Sad reality of the shutdown

[Spurs Homer]

Interesting theory about the shutdown being floated here

Trump's shutdown trap?

Has President Trump suckered Democrats and the Deep State into a trap that will enable a radical downsizing of the federal bureaucracy? In only five more days of the already "longest government shutdown in history" (25 days and counting, as of today), a heretofore obscure threshold will be reached, enabling permanent layoffs of bureaucrats furloughed 30 days or more.

Don't believe me that federal bureaucrats can be laid off? Well, in bureaucratese, a layoff is called a RIF – a Reduction in Force – and of course, it comes with a slew of civil service protections. But, if the guidelines are followed, bureaucrats can be laid off – as in no more job. It is all explained by Michael Roberts here https://www.thebalancecareers.com/re...-force-1669479 (updated after the beginning of the partial shutdown):

A reduction in force is a thoughtful and systematic elimination of positions. For all practical purposes, a government RIF is the same thing as a layoff...

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog...down_trap.html

"uh - I'll take - whatever sticks to the wall spaghetti theory for 200 , Alex?"





Just as likely that Trumps 4d chess - was really - just shutdown the gov't to distract from his crimes

[apalisoc_9]

Biggest pseudo-intellectual blowhard I’ve ever come across on the internet

You should check his basketball takes upstairs. Its no different.

[Chinook]

I really hope you meant that unironically, Bright Boy

I didn't. I looked up "unironically", but I wouldn't tell you that, because then you'd realize I'm not as smart as I pretend to be on a message board.

[LkrFan]

Wow. DC is a hole but its that expansive? Crazy.

This shutdown is really going to make life difficult for average folks. Sad.

Dude, D.C. ain't a hole. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

[hater]

Wow. DC is a hole but its that expansive? Crazy.

This shutdown is really going to make life difficult for average folks. Sad.

DC is actually more expensive than every single US metro area outside San Jose, San Francisco

I have few properties there

[boutons_deux]

Trump accidentally destroyed the GOP’s ridiculous myth about running the government ‘like a business’

Donald Trump ordered tens of thousands of federal employees to return to work with no pay and no immediate hope of getting paid.

Those being forced to work without pay are clearly chosen to keep Republican voters, the only voters Trump cares about, from losing government services.

IRS employees are being forced to process tax returns.

Interior Department employees are being forced to process oil and gas leases,

so wealthy conservative businessmen don’t lose out on profit opportunities.

Getting people to work for him and refusing to pay them was a major component of Trump’s business operations.

As USA Today do ented during the 2016 campaign,

literally hundreds of contractors had horror stories about Trump stiffing them,

in some cases so badly that it ruined their businesses.

He hired contractors to do expensive work and then refused to pay them,

knowing that most of them simply couldn’t afford the legal fees that would be required to force him to pay up what he owed in court.

He also, as the same story reported, had been

cited 24 times by the federal government since 2005 for failure to pay employees overtime or minimum wage.

Trump himself has bragged about how he swindles contractors, saying, “I fight like to pay as little as possible,” and

portraying it as a smart business practice — which is dubious, as

he’s also spent a fortune on lawyers to get out of paying contractors.As president, Trump now has a power he never had as a grifting real estate developer:

The ability to force people to work for him for free. No tricks or expensive lawyers are necessary.

Trump ran his business operations into the ground repeatedly, asevidenced by his at least six bankruptcies.

Trump administration is admitting that

the negative economic impact is twice what it had initially claimed. That likely means it’s far worse than that,

Now Trump is trying to play the same game with the border wall that he played with his casinos:

Tell a bunch of lies about what it will cost, in the hope that he can extract more money from the suckers down the road.
The $5.7 billion Trump has demanded for the wall falls far short of what the wall he promised would actually cost,

which has been estimated to be anywhere between $25 billion and $70 billion.

Those numbers don’t even include the maintenance costs or potential staffing that would be needed to police the wall.

trying to employ his failed business strategies in the casino business to the wall-building enterprise.

Trump has been pretty open about his belief that this is his best strategy.

He keeps using language like “initial down payment” and

insinuating that once the process of building the wall starts, the rest of the money will somehow magically appear to finish it.

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/tru...e+Raw+Story%29

[hater]

Dude, D.C. ain't a hole. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Sure not a complete hole but Still its overpriced as

Basic apt house in the district is minimum 400k im talking 2 bedroom hole

Its nuts

[Chinook]

Cheer up, Bright Boy, you can always brag about choosing to read Star Wars novelizations over watching the movie.

Could always choose to not try to bring up stuff from three years ago too. But anyway, I enjoyed the book, while most folks seemed to hate the movie. Still think I got the better end of that deal. Read Rogue One as well. They didn't make a real novelization of Last Jedi, only a kids' version. Thought the movie was okay. Hope IX has a novel. I can read the book and then see the movie, but I can't go the other way around.

[apalisoc_9]

DC is actually more expensive than every single US metro area outside San Jose, San Francisco

I have few properties there

Nice.

Dem putin money giving you a decent return.

[LkrFan]

Sure not a complete hole but Still its overpriced as

Basic apt house in the district is minimum 400k im talking 2 bedroom hole

Its nuts

No disagreements here, when you frame it that way. It's like $80 for a Happy Meal!

[hater]

No disagreements here, when you frame it that way. It's like $80 for a Happy Meal!

And I dont understand ppl wanting to buy their first home in the District. Why pay $450k for a 2 bedroom hole??

- its way way overpriced for what you get
- most jobs are actually in VA and MD so commute is not really a huge issue
- DC is nice but no South Beach or Venice Beach or even SanFran so I dont see why ppl want to live in it
- yes weed is legal now but doubt thats a selling point as plenty of weed easy to obtain anywhere

IMO idiots justwant to be trendy and say they live in DC. Makes no sense to me as you ca have a decent townhouse for mich less money in VA. Not to mention better hoods and schools

Its these millenial idiots that are driving up the prices in dc. Thinking their brand new govmt contract or job will last forever

[hater]

Well that and the fact that Uncle Sam is turning DC metro area into a Rome like imperial capital

Probably for defensive purposes tbqh

[Chris]

[Pavlov]

Trump "approves" bill passed with completely veto-proof majority in both houses.

Qhris

[Spurminator]

Yes, good job, President of the United States, signing your name to legislation pushed through by Tim Kaine.

[Spurminator]

President Big Boy signs his name, basement incels flog themselves in praise.

[boutons_deux]

From a nextdoor.com post

Communication Specialist Lilliana Gonzalez, San Antonio Water System AGENCY

If you are a furloughed federal employee, we want to remind you that you can contact Customer Service Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 210-704-SAWS (7297) to make payment arrangements and ensure you maintain your water service. We understand that the government shutdown is causing financial stress to federal workers in San Antonio. SAWS payment arrangement are available for exactly this type of situation.

[ElNono]

Interesting theory about the shutdown being floated here

Trump's shutdown trap?

Has President Trump suckered Democrats and the Deep State into a trap that will enable a radical downsizing of the federal bureaucracy? In only five more days of the already "longest government shutdown in history" (25 days and counting, as of today), a heretofore obscure threshold will be reached, enabling permanent layoffs of bureaucrats furloughed 30 days or more.

Stupid. I mean, unless Trump is tired of being president and he doesn't want re-election.

[spurraider21]

Stupid. I mean, unless Trump is tired of being president and he doesn't want re-election.

when in doubt, 4D Chess

[Monostradamus]

Interesting theory about the shutdown being floated here

Trump's shutdown trap?

Has President Trump suckered Democrats and the Deep State into a trap that will enable a radical downsizing of the federal bureaucracy? In only five more days of the already "longest government shutdown in history" (25 days and counting, as of today), a heretofore obscure threshold will be reached, enabling permanent layoffs of bureaucrats furloughed 30 days or more.

Don't believe me that federal bureaucrats can be laid off? Well, in bureaucratese, a layoff is called a RIF – a Reduction in Force – and of course, it comes with a slew of civil service protections. But, if the guidelines are followed, bureaucrats can be laid off – as in no more job. It is all explained by Michael Roberts here https://www.thebalancecareers.com/re...-force-1669479 (updated after the beginning of the partial shutdown):

A reduction in force is a thoughtful and systematic elimination of positions. For all practical purposes, a government RIF is the same thing as a layoff...

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog...down_trap.html

I’ll have to consider this theory over some pizza tbh.

[ElNono]

when in doubt, 4D Chess

He just signed off backpay for all those guys he's about to fire... 5D Chess.

[spurraider21]

He just signed off backpay for all those guys he's about to fire... 5D Chess.

my bad

[boutons_deux]

Ajit Pai Refuses to Brief Lawmakers Over Phone-Tracking Scandal, Dubiously Blames Shutdown

Saying there is no legal reason why Ajit Pai should rebuff an invitation to brief lawmakers during the government shutdown,

the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Monday

criticized the FCC head for refusing to appear for a briefing

about the ongoing controversy over Americans’ real-time location data being disclosed to unauthorized third-parties.

https://gizmodo.com/ajit-pai-refuses...ing-1831750774

BigNetwork telling Dems to GFY

[Monostradamus]

Ajit Pai Refuses to Brief Lawmakers Over Phone-Tracking Scandal, Dubiously Blames Shutdown

Saying there is no legal reason why Ajit Pai should rebuff an invitation to brief lawmakers during the government shutdown,

the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Monday

criticized the FCC head for refusing to appear for a briefing

about the ongoing controversy over Americans’ real-time location data being disclosed to unauthorized third-parties.

https://gizmodo.com/ajit-pai-refuses...ing-1831750774

BigNetwork telling Dems to GFY

Yeah, but he’s got an oversized Reese’s mug, he’s a real life Michael Scott! No way he could really be evil!

[Will Hunting]

President Big Boy signs his name, basement incels flog themselves in praise.