Editor’s note: WyoFile is allowing this worker to share their thoughts anonymously because of the extraordinary nature of the ongoing cuts at the federal level as well as the threat of retaliation against federal employees who speak out about the impact of those reductions.
Opinion
I am a federal employee. A civil servant. For now.
I have chosen to serve my country as a scientist for a federal agency. I have made substantially less money in this job than I could have in private employment. It has never been about the money, but about wanting our country to be better. I have always been proud of my federal work because it mattered.
My career has focused on guaranteeing citizens of Wyoming and the United States have access to information about water to ensure safe drinking water, management of irrigation rights, understanding how a year’s snowpack will affect the runoff, how floods will propagate downstream, and how the rivers can be used for recreation and maintaining a fishery. This is the career of one person, out of many thousands of federal employees in Wyoming who have been working to ensure our citizens benefit from the natural resources of our great state.
I did not choose this career to get rich. Let me be clear, no Federal employee gets rich by working for the government. Private citizens and corporations get rich from the federal government from contracts and grants.
Federal employees are often portrayed as having cushy jobs where they really never work. That must exist somewhere for the myth to have been born, but I have never seen it. Instead, I and many of my colleagues work unpaid on weekends and federal holidays to catch up with the never-ending workload put on us due to government cuts and higher output expectations. Yes, it is hard to get a hold of people in the government, but that is not because we are on a break, but because there are only half as many people to do the jobs we have been asked to do.
The uncivilized recent firing of probationary employees is a power move by the president without facts or a plan. (Editor’s note: A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to rehire fired probationary workers, though it was not immediately clear whether the administration would comply or appeal.) These newer hires are the best and brightest our country has. By firing them, we are massively reducing what our future could be. It is not paranoia to see that our future food security, national security, access to public lands, and overall way of life, among many things, are seriously in jeopardy.
Everyone should be worried about the gutting of the federal workforce. These people worked for our country doing important jobs that Congress has assigned and set aside funds for us to fulfill, doing what is best for our nation. While we employees often feel undervalued and maligned, we are intelligent and resilient and will persevere, wherever we are forced to go. Our country, however, will suffer without the important work that we have been doing behind the scenes on your behalf.
Very well said, thank you. I left the private sector to bring my knowledge and experience to the Federal Service because I wanted to make a difference more now than ever for 25 percent less pay for the future of my children and grandchildren. I was one of those probationary individuals that was terminated, who went to the office every day, took a 30 min lunch and two 15 minute breaks when I could. Please do not believe everything you see and hear in mainstream media.
You can lead Republicans to facts, but you can’t make them think. Aside from the irreplaceable losses of federal workers from the land agencies, we should not lose sight of the big picture. The point of these firings is to destroy the agencies and then privatize federal lands.
The strategy is simple and brutally effective. If you don’t have public lands administration, you have no Forest, no Park, no Grassland, no Refuge, no Wilderness, no Monument, no Wild and Scenic River. So privatize them and entitle rich oligarchs to ownership. So hail! Duke of Shoshone Forest as he puts up no trespassing signs on what used to be prime public hunting and fishing grounds and assigns armed guards to keep the public out. Hunters who pay attention the corner crossing case at Elk Mountain already know what the threat of privatization is. It’s coming.
Sagebrush Rebels and doctrinaire Libertarians have wanted to privatize public lands since God blessed Manifest Destiny. With Trump, it’s gotten more likely with his executive order to start a sovereign wealth fund. Trump wants trillions to front load the Fund. A sale of “national assets” is the best way to procure the cash. (See link below). Of course, Congress must approve it. And as a matter of operational practicality, selling public lands would take a long time. But it could be done. And I have no doubt it will be done, unless we the people find a way to stop it.
So I suggest that Republicans stop cheering the job losses and complaining about the national debt and pay attention to the criminals behind the curtain. The criminals plan to rob us blind.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trump-quietly-plans-to-liquidate-public-lands-to-finance-his-sovereign-wealth-fund/.
I wasn’t going to read article because ‘anonymous’ makes everything they say questionable. Having lived in Washington, DC area for over 30 years, I can tell you that federal workers are absolutely known to be some of the least qualified, least personable, least willing to help and keast likely to come into work and definitely least likely to answer the phone or return an email. I worked for a county government outside of DC for 36 years and more than half the employees in county were just as bad as federal. It’s hard to be fired as federal (or county) employees, and with DEI initiatives and affirmative action, those employed under those banners definitely know it- and don’t care. Outside of DC might be different for federal workers, but I suspect the majority of people being fired or let go reside in DC metropolitan area. The US government definitely needs to reorganize its work force to be more efficient and cost effective. Redundancy is rampant, the benefits one gets from being a federal worker are excellent, even if pay isn’t equal. I didn’t see this federal worker or Democrat protest industries that are actually essential to Amerucans like energy and fossil fuels when thousands were laid off from various pipelines, or hundreds of coal miners were laid off right before Christmas locally. No one is guaranteed a job anywhere. We don’t need over 2 million federal workers, in positions that aren’t essential, when we are supposed to be a limited Federal government. Too many ‘anonymous’ and Democrats or leftists don’t have any idea, whatsoever, how our government is supposed to be. The less government, the more “equitable” it is for everyone.
Public employees have long been targeted by self righteous whiners. This is not new, nor is anything likely to change that behavior. The old mantra “divide and conconquer” is a tried and true tactic to feed animosity towards “the others.” Trump and his entourage of fuax leaders are certainly using this to stir up contention between groups of people that likely would ignore each other if not for Trump. No doubt, there are bloated departments and agencies in goverment. No doubt the feds can be more efficient and still be effective. Endowing an immigrant with final authority to single handedly cut thousands of employees from jobs and responsibilities said immigrant knows squat about, and sending condescending emails as notice of termination is not appropriate. Buyouts under Clinton stemmed from a review and act by congress. A few weeks into his presidency, in February 1993 Clinton Clinton issued an executive order telling each goverment department or agency with more than 100 employees to cut at least 4 percent of its civilian work force over three years, through attrition or early buyout programs. Do any of you see the difference in method? It’s amusing that the President that rightwingers vilified for having consensual sex was the better statesman and the more effective executive compared to the guy that came to fame for saying “You’re fired” on a reality show.
For all you naysayers against federal employees. Maybe we should fire all those who prepare and distribute PILT dollars to Wyoming. Last year, $36-million to counties (county commissioners would be crying). State gets around $200-million from their 50 percent share of oil/gas/coal royalties off federal land. Maybe Wyoming just don’t need the $$.
Many of these comments reveal the lack of empathy and clear reasoning many of our neighbors approach these topics with. Truly disappointing to see grown adults react to people losing their jobs with such callousness. There will be no winners in this turn of events. The folks here celebrating the cuts fail to actually look at the funding bills being passed and the proposed tax restructuring. There are NO CUTS TO YOUR TAXES, only to the services you rely upon (health, education, elderly care, social security) and the tax rates of the billionaires. And in the meantime you’re ridiculing your neighbors who unexpectedly lost their jobs to the arbitrary decisions of two unqualified billionaires.
those that think this purging of federal employees will equal less of a deficit are naive and gullible. the sudden fascination of the countries deficit has been perpetuated by the right wing media machine. those that keep crying about how we need to get the deficit under control were not concerned during their dear leaders first term of adding 8 trillion to the deficit. those that keep crying about the deficit don’t care that their dear leader chrump is doing his damndest to eliminate any kind of oversight and accountability to what he is doing. none of these self-proclaimed “patriots” will say a word about chrump’s addition to the deficit on this term. they will just keep repeating what they are told to repeat.
the chrump gullibles are a cyst on the ass of society.
“Anonymous resource”. CLICK OFF .. Move on to something else with a real person commenting.
Becoming a federal employee to “serve” seems overstated to say the least. While you may be paid less than some of your peers my guess is the benefits are much better for a federal employee than most, if not all private water scientist. Simply stating this administration is “uncivilized” for firing probationary employees is nonsense. Myself and thousands were rifted under both Clinton and Obama. We recovered and haven’t looked back. It’s time to control spending and this president is taking charge with a majority of voters 🔙 ng him 100%
There was no RIF under Obama, and I dont see how firing a bunch of gs7’s and lower is going to control spending, the budget that just passed increases spending.
Those of you commenting should reread the vitriol that you wrote. Makes me sick.
But just wait. Trump, Musk, Barrasso, Lummis and Hageman will cut something you want or need. It could be longer waiting lines to talk to someone at the IRS or Social Security. It could be the closing of a park you want to visit. You might get sick from food poisoning caused by fewer inspectors. You might not benefit from a cure to a disease you get because it wasn’t discovered by researchers fired or grants not made. The list is endless, but you get the idea. I just hope you realize who made your life more difficult and not blame a federal worker or even worse Biden or Obama.
Hurrah for Wyofile and Hurrah for the person who wrote this piece.
Thank you for your story, and to explaining the work you do for public benefit. When the work currently done by the agencies is privatized and contracted to self-serving corporations, that’s when we’ll see the waste of taxpayer dollars, the graft and fraud.
A little history reminder: President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, created a budget surplus in his time in office. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, oversaw the most robust economy in the world, rising from the ashes of the previous Trump debacle. Now that’s down the drain with the current Musk/Trump regime.
I’m just wondering what the reaction of commenters might be if a trona mine or a coal mine or a gas pipeline company laid off workers en masse with no notice. And I’m wondering what our reaction as Wyoming citizens will be when the knock-on effects of federal layoffs hit our local economies: if our national parks can’t open, how will the businesses in Cody be affected? If our irrigation systems are not monitored and maintained, how will the farmers in Torrington and Riverton be affected? When our roads are not maintained for lack of federal dollars how will our supply of food and goods be affected? When someone in the federal government (or those cutting federal programs) decides not to forward to Wyoming the PILT payments (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) for the property and minerals they own, how will every aspect of government services in Wyoming be affected?
WOWZER’s!!!
While I appreciate your dedication and commitment as a Federal Scientific worker for the Great State of Wyoming, it still does not answer the simple request of what five things you did last week? This business model request is nothing new in the private sector. The system broken and bankrupt, we the people need to fix it!
WyoFile ………………..shame on you for bending the rules on providing FULL name requirements!
He would have probably been fired if he provided his real name. Guess you would like that?
I have 3 degrees in Civil Engineering. I’ve been laid off 4 times in my career. These people will live on, and the sooner they put down their crying pillow and stop screaming how unfair it was, the sooner they will be ok.
When changing jobs, taking a new job etc. The prospective employee should ALWAYS look at the financial health of the prospective employer.
Not one single Federal employee should be taken by surprise if they lose their job suddenly. ALL federal Employees should know that their employer is essentially BANKRUPT, under 37 Trillion dollars of debt.
MASS LAYOFFS should have happened decades ago.
Any elected official claiming that firing probationary employees was necessary to address the federal debt or in fact a “good business” decision should be run out of office.
We citizens are far less safe and our country is much poorer for treating our public servants cruelly instead of honorably.
Greg, the US Federal Government has not done “good business” in generations.
The US Federal Govt. is Bankrupt. 37 TRILLION dollars cannot be paid back.
Our Military threat on any nation going against the US petrodollar, and printing press for the World’s reserve currency is the only thing that prevents a complete collapse of the Ponzi scheme DC politicians have created since the 1960-70s.
Yes, and between 40 and 60% annually is spent on military, the spending being cut is not trimming our budget, it’s just going to fund tax cuts to the wealthy. Read the legislation and proposed tax cuts!
Yes, Erik. The Military Budget should be a tiny fraction of what it is. But Dems just had 4 years to reduce it, and like R’s they are beholden to the M.I.C.
The Ukraine war has been a money laundering operation.
It has been a Bipartisan effort to put us in the place we are today. Both parties are at fault and get away with it due to kayfabe theatrics that divide the people on wedge issues. The division allows the dog and pony show to continue.
The Federal budget is financial musical chairs, and the music is about to stop again.
boo-hoo cry me a river.
mcdonals’s is hiring !
I for one support you. Unfortunately, we live in a country and a state where the orange menace lives in everyone’s head. To make it worse, our so called representatives have no backbone. Now there’s a bunch of waste.