I was a thief because I received disability)

I'm going to have to know the exact nature and extent of you injuries in order to make a moral judgement regarding your worthiness to accept disability payments. I'm not against them, per se, but it's vitally important I be able to determine your level of American Hero-ness before I say if its okay for you to get money for being injured while in the "Army", if you know what I mean.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work sitting in a comfortable chair in an air conditioned building.

If I had been wounded, I would have punched him. All I did was carry a machine gun and fall off a lot of things, like MRAPs, HMMWV, obstacles in basic training, I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff. I have a low American Hero Quotient.

cameroncrazy1984: Ivandrago: I'm equally angry at both sides for it.

But how should I vote?

/seriously, it's the GOPs fault. They didn't want to raise taxes on wealthy people.

I'm angry at the people and the institution, so I don't know how I'll vote or how anyone should vote.
 To me if you set something in place that's supposed to hurt so much you come to a deal, you should probably come to a deal. It's like they dropped this landmine from a helicopter and promised to disarm it before the people walked over it. Well they didn't and now I'm screwed out of a job, my friend in my USMS is furloughed, the FBI told me I won't hear from them until July at the earliest to find out if I can even test, but because of the sequester the next classes won't be happening until FY14 anyway. The FBI said they can put a class through every two weeks, but now they can't. It's all a cute abstraction from Washington.

The sequester certainly hit my team badly, as all DOD contracts were frozen starting last fall. So we're having to farm out our work to foreign governments to keep afloat. Having seen brain drain in other countries (e.g. Canada) it's surprising to find that happening to us.

Ivandrago: To me if you set something in place that's supposed to hurt so much you come to a deal, you should probably come to a deal.

I agree. And the Dems were willing to come to a deal. The Dems were/are willing to make spending cuts. The GOP absolutely said no raising taxes on the top 1%. Therefore, the GOP was the one at fault.

Ivandrago: cameroncrazy1984: Ivandrago: I'm equally angry at both sides for it.

But how should I vote?

/seriously, it's the GOPs fault. They didn't want to raise taxes on wealthy people.

I'm angry at the people and the institution, so I don't know how I'll vote or how anyone should vote.
 To me if you set something in place that's supposed to hurt so much you come to a deal, you should probably come to a deal. It's like they dropped this landmine from a helicopter and promised to disarm it before the people walked over it. Well they didn't and now I'm screwed out of a job, my friend in my USMS is furloughed, the FBI told me I won't hear from them until July at the earliest to find out if I can even test, but because of the sequester the next classes won't be happening until FY14 anyway. The FBI said they can put a class through every two weeks, but now they can't. It's all a cute abstraction from Washington.

But the Republicans refuse to deal. They have made pledges saying they will not raise taxes EVER for any situation. The Democrats have already said they are willing to make cuts, even to programs they like as long as that is balanced with tax increases.

Saying both sides are bad because one side completely refuses to negotiate isn't very fair.

cameroncrazy1984: Ivandrago: To me if you set something in place that's supposed to hurt so much you come to a deal, you should probably come to a deal.

I agree. And the Dems were willing to come to a deal. The Dems were/are willing to make spending cuts. The GOP absolutely said no raising taxes on the top 1%. Therefore, the GOP was the one at fault.

I certainly blame the republicans more, but I hold them both responsible for thinking this was somehow a good idea. It took both of them to make this happen, and I hate the intransigence of republicans when it comes to taxes on top level earners. But the democrats should have known what they were dealing with and come up with a different plan.
It's very easy to sit here at home and spit venom at both sides, I just try and spit a little more at the republicans. I really wanted to be a U.S. Marshal.

Ivandrago: I hold them both responsible for thinking this was somehow a good idea. It took both of them to make this happen,

You do realize that the alternative, thanks to the GOP, was default? Would you rather have that? The sequester was the only thing the Dems could get the GOP to agree to in order to avoid default.

Sometimes both sides are not bad.

Wait, so FLETC is closing down?  That's kind of a big farking deal.

FLETC is Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which is where every single federal agency (except the FBI) trains their new agents.  That's going to gum up the works for a lot of agencies.

"Most unkindest"?

Ivandrago: carry a machine gun and fall off a lot of things

I think I'd like to go drinking with you .... if I find out I have a terminal illness.

In sponsoring the amendment, the senators said they are trying to protect meat and poultry jobs. Some have estimated that the furloughs, which would take place at more than 6,000 meat plants, would cost about 500,000 workers nearly $400 million in wages.

"This amendment solves a very pressing issue that impacts each and every American," Sen. Blunt said. "Without this funding, every meat, poultry and egg processing facility in the country would be forced to shut down for up to two weeks. That means high food prices and less work for the hardworking Americans who work in these facilities nationwide."

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/03/senate-approves-measure-to-a void -meat-inspector-furloughs/#.UWLzMb39Fwh

If you've got a couple of Repub. Senators (Blunt/Pryor) then you can tweak the sequester however you like:  USDA forced to trans 55 million to their Food Safety Inspection Service to keep all those chickens cleaned and farkable...

ArkPanda: Wait, so FLETC is closing down?  That's kind of a big farking deal.

FLETC is Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which is where every single federal agency (except the FBI) trains their new agents.  That's going to gum up the works for a lot of agencies.

It's not closing down, so far as I'm aware. They're just not opening up as many new classes as they normally would. I got an email from the ATF about their new class. Now, I have no desire to be an ATF agent, but it means FLETC is at least staying open. I'm sure instructors are being furloughed, though.

cameroncrazy1984: Ivandrago: I hold them both responsible for thinking this was somehow a good idea. It took both of them to make this happen,

You do realize that the alternative, thanks to the GOP, was default? Would you rather have that? The sequester was the only thing the Dems could get the GOP to agree to in order to avoid default.

Sometimes both sides are not bad.

I'm definitely not a BSABSVR guy, I just feel that democrats should have had the forethought to know that republicans would play this game. I'm bitter right now. I should be prepping for FLETC, not the damn bar exam.

Welcome to 2009, sequester victims.

dittybopper: ArkPanda: Wait, so FLETC is closing down?  That's kind of a big farking deal.

FLETC is Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which is where every single federal agency (except the FBI) trains their new agents.  That's going to gum up the works for a lot of agencies.

So it will hobble the ATF?

Your friends have already done that, no director for years.

Ivandrago: I'm definitely not a BSABSVR guy, I just feel that democrats should have had the forethought to know that republicans would play this game. I'm bitter right now. I should be prepping for FLETC, not the damn bar exam.

So it's the Democrats fault for the Republicans doing what they are doing? Republicans actions are the responsibility of the Democrats? What do you think they should have done exactly?

Ivandrago:I'm definitely not a BSABSVR guy, I just feel that democrats should have had the forethought to know that republicans would play this game.

I'm pretty sure they did know that this is how it was most likely to go.  There just wasn't a better option.  If take the chance it will work out later or get screwed now are your only two options the choice is obvious.

I have several pilot friends, and they're screaming bloody murder about the tower closings at many GA airfields due to the sequester.  One alternative solution that has been proposed is to have usage fees - basically a payment to take off or land on the runway - to pay for the tower personnel.  Seems to me like a very "conservative" solution, but nope.  Apparently, US taxpayers should subsidize what for almost all of them is an expensive hobby.  Almost all of these folks voted Republican, and are completely unable to see the irony.

I love how it's the liberals who understood from the beginning how farked up the sequester is, and the footdragging still-butthurt-about-Obama-being-re-elected social conservatives that still think that 2 million jobs and a trillion dollars in cuts across the board is somebody "crying wolf."

Corvus: Ivandrago: I'm definitely not a BSABSVR guy, I just feel that democrats should have had the forethought to know that republicans would play this game. I'm bitter right now. I should be prepping for FLETC, not the damn bar exam.

So it's the Democrats fault for the Republicans doing what they are doing? Republicans actions are the responsibility of the Democrats? What do you think they should have done exactly?

Yeah I got the shaft for sequestration too, but the Republican alternative was welching on US debt. I'd prefer having the six-month notice I just got to find a new job, as opposed to being out on my ass a whole year and a half ago with no warning.

That's right, Shakepeare

Ivandrago: I just feel that democrats should have had the forethought to know that republicans would play this game

Oh right, the Dems should have had a crystal ball. Both sides are bad because the Dems can't see into the future.

cameroncrazy1984: Ivandrago: I just feel that democrats should have had the forethought to know that republicans would play this game

Oh right, the Dems should have had a crystal ball. Both sides are bad because the Dems can't see into the future.

He's right in that I agree, Democrats should have known better.  However, what a sad state our country is in when one political party finds itself expected to play parent to the other.

cameroncrazy1984: Ivandrago: I just feel that democrats should have had the forethought to know that republicans would play this game

Oh right, the Dems should have had a crystal ball. Both sides are bad because the Dems can't see into the future.

It took a crystal ball to know Republicans wouldn't go along with tax increases?