A wave of federal-employee layoffs swept the nation Friday, leaving an undisclosed number of Wyoming workers from multiple agencies suddenly jobless and bereft of explanations in its wake. How many people and agencies have been affected, what roles have been eliminated, which communities have been hardest hit and many other basic questions remain unanswered by the government, despite repeated inquiries to multiple offices.
Amid the confusion and chaos, patterns emerged through interviews with a diverse array of fresh-out-of-work staffers and their advocates: concern for agencies’ ability to execute their missions today, and in the future; fear of public harm from lost services and damaged resources; and expectations that Native Americans will be disproportionately impacted, both by lost jobs and broken commitments.
Wyoming’s top elected officials, meanwhile, have largely celebrated the Trump administration’s actions.
WyoFile agreed to let both newly laid-off and still-employed staffers remain anonymous because we found their fears of potential reprisals to be credible and realistic.
In the absence of agency responsiveness, we’ve not been able to independently corroborate everything they shared.
Stability gone
For nearly seven years, a U.S. Forest Service employee based out of a mid-sized Wyoming town worked mostly as a horse packer. In that role, he helped haul timber for bridge projects, transport alpine lake water samples and pack gear for hydrologists, biologists or trail crews.
He loved the lifestyle and had a knack for working with horses. So he was thrilled last year when his job status changed to “permanent seasonal.”
“When I finally became a permanent employee with the Forest Service, I had committed to this being my career,” he said. “It had a lot of stuff going for it in terms of benefits and stability, or what felt like stability.”
He settled in, buying property with his fiancé and planning for the long haul. Now, however, all that supposed stability “is just gone.”
He was just a couple months shy of completing the mandatory one-year probationary phase of his new position. That left him vulnerable to the thousands of jobs cut by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — the Forest Service’s parent agency — this week as part of an aggressive Trump administration campaign to reduce the federal workforce.
His supervisor called him Thursday to break the news, he said, and he received his formal notice via email on Friday, effective immediately.
He thinks this will likely mark the end of his career with the agency, and said he will seek other work in the area. But he worries about the state of a workforce already stretched so thin it’s barely able to adequately manage an invaluable resource.
“Mostly I’m just concerned for the resource at this point,” he said. “Like the trail maintenance that the community has seen over the years, that is going to be gone. There’s just no one to do it anymore. So I think that’s going to be one of the first impacts that people notice.”
Long term, he said, “I just hope our public lands are still here. For me, that means more than working for the Forest Service, like just having a place to go.”
He studied wildlife and fisheries management in college, and worked his way up through internships and trail crews before getting his job in Wyoming. He is also concerned about the many young people who were starting their careers in the agency — because they represented the future of the Forest Service.
“The people who are getting cut right now are the Forest Service’s future employees, the future leaders of the Forest Service,” he said. “It’s just wrong, what they are doing to people.”
‘A new day’
Meanwhile, in Wyoming’s Capitol building Friday, the state’s U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Republican, spoke to legislators in both chambers. She described the rapid changes under Trump as having many benefits for Wyoming.
The president, she told the Senate, “is working with lightning speed to make major changes that are going to be so good for Wyoming.”
Changes she referenced involve energy production and women’s sports. She also lauded the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
“What Elon Musk is doing is incredibly important to America,” she said. “He is ferreting out true waste, fraud and abuse.”
“It’s an absolute new day in Washington,” Lummis, who has held state or federal office for decades, said. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Deep cuts
That optimism was in stark contrast to the uncertainty expressed by federal employees to WyoFile.
Staffers at western Wyoming’s two largest national forests, the Bridger-Teton and Shoshone, were shaken by the seemingly indiscriminate layoffs that swept across their federal agency late this week.
On the 2.4 million-acre Shoshone — the nation’s oldest national forest — roughly 20% of permanent workers were informed they were out of a job, according to a U.S. Forest Service staffer in Wyoming familiar with the layoffs. The losses hit some reaches of the Shoshone harder than others, with up to 40% of the non-fire staff being cut loose in some ranger districts, they told WyoFile.
A Biden administration decision to convert long-term seasonal employees into permanent seasonal employees likely inflated the number of lost jobs. Those converted federal workers were still considered “probationary” and every one of them who wasn’t a firefighter lost their jobs, according to the staffer.
“None of those people who just got hired permanently last year have a job anymore,” the federal worker said.
Ripple effects from the empty positions will inevitably reach the public, according to the source. Many fields and disciplines will be affected.
“It’s all different fields, from timber to recreation to people who are supposed to be clearing the trails, picking up garbage and replacing toilet paper,” the federal worker said. “Our office is going to have to close our doors to the public, because we won’t have front desk staff.”
Two federal government employees with connections to the Bridger-Teton National Forest reported that probationary employee layoffs there were also deep. Across the 3.4-million-acre forest, according to the sources, about 30 or more full-time staffers have been informed they’re losing their jobs.
Some ranger districts were hit harder than others, with the Jackson District losing eight staffers and the Pinedale District losing 10 employees, according to the staffer.
Communication about what’s happening from newly minted agency top brass under the Trump administration has been dismal, one of the sources said.
“This is terrible, it’s an absolutely terrible way to treat people,” the source said. “Morale is really low, we’re not getting any information. I find out more from r/fednews on Reddit than I hear from any sort of level of leadership.”
A spokesperson in the U.S. Forest Service’s Washington, D.C. headquarters declined to provide or corroborate layoff figures for Wyoming’s six national forests.
“[U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins] fully supports President Trump’s directive to optimize government operations, eliminate inefficiencies, and strengthen USDA’s ability to better serve American farmers, ranchers, loggers and the agriculture community,” the spokesperson said in an email. “As part of this effort, USDA has released individuals in their probationary period of employment.”
A harbinger
The federal layoffs, while hard to swallow for those affected, weren’t completely out of left field. Federal workers were already feeling uncertain after the Trump administration emailed the “Fork in the Road” letter.
The resignation offer excused those who accepted it from “all applicable in-person work requirements” while paying them through the end of September. For those who would not resign, the letter stated, “we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency.”
WyoFile first spoke with a federal employee about the mounting employment situation in Casper on Feb. 7. They followed up Friday to say they were fired.
The prospect of finding another job in Wyoming felt daunting, where options, in their fields of expertise, are slim. There are far more career opportunities outside the state, they added, which means uprooting families, including spouses who work in Wyoming communities.
“You’re going to have to cast a wider net than just Wyoming,” they said. “There’s just not that many specific job opportunities here for those people that are specialized.”
The weeks leading up to the layoff announcement have been uneasy, they said.
The normally interactive, boisterous and friendly daily atmosphere among work colleagues had turned quiet and even suspicious.
“You can feel distrust,” they said. “You can feel low morale and just anxiety in general, because every day, multiple times a day over the past two weeks, there’s been just a barrage of different orders, rulemakings — and they contradict one another. It changes constantly.
“Obviously, people fear for their jobs,” they added.
There’s also fear about what layoffs mean for Wyoming.
“It’s going to slow down approval processes, permitting — all of that stuff,” they said. “If you lose the people that keep those wheels greased, then stuff is going to grind to a halt, or at least become very slow and tedious.”
Most federal employees in Wyoming are not performing their jobs with partisan politics in mind, they said. Yet those workers are being inundated with a public discourse that paints them as either partisan or lazy — simply on the public dole, they said.
That sentiment is reflected in emails sent from the administration’s higher-ups in recent weeks.
“They have this language that was very clearly not written by a federal employee,” they said. “It has no formality, it has no professionalism and it has these snarky comments like, ‘We’re giving you the opportunity to quit being a lazy employee and you can go be more productive in the private sector,'” they said, summarizing the tone of emails. “The language in those letters is condescending and insulting.”
“I feel like this tactic — by the person who’s instigating it — their concept is that it’s an acceptable way to go about things,” they said. “But in the public- and in the civil-service sector, those are different people.
“For one, you take an oath before you’re hired. Everyone takes a live oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to serve the people of the United States, not an administration. And that’s different [than the private sector]. That feeling of dedication is different, I think, when you’re a civil servant. They’re not just doing a job just to make money and go home. There’s another component to it.”
Support for workers
Federal employee support groups, conservationists and advocates for tribes criticized the indiscriminate slashing. The Native Organizers Alliance said the actions could affect a host of agencies from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the Indian Health Service and Bureau of Indian Education and might be illegal.
“Blanket layoffs … without a process in place to ensure that the federal agencies can carry out the duties … means that these actions potentially violate the law,” said Judith LeBlanc, executive director of Native Organizers Alliance.
“The largest single employer of Native people is the federal government, LeBlanc, a member of the Caddo Nation from the lower Mississippi Valley said in a statement. “The federal government is legally responsible for ensuring that our Tribal programs are funded and run smoothly.”
National Parks supporters also waved a warning flag.
“Today, approximately 1,000 National Park Service employees lost their jobs,” Phil Francis, former Superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway and chairman of the executive council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, said Friday. He called the action to fire probationary employees — those who have been hired within a year or so — “shortsighted.”
“We are losing the future leaders of the National Park Service,” he said.
Theresa Pierno, president and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association agreed with the former superintendent, calling the widespread firing “reckless.”
The firings “could have serious public safety and health consequences,” she said in a statement Friday. “This isn’t how we treat the places we cherish or those who protect them.”
That the administration backed off its earlier hiring freeze on seasonal National Park workers brought limited relief. “These jobs should never have been in jeopardy,” Francis said.
Parks can fill some visitor services positions, Pierno said. But, she cautioned, the beginning of the visitor season is “just weeks away.”
Another Forest Service employee spoke of how the layoffs will ripple into Wyoming communities where federal workers buy homes, shop and enroll their children in schools.
“These people live and work in our communities,” the employee said.
Wyoming Workforce Services was not aware of federal employee dismissals, a spokesperson told WyoFile on Friday. The agency encourages “federal employees who may be affected by a layoff to contact their nearest Wyoming Workforce Center for assistance,” the spokesperson said. “These centers offer a range of individualized resources, including job search support and training opportunities. Our unemployment insurance website offers a portal for individuals to file unemployment insurance claims. Additional information can also be found on our website at dws.wyo.gov.”
Wyoming is 90% republican and votes that way. You vote for a clown expect a circus
Musk and his Department Of Government Evisceration are not targeting waste, fraud, abuse, or bureaucracy. With Trump’s blessing, they are hacking and slashing madly indiscriminately at our government. This is not what you do to something you want to fix. It’s what you do to something you hate and want to destroy. They’re doing the work of Putin, not of America. What’s equally awful is that Harriet the Horrible, John Embarrassment, and Cindy “I’m only here to get rich from my Bitcoin” Lummis are violating their oaths to uphold the Constitution. Unless they put an end to this, they must be voted out.
I totally agree ! Musk and Trump don’t care . They both are millionars .
OMG– people do not be fooled by foolish people like Cynthia Lummis who say laying off park people is good for Wyoming — it is NOT. Millions of visitors to these parks spend around $26 BILLION (with a B) a year in the communities near national parks. This is going to hurt many Wyoming businesses (restaurants, hotels, gift shops, white water outfitters, horse trips and more) . With all these people out of work and low tourism –there will be less money to spend and that HURTS EVERYONE. Wyoming better start organizing to get reps in their state that walk and chew gum at the same time 🙂
Are you tired of all the winning yet?!?!? HAHAHAHA, you thought Trump was only going to hurt anonymous “urban” people, not MAGA. HAHAHA, you kept demonizing democrats and liberals. We kept you in these jobs, we kept you receiving these benefits, and all you could do was demonize us over and over. #FAFO, you reap what you sow. Enjoy the new Republican administration that you overwhelmingly voted for. It’s really hard to your face back on after the leopard tears it off. HAHAHA!!!
It’s always hard to lose your job. I used to lose my job 3 or 4 times a year, till
I got into my own business.
Fortunately, there are many opportunities in America, such as computer coding,
solar panel installer, or wind turbine technician. At least, that’s what they always
tell laid off miners, rig workers, or pipeline workers.
America also has a shortage of truck drivers. So, suck it up, and get a job
and join the real world.
The size of the Federal Govt. has been out of control for Generations.
Cut it ALL!
The Military should be taken down drastically as well.
It pays to know what you’re voting for. Anyone who didn’t see this coming wasn’t paying attention.
Sincere empathy and best wishes going forward to all those negatively affected by this morally flabby attempt to privatize our public services. Preserve and protect what we can now, then be ready to start making repairs when the time comes. Hold tight to the memory of who perpetrated these crimes against our beautiful state and Nation, and who cheered the destruction.
We are ALL responsible. The government has it’s nose in everything from the food and water we use to the fuel we use in our vehicles to who needs the money we earn more than we do. That is true from conception to death….and beyond as they control how our estate is spent. The government has thsi much control because we want this and that guaranteed for us.
The other problem we have is trying to assure every single person in the world has as much as we do…..and politicians promise it.
And so the reckoning begins. All the maga and freedumb caucus bluster and votes ended in drumpf and his gang taking an axe to the state of Wyoming, it’s infrastructure and people.
Elections have consequences! This red state will suffer along with all others, red and blue. The orange revenger cares only for chaos and attempting to ‘uncover’ enough % to provide the wealthy with tax breaks. Wake up Wyoming!
I have worked in the private and public sectors. Is there government/corporation inefficiency and wasted resources? You bet!
My concern is that “doge” is approaching the issue of government inefficiency without a strategy other than destruction. I would compare it to a cardiologist who just removes his patient’s heart rather than treat a heart murmur.
Yes, government cat be more efficient. Why did doge not consider giving each agency a timeline to justify and streamline policies, procedures and reduce staff (if necessary). Rather Trump/Musk have eviscerated federal agencies without a clear understanding of their function and value to the American people. The subsequent chaos ( that I believe they enjoy), will be detrimental to our citizens and democracy.
The left bent of this article and publication are unmistakable. “Throngs”?
These folks, for whom I feel truly sorry, are not the victims of “orange man bad” or fiscal conservatives. They are the victims of simple math. 120 plus Trillion overall unfunded liabilities. 36 Trillion primary national debt. 2 Trillion annual budget deficit. 1.5 Trillion annual interest expense just on the primary debt. 4 million plus Fed employees–salaries, perks, benefits, pensions, health care–more than 1 million of those added by Biden in Obama’s third term to prop up employment figures for election (Visit the government’s BLS site). The seasonal vs permanent shell game affecting some of these folks was for political purposes–the counting of full time jobs by BLS
Bush, Obama, Trump 1, Biden (Obama third term) and particularly the legions of hidden bureaucrats wasting (or stealing) our money on non-productive matters, fraud, cronyism, minority ideology and etc are all to blame. No matter–the Math clearly shows “did not compute, does not compute, will not compute on steroids in the future”. These folks, the majority well-meaning, chose government for the “security” and misplaced reliance on the stability of all the goodies that go with a government position.
They watched and listened to Trump say exactly what he was going to do for a year, then get elected with a mandate to implement those policies, and then begin the implementation. They did not take advantage of a generous buyout offer–way better than most in private industry. Putting aside who they might have voted for, these folks are not responsible for the corruption, fraud and treason at all levels of government which has led to the Math–but they are responsible for their decisions in the face of readily available information. Acts and failures to act are both decisions. New and far better doors will open to most of these folks. God bless them. Many will at some point in the future count as luck their termination now. There is an unfortunate lesson here for those who put their faith and reliance in government: “If you need a reliable hand, look at the end of your arm”.
You might want to learn what you’re talking about.
Your numbers are not only incorrect, but the cause of the numbers (the Democrats) is also incorrect.
Deficit under Trump increased by nearly 8 TRILLION dollars. Yes, COVID played a part, but increasing tax cuts for the wealthy while trying to address COVID, was beyond stupid.
Amen ! Perfectly written and brutally honest though some wish to be burped ,spoon fed , and rocked this is the adult explanation of exactly how life goes .
Actions have consequences. Never forget: WTYS
The federal government can always use fine tuning. However, giving a bunch of unvetted dogebros (with very questionable views) access to our sensitive date is scary. If the convicted felon and President Musk actually wanted to save tax dollars then Musk should not have gotten two additional government contracts last week (one for his tin can trucks) and the rapist shouldn’t spend millions of tax dollars on his trips to the Super Bowl and Nascar for photo opps. Our representatives from Wyoming are useless and nothing more than rubber stamps for the insane dismantling of our country.
The grifter-in-chief keeps claming a mandate. Although Donald Trump only beat Kamala Harris by a razor thin 1.6% margin in the popular vote, the 2024 election was in many ways a blow-out if you consider all the ballots that could have been cast but weren’t. 85.9 million eligible voters skipped the 2024 general election, far surpassing the 76.8 million ballots cast for Donald Trump or the 74.3 million for Kamala Harris. 85.9 million eligible voters skipped the 2024 general election, far surpassing the 76.8 million ballots cast for Donald Trump or the 74.3 million for Kamala Harris.
It’s time for the GOP House and Senate members to stand up, honor the oath they took to us and the Constitution and do their jobs.
Sure, we can all sympathize with those who lose their Federal jobs, but it has to be done. Since there are NO signs that Congress has any intention of ever paying off the national debt, maybe DOGE can take meaningful steps to make it viable to work towards the opportunity to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Trumps 4 trillion tax cut is still on the table. 80 percent to top 1 percent.
DOGE is a joke. They are mass laying off civil servants.that is not merit based or even an understanding of jobs .affected. Case in point Energy Department firing nuclear experts.
Red alert for our country.
Wow that’s scary
Yes, Cynitha, Elon Musk is a ferret and he’s not doing our federal government any good. Vote her out along with the rest of them. Barrasso, Hageman, and all those other Republicans.
Bear with this analogy: In an attack, one first sneaks forward, then at some point a twig snaps and the defender notices,… then the 2 options are to either to fully commit to charge forward, or to retreat and regroup.
Trump’s election victory was the sneak. The executive orders and DOGE firings are the twig snapping. And I suspect the future action is full charge forward. It is too late to retreat. The attacker now has only 20 months to achieve victory or death.
The midterm election is in 20 months. By then almost no one will vote Republican (and perhaps ever again in their life). Whatever is Trump and Elon’s end game, it needs to be completed before midterms, and the payoff needs to be juicy, because they’ll never get another chance ever again.
We can hope there will be a midterm election
This action is not about waste, it is about destroying the Federal Government and privatizing America. Peter Thiel, the money behind Harriet Hageman, has a blueprint for taking it all down and it is being implemented by Elon Musk with the full throated support of our Federal delegation.
https://www.thenerdreich.com/reboot-elon-musk-ceo-dictator-doge/
In what I bet is a record number of reader comments on a WyoFile article, and a record breadth of opinion therein, WyoFile has once again proved how truly valuable and fair its reporting is to our State.
Congratulations to Katie, Mike, Dustin, and Angus!!
Amen, well said. Seeing differing perspectives and concerns helps paint a much better picture. It may take some time before we have a clear picture of the ultimate impact…..good or bad. Right now the vision of a lot of laid off folks is pretty dismal.
These federal employees firing without thought are to downsize the government and I would think to pay down the national debt. However, I’m hearing they want to give tax breaks with these federal employees wages, and that will bring down the cost of living. I contacted representative Hagaman. She seem very concerned about the $36 trillion national debt, keep in mind she took along with her family members ag ventures $130,000 of PPP Covid money along with several other Republican hypocrites in this state. So we will have disgusting bathrooms at the national parks, no maintenance being done on our forest and parks. We have to see what all this does to this country but at least the billionaires will come out smelling like a rose and our public restrooms won’t be smelling like no rose. And keep in mind out of the $36 trillion national debt King Felon owns about 8 trillion of that. And yes, if it was your job, that got cut. It would be a Valentine’s Day massacre.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/02/14/trump-wants-denuclearization-talks-russia-and-china-hopes-defense-spending-cuts.html?ESRC=eb_250217.nl&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb&utm_campaign=20250217
You think the layoffs are a Wyoming issue, look at what Trump plans for the new missile upgrade.
There is plenty of money to run this country. We need the rich and corporations to pay their fair share. It is the working class that has created the wealth and prosperity in this country. It is time we get our fair share. If they won’t pay a living wage for the wealth WE (the working people) have created for them, then it is time to take it in the form of taxes. The rich don’t create jobs, demand for products and innovations and hard work creates jobs. It is time to end the massive subsidies and transfer of wealth to the rich.
I have worked for large corporations for most of my life. I will tell you – they are not more efficient than the federal government. Quite the opposite. Ask yourself next time you are told how crooked the government workforce is – who do I know, personally, that is a crooked government worker? Much of the inefficiencies and shortcomings in government are due to insufficient funding. The IRS for example.
The cuts being made by Musk (illegal US citizen – worked for money while in the US on a student visa, then apparently lied on his citizenship application) are not going to benefit the working class. DUH! It is going directly to the wealthy elites.
Sooner or later this had to happened, the US is deeply in debt in every respect plus we are not far from bankruptcy.
We either attempt to balance the budget to a tolerable level or lose it all. Either way it’s going to hurt. The only question is, now bad and how deep are citizens willing to go on this critical issue?
What one person calls fraud and waste, another call profits and perquisites. Yes, the US is deeply in debt and we have the ritual quarterly budget threats coming up in March. It’s interesting that very few of the comments recommend raising taxes on the wealthy. The GW Bush tax cuts benefited the corporations and the wealthy and allegedly cost the US government (the rest of us tax payers) $2.1 trillion. The Trump tax cuts also benefited corporations and the wealthy and allegedly cost the US government $2.5 trillion.
The majority of Americans are going to be seriously harmed by Musk’s destructive agenda. It seems that raising taxes on the wealthy to pre GW Bush levels would be a less destructive starting place.
Instead of licking the boots of Donald Dump and President Musk-Rat, shouldn’t Wyoming’s spineless congressional cowards, Barrasso, Lummis and Hageman be standing up for their true constituents , the federal employees and their families who just got thrown under the bus?
Two things to keep in mind. Soon Musk is receiving $8 million a day from his federal contracts Not one has been cut. Second, the proposed House budget calls for a $4.5 TRILLION in the national debt. Where is all the cost savings going? Tax breaks for the one percenters, which DJT promised.
Ahhh… we are witnessing the very first trickle necessary to “drain the swamp”. May seem drastic right now, but the true cream will rise to the top and eventually this cream will be back in a more efficient and purposeful government going forward.
My significant other was in the USFS for 33 years. She even spent 6 years in D.C. working with Congress. She has MUCH support for what the present administration is doing. “LONG OVERDUE” would be my short depiction of the political topics we discuss over the breakfast table.
She supports firing the trail crews, recreation techs, forestry techs and front desk staff?
(X) Doubt
You are right sir. Gov. growth and spending money has to stop. When President Trump gets this all figured out and cut the waste we can start taking care of America again.
I don’t believe Trump is smart enough to figure it out. I strongly believe his mental health is rapidly declining. Why would he turn over the reins of our government to the likes of Elon Musk, from South Africa? The rich will prosper, the rest of us will suffer. All of these actions are predicated on power, money and greed. Tighten your belt and wake up America.
Cuts needed to be made- was there research into the layoffs with decisions made by each department as where the cuts should/could be made ? will these cuts pay for all the unneeded vehicles that we taxpayers bought from Musk? At least there will be fire fighters because the federal lands are going to a playground of destruction. People cannot govern themselves nor use the common sense so expect the worst to happen in unsupervised BLM land this summer and summers to come. Any town or homes bordering these lands can expect camps, fires, trash and all the wonderful destructive problems that humans are exceptionally good at. Life and history have proven that people cannot govern themselves.
Since we now have governance by presidential proclamation, a tremendous amount of money can be saved by letting congress go, along with all the staff, Capitol and federal office buildings. The air conditioning alone would pay off much of our debt.
Elections cost a lot. Why bother?
Seriously, does nobody care that a guy getting $6,000,000 a day from the federal government is cutting all these programs. I promise that not one penny will be cut form musk’s payments.
also, I have no problem with cutting fat but they cutting meat! This doge is BS.
Outstanding reporting on tangible impacts of DOGE practices. Good teamwork.
Thank you for this report. It’s only going to get worse unless appeals by terminated employees succeed. All 7 of the Washakie District employees terminated have exemplary service evaluations. Look to the real possibility of bathrooms and campgrounds being closed this summer. Please keep this issue alive.
bill lee
44 year USFS seasonal employee retired
Today, there will be 50 State Protests at noon in the Wyoming Communities of Cheyenne, Rock Springs, Torrington, Rawlins, Newcastle, Casper, Lander, Sheridan and Cody. Supporting the federal employees in Wyoming.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15xfeuC3ER/?mibextid=wwXIfr
So I see that the forest service jobs are being cut. My dad worked wherever he could find work back in the 1930s and beyond. He did whatever work he could find. Carpenter, cook, shipbuilding during WW2, and more. He worked for the US Forest Service leading a crew that helped provide lumber to the country. He was the head cook on major forest fires. Most of the forest service budget is for fighting forest fires. Who needs lumber, fire suppression, and fighting? We all do. Yes, we do need to control federal spending. Let’s cut with careful consideration of priorities and common sense, not a chainsaw. I wonder if the inconsiderate reckless budget cuts are more political than practical.
Start with the Pentagon, not the Parks. For starters(!), stop sending Israel Billions every year!
“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” ― Henry Ford
Approximately 29% of Wyoming’s state revenue comes from the Federal Federal government in the form of transfers for things like education, infrastructure, healthcare, and agricultural subsidies. In 2023,Wyoming ranked sixth as the most federally dependent. It’s time for the whole state to tighten its belt.
Bit odd to have completely ignored the Bureau of Land Management in this article, especially considering the BLM manages twice the amount of land that the FS and certainly has a far greater economic impact than the FS. About ten percent of the BLM’s workforce was laid off and I’m sure BLM staff in Wyoming are part of the unfair firings.
Important to note, these firings were not based on performance, which doesn’t seem like a sound business practice. Wouldn’t you rather keep the good employees and replace the bad ones? And how can you determine what is ineffective and wasteful about agencies without doing research and compiling data? Perhaps Musk and Trump aren’t the wise businessmen they tout themselves as.
All the comments about bloated government and not ONE mention of HUGE tax cuts by republicans since Reagan for trickled down economy. Trump alone to the tune of 4 trillion dollars. Meanwhile no fraud or waste has been found and twenty something kids have all you info. A lot of folks should have listened to Liz Chaney
Are these permanent seasonal employees gone forever or will they just go back to being seasonal employees like they should have always been? Maybe you should stick to reporting the facts and quit trying to raise the rabble with inflammatory headlines like “Valentines Day Massacre”.
Maybe those affected by surprise cuts felt that it was a massacre of their financial plans?
What a fine comment. I believe it will roast in its fatuousness for some time to come.
no seasonal employees are being hired by the USFS this summer, and we are in a hiring freeze to boot
Thanks for an intelligent answer to my question. I have packed my own saw and cleared the trails I ride for over 50 years so nothing much will change there. As to who dumps the garbage, maybe some of the top brass should have a go at it.
Just the start of things to come laying off the work force for public land agencies is setting them up to fail. Once they fail selling off public land will be very easy to do. A quick buck to shrink the defecet. The state would not be able to run public land that study has been done. The public land will be sold to the highest bidder the oligarchs and large corporations, maybe even to foreign countries or wealthy.
You can’t compare the Federal Government with the private sector, they have different missions. The Civil Service is about *service* not profit. Success is counted in how many people benefit. So running the government like a business makes no sense.
Also, over the years, I have worked for small, medium, and large businesses including startups; Federal agencies, and Academia. Small business and startups are probably the most efficient. Then the Federal agencies, with the fortune 50 companies I worked for dead last. I have seen so much management by ego (see also Musk) and waste in the private sector you’ll have a hard time convincing me there is anything of value there.
Also, from a summer job with the FS, the amount of gas we bought in some of the small towns was enormous. Add in oil changes, tires, and visits to the hardware store. As well as food and drink for the employees and other items. Some of those small towns will miss federal agencies soon enough.
“You can’t compare the Federal Government with the private sector, they have different missions. The Civil Service is about *service* not profit. Success is counted in how many people benefit. So running the government like a business makes no sense.”
Yep, no one ever has a good answer for “well how much profit does the military earn?”
We need more comments from readers who have educated themselves on the dire financial situation the country is in and less emotional comments. Please Google ” Government Accounting Office unsustainable” and read it for yourself. This financial crisis has been building for years and is everyones fault not one particular party – all of us are to blame. Please don’t shoot the messenger although many of you have. Trump and Musk have a multitude of personal problems; however, they do have the temperament and business experience to reorganize the federal government. Its impossible for bureaucrats and politicians to reverse course and reorganize the federal government only experienced businessmen can do so. That is, outsiders looking into the federal bureaucracy also known as the swamp.
The financial situation is so bad that we have to borrow money to pay the interest on the federal debt and no reduction in principal is possible. The interest on the federal debt just topped one trillion dollars for the first time and now exceeds the total funding for our military. I ask all of you to do your own internet search about the financial condition of the country – and after doing so – submit comments based on the factual evidence you have uncovered and refrain from making comments based on emotion. This matter is extremely serious and deserves to be discussed on an non-emotional basis.
Ok what about the 4 trillion in tax cuts for the rich . That don’t make sense.
Lee, I agree our debt needs to dealt with. How about we start with cutting Space X’s $6,000,000 A DAY! Why are we funding a project to Mar’s at $6 million A DAY!? That’s right, Space X’s funding won’t be cut but forest service jobs will.
We need to cut where the greatest waste is first. Congress. They haven’t accomplished anything in years. Dead weight, especially Wyomings ‘reps’.
The time is long overdue to bring the federal income tax rate on the wealthy back up to what it was when I was a kid, in the 1950s. Ninety percent on total income in excess of $200,000 per year sounds good to me… Make the money grubber robber barons pay! Bet that would make that little “South African” white guy skedaddle for home, pronto!
That’s just brilliant Lee. Perhaps you could do a little research on how much President Dump’s tax cuts for the rich and corporations in his first term inflated the federal deficit!
Yes – all of us are to blame. We elected those who hold office.
However, the assumptions in the above comments are not rational. To use a term like “the swamp” is emotion based. No definition of what it means is provided, and hence there is no way to find facts to illustrate what it means. It’s an “ad hominem” argument that imputes all sorts of nefarious and underhanded motivations to a whole group of persons with no evidence these motivations exist. It’s a claim without foundation.
To use a word like “impossible” is not rational. It’s one of the logical fallacies – the either/or fallacy, where a conclusion oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to only two sides or choices.
In this case, combining the irrational claims that the federal bureaucracy is a “swamp” with it’s “impossible” for bureaucrats and politicians to reverse course and reorganize the federal government results in a second order irrationality in the conclusion only businesspersons Musk and Trump can do the job.
The purpose of business is to make a profit for owners and/or shareholders. “The purpose of the federal government is to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for its citizens, as outlined in the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. It operates under a system of checks and balances among its three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.” To say that “only” (another either/or logical fallacy – irrational claim) a businessperson can reorganize the federal government completely ignores the difference between the two purposes. A businessperson’s whole motivational sphere has little, if anything to do with the ostensible motivations of the federal bureaucracy and politicians.
As to financial situation, the most recent contribution to the federal debt comes from the 2017 tax cuts for corporations and wealthy. Another is Congress treating the social security trust fund like a checking account, absorbing it into the general fund with no plan to pay back what it borrows when the trust fund puts out more than it takes in. There are many ways this could have been planned for, but legislators just ignored this contribution to America’s debt.
The final point I’ll make is that the peak of America’s greatness occurred after WWII. That’s when the marginal corporate tax rate averaged 42% until 1986 when it plunged, and finally, to 21% on ALL corporate income in 2017 during Trump’s first time in office. The marginal tax rate is the rate which is paid for all income above a certain amount. From 1993 to 2017 this amount was $18,333,333. According to the Congressional Budget Office if the Trump tax cuts are extended, it could add as much as $7.0 trillion dollars to the national debt over the next 10 years.
Now, into the realm of opinion. If the tax code had been adjusted so that the marginal tax rate for corporations had been adjusted each year to account for federal debt accrued during the previous year and realistic economic projections, America could have just enough debt to stabilize bond markets and all the indices based on them. Businesses could plan and be confident they can be successful with hard work. Mortgage interest rates would go way down. We could create social conditions that mirrored the sense the “Greatest Generation” felt as the middle class exploded and America rose to prominence on the world stage after WWII.
While the author of the opinion above cautions against emotionality, I caution against irrationality. Both can lead astray in the public sphere.
You think this matter should be discussed on a non-emotional basis do you Mr. Campbell? What a slap in the face to our friends and neighbors in Wyoming that were just fired by President Musk-Rat and Donald Dump. Do you think that those federal employees can discuss this matter on a “non-emotional “ basis? They are scrambling to provide food, shelter and healthcare for their families while convicted felon and rapist Donald Dump Trump is looking out for millionaires and billionaires. You’re a mean and callous individual Mr. Campbell.
2024 election popular vote:
Trump 192K
Harris. 69k
And our representatives, who have jobs, are all for the loss.
Tina Bawker, these are the true 2024 presidential election popular vote totals: Trump: 77,301,997 (49.80% of the vote)
Harris: 75,017,626 (48.33% of the vote)
Yes, Trump won the popular vote, but by less than 1.5%. In my opinion, that’s not a sweeping mandate to send an unelected, unappointed person, Elon Musk, to fire good, hard-working federal employees without even knowing what their jobs entail.
Good luck replacing the expertise of these civil servants when the courts rule that these firings have been unconstitutional.
In what fantasy land were these numbers concocted? The popular vote was 77 million to 75 million. Trump won with just under 50% of the total popular vote.
This article makes a huge err. The federal workers were not laid off, were not fired, were not reduced in force. The federal workers were illegally laid off, illegally fired, illegally reduced from the force. Large lawsuits are bearing witness to the flagrant illegality of the co-presidents, the felon and the clown who is unable to run a company without billions in federal subsidies.
The size of the federal civilian workforce was about the same since the post WWII Eisenhower era. President Clinton downsized the federal civilian workforce, legally and with congress by about 350,000. Clinton worked with congress and agencies to re-align positions and responsibilities, etc. Here, the co-presidents are acting helter-skelter, lacking rhyme or reason. Hence, they had the predicable, laughable result of illegally firing the technicians who oversee the nation’s nuclear weapons.
I’m glad, for one, that the red states dog caught the car and are receiving what they voted for. If, when cuts come to Medicare and Social Security, enjoy having your parents and in-laws move in with you. Enjoy jacking up your property taxes to pay for your schools after the co-presidents eliminate the education department and its grants to schools. Enjoy paying for the billionaires tax cuts while your taxes increase.
We’ve seen this all before in the authoritarian’s playbook.
In these times of when some want more financial responsibility from the federal government, it is my belief we should stop and reflect what do each of us whether red, blue or purple would want this business called the federal government to cut back in funding. Granted this business is spending our tax dollars in ways we all do not agree. Granted this business model has been aiding countries in an effort to promote good and make our presence welcome. Money is the great influencer. Let us give this business model some thought. If the road to downsizing is on the horizon then when it comes to managing disaster relief, collecting taxes, manning national parks(if we will still have them),protecting those two documents that started this whole thing. Capitalism has served us well protecting the three branches of the government. There is not one or any combined social media or corporation capable of carrying out the responsibilities for the federal government. If big business has the chance to influence government any more than it already has every aspect of our economy will somehow be outsourced once again. When civil discourse doesn’t work then turn to civil disobedience but you choose civil disorder be prepared to do the time if you do the crime. You cannot take the money out of politics but we can work on taking the politics out of money. Let’s not let nationalism further split our patriotism.
Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others. Winston Churchill.
Respectfully & @ Peace Dave Racich
For all of you that think that the Federal Workforce is bloated here are some facts: 1) the number of federal employees has grown by 200K while the US population has grown by 105M since 1980. 2) The majority of the Federal workforce is in the VA, Homeland Security, and Army (487K, 222K and 221K respectively) Also, approximately 30% of the workforce are veterans. (RE: veteran preference points in hiring policy) The entire Federal Civilian Workforce is about 6 – 7 % of the total Federal Government budget. So could someone explain to me why DOGE is attacking the workforce with no other justification other then they are “probationary” Why are whole agencies being dismantled? Where is the “fraud” that your misguided actions are supposed to be supporting. Are there areas that are bloated? certainly. Could policies and procedures be streamlined? you bet……..but taking a systematic approach doesn’t garner the media attention that Trump and Musk have gotten since January 20th, and really that’s what this is all about. Touting power. For those of you who think our federal workforce here in Wyoming are slackers I predict that you will at some point be negatively affected by these firings, either directly or indirectly through loss of local economy $$$.
Perhaps the state can take over some of these losses and hire people or perhaps it’s time to start charging more money for national parks and start charging for national forests to use. I’m not against paying to use National Forest land as long as it’s a fair price. Most national parks and state parks charge fees already…. They just need to charge enough to pay for themselves.
My sympathies for those who were laid off. Getting laid off is traumatizing and difficult to adjust to.
However, welcome to the real world federal employees. The current pattern of federal layoffs – take this offer to quit with a severance package voluntarily or take a risk that you may not have a job down the road is exactly what people in the private sector go through regularly.
The economy goes through cycles of good and bad and different industries go through their own cycles. During bad cycles, businesses must adjust (downsize and reorganize) or go bankrupt.
I personally went through this 5 times in my 22 year career. On the last time, I took the voluntary severance package and moved on and the severance package made this easier. I was able to do this because I planned on being prepared if I got laid off or I was ready for a change. Paying attention to business cycles made me aware this preparation was necessary.
Nobody should assume their job is guaranteed, no matter how good they are in their job. In fact, one of the downsizing events in my company stated that if your position wasn’t required, you would be laid off regardless of how stellar your appraisals were – no transfers or reassignment to a new position.
Yes, this is a harsh reality. But our country is going bankrupt, and a strong response is required to keep our country solvent. Many politicians have stated the need to downsize our government and make it more efficient (e.g. Obama), but none have had the balls to carry through on their promises. We now have a president who is carrying through on his promise.
There are many industries which are right now going through downsizing and reorganization – fast food, legacy media, oil industry, etc.
Who supports the nonsense that our tax dollars have been spent on? Who supports government projects that are years over schedule and billions of dollars over budget with no accountability?
The process our government must go TODAY through is very painful, but it is absolutely necessary for our country to survive.
No, this not what the US needs. The current grifting administration is firing people that love their jobs and country. The fact that you were laid off so many times has little to do with what is happening. Our newly elected officials are portraying themselves as a neo fascist government with unfair retribution towards regular American citizens. On the international stage we are selling out our allies and embracing Putin. Our Wyoming US Senators have ok’d a White Nationalist drunkard and a heroin addict to cabinet positions. The elected President is a recently convicted felon. This is what Americans need? No.. I think you need a long walk in the snow to come back to reality.
Well stated, and wholly correct.
Time has come to slash Congressional Entitlements like Per Diem , Travel and cost of living supplements. No free lunch for Senators, Congress Men and Women. Big eaters like Lummis and Hagerman can pay for their meals and their entitled staff. As far as using Federal money to rent office place in Wyoming they can close down their offices and share one. Travel should be limited and should be economy bookings, and maybe the cheapest. When the High Plains Griffter Lummis praises the federal firing of Wyoming citizens it is time to reduce her caloric intake and make her pay for her own damn food and travel. Keep the winter gates locked on the forests and other federal land. When you lock out the people that care for your national resources it’s times to shut it down for the protection of natural resources and protect the ignorant MAGA types from themselves.
This is what Wyoming voted for.
Time for states that syphon money from the Federal government to get cut off.
WHY??? The General Accounting Office has recently commented that the rate of
Federal spending and interest on the national debt is ” unsustainable “. In other words, we are on the brink of national bankruptcy. I looked up the graphs showing the increase in the national debt and the interest on the debt and they exhibit a well known inclining or accelerating rate of increase referred to as an accelerating exponential curve. The curve is headed almost straight up. If we continue spending at the rate we have been the country will see sharp declines in the value of our currency and inflation rates in the 30-80% rate annually. Not only does the size of the government need to be reduced but taxes need to be increased in order to get the budget closer to being balanced. Hand in hand, we need to bring many of our manufacturing jobs back from China and revoke China’s favorite nation trading status. Desperate times require desperate measures. This isn’t a big concern for old folks like me but the younger generations will have to pay off the debt incurred by the proceeding generations – thanks a lot dad!!
I remember interest rates on housing rising to 17% in the early 1980s and it could happen again. If interest rates on the national debt rise to 7-8% we are in deep trouble. Currently the average interest on the debt is about 3.31% but treasuries are now paying about 4.5% which means an additional $350 billion of interest this year and the interest on the debt is projected to increase by as much as $500-600 billion more in the next few years – we just surpassed one trillion in interest this last year.
Many Americans firmly believe that more government is better government and that certainly holds true for some departments but not in the entirety. So we are now seeing the results of spending well beyond our means. Reining in government spending is brutal but it must happen or we will go the way of Greece, Argentina, Turkey which has an annual inflation rate of 40% and many others. The draculain measures imposed in Argentina has left many retirees with only $50 per month to live on – all in an attempt to curtail inflation. This is a horrible situation we’re in and many good programs like medicaid may have to be cut – the alternative is hyperinflation and devaluing our dollar drastically – we can’t continue printing money and borrowing at rising interest rates. The day of reckoning has come and it really sucks,
Meanwhile, the orange menace made $80 million since becoming president. On a positive note, Oklahoma is learning that companies don’t want to come to Ok with a school system that has a zealous christian as a Superintendent (the one that wanted to purchase Trump bibles). I’ve heard that Ok is the 2nd worst school system in the nation. Take note Wyoming.
My heart breaks for the many loyal federal employees who now have to uproot their families and leave the job they are trained for and love. Only in the next few months will the loss of their expertise and dedication be felt by the citizens of our state and of the entire country. We have a beautiful, prosperous country, but it takes the work of many to ensure it is cared for. And we have a constitutional form of government that is being gutted by these thoughtless and precipitous actions. It will take years to repair the damage, if indeed we come to our senses in time.
Thank you so much to all of you for having the courage to bring this story to the front page——-these are our community members, neighbors, friends and family who are losing their jobs, or fearing that their heads will roll in the next round of purges. We need Governor Gordon to assume a leadership role. He needs to tell the people of Wyoming in plain, clear, non-partisan language what is going on in Washington and how it is affecting and will affect Wyoming citizens and communities, and ways of life. Our DC delegation is rubbing their hands with glee, our Legislature is taking this moment to attempt to seize public lands that belong to all Americans and turn it over to the State, and that same Legislature will soon sell it to the highest bidders, who may not even be Americans. Talk about government overreach! The main feature of autocracies is that they are NOT supported by the majority of the populace. Through election manipulation, coercion, threats and bribes they install their minions at the top, and maintain those positions through campaigns of fear. Everything that the current administration, led by Elon Musk and his tech boys, has done so far is extremely unpopular to most Americans. The noose is tightening. Pay attention. Resist.
Well, if there isn’t enough employees to maintain all of the NFS land, then close off the gates to all of the service roads. It’s that simple and most of the people in this state voted for this, so please give them what they voted for. It’s sad, but you get what you vote for.
Lock the gates! Are you kidding! Bolt cutters will have vandals, poachers, garbage dumpers, illegal campers and all kinds of criminal activity going on in the absence of the maintenance of our federal work force that have been underpaid and understaffed for years!
I cannot believe this is all happening-Fascism is Happening and are people paying attention??? Revolt! Persist. This is complete evil, idiocy! people need to stand up to them and not let them overrun our Constitution! Especially our State wide cult members that don’t care about Wyoming or the Country. They have to be haunted to let them know what they are agreeing to and supporting it WRONG!!!!
People dumb enough to vote for Trump, and for rethuglicans, and the joke that is congress, will get what they deserve. It’s just starting…
I just have to laugh my rear-end off over the MAGA crying about losing their jobs and income. You voted for this and now you are sad or mad. Nobody cares. Go stand in the unemployment line like the rest of the country, because the MAGA are going to destroy most of it. I see president Musk fired all the people who take care of our nuclear weapons and is now scrambling to beg them to come back. You can’t make up this much ignorance, the MAGA never disappoint on ignorance.
It happens, I worked for a local non-profit for 12 years and they were bought out. First thing they told me was “we need to reevaluate your salary”. I was 60 at the time.
I moved on, found another job. Nothing is secure, get over it. The government is bloated, and is beyond bankrupt. If we don’t get a handle on the debt we are doomed as a country. Regardless of political affiliation something must be done.
If anyone ran their household budget like the gov’t they’d be in prison.
With a war, laws no longer matter. It is time Democrats react to the lawlessness and fight back. In Hitler’s war Poland lost without a fight. It is time to fight back.
For those of you who might not be familiar with Federal vernacular, let me explain. a “permanent seasonal” is an employee that is working a job that is classified as seasonal 1) seasonal meaning probably has a slow season where work is not necessary or physically impossible and 2) is guaranteed a work year of 18/8 or 13/13. That’s 18 pay periods employed and 8 pay periods off, and 13 pay periods on 13 off. A pay period consists of 2 weeks. During the past couple of years some jobs were moved from a seasonal (1039 appointment) to permanent seasonals to 1) encourage job retention and 2) eliminate the annual hiring frenzy every year. Some of these newly converted jobs are people that have been working in their respective positions for years as a 1039. Good people, hard working people, they don’t desire this kind of treatment, but because they are still in a “probationary” position they are now fired. Others that are in a “probationary” position are those that have worked as a civilian with the Federal Government in permanent positions and through logical career paths moved up recently. Most of them with many years of federal employment. Again, good people, hard workers. Nobody, and I mean nobody deserves to receive an email at 5pm on Friday that say’s “you are terminated and you now have 2 hours to turn in your government property and exit the building” Dispicable, disgusting and totally inappropriate.
As someone who enjoys our national forests, I have to speak up for our wild lands. First, the firings affected people who have worked for USFS for more than the one year probationary period. Second, you’d have to be a complete lummox to think firing public stewards willy-nilly is a good idea. How can a staff of what, 20 people, manage millions of acres of our national forest lands? Will Wyoming’s elected officials and their office personnel clean restrooms, handle camping reservations, conduct downed timber thinning and fire suppression, repair degraded hiking trails, sell Christmas tree permits, manage predator control, etc.? Heck no.
This poorly planned termination is like harnessing a Percheron to pull a child’s wagon. We sent elected officials to Washington DC to be workhorses, not show ponies. Senators Barrasso, Lummis and Rep. Hageman, stand up for Wyoming, and the staff needed to handle our public lands!
The chaos that the Trump administration is causing is difficult to wrap my head around. And that the Wyoming congressional staff applaud and condone these acts is even harder to understand. These firings and hiring freezes have a domino effect and ultimately hurt local economy as they continue. Most of the “probationary” people being fired are either 1) “seasonal” people that have worked their positions for years and finally attained a “permanent seasonal” title or 2) others that through the merit/competitive hiring program have worked hard to move up in responsibility, and just because of poor timing issues, they no longer are employed. These are not people that are at management levels, these are worker bees. They are your neighbors and friends.
If Congress had done their job years ago, We wouldn’t be dealing with this nut in power. Stop the Felondent and all his coolaid cronies.
The targeted provisional employee group was due to their status which means it costs less to lay them off and it can be achieved quickly and save money the fastest.
I feel for people losing jobs. You are always the most vulnerable at the lowest service years. But this country is broke and drastic measures are necessary to stop the growth in debt and cost of debt service. I support these fast moves. Leadership in the Federal organizations will have to figure out more efficient and less costly ways to accomplish things. When taxpayers don’t have enough money, they have to suck it up and live within their means. Federal agencies can do the same. Again, I know it is painful on an individual level and I feel sad that spending by our Federal government has gotten so out of hand, that this is necessary.
Sometimes WyoFile reminds me of CNN. Oh the drama.
Cutting government is going to be painful and needs to happen. Our government is so bloated that it could shed jobs for years. The fact that it takes 6 months to get a replacement SS card when their are 8k people in the division says it all. My mother was head of Custer National Forest and retired after 32 years. She has told me all about how screwed up the USDA is and she believes the whole thing needs scrapped and redone.
Well , your ‘reps’ have stabbed you in the back. As I have said many times, they couldn’t care less for you. They are all in for the corporations that line their pockets. Honestly, they want to save money to support the tax breaks for the wealthy, including themselves. I hope that someday the voters of Wyoming will have the intelligence to vote them out of office. I sure do hope that our federal employees didn’t vote for Trump? Oh well, maybe Lummis data centers will hire them-not.
Lay-offs just like this have been happening for years to the general public..only one example is it happened to Verizon employees..the company changed locations and employees had a choice..move to the new location or resign.. that’s life..as for the Federal Government? No sympathy here..
I wonder how many of those fired voted for Trump?
None.
You’d be surprised. There’s a very conservative streak in the Fed. workforce, esp. the veterans. I worked temp jobs for the FS and BLM so I have first hand experience.
Pedro Lopez hits the nail on the head in a couple of ways. One the 5 point preference to hire veterans is a thing and one I was against as these individuals did not have land management experience and they were taking jobs away from younger people that would have been part of the Agency for a longer period of time.
Firing the incoming workforce that was replacing the bloated baby boomer workers is one of the stupidest decisions on the planet IF you wanted government services to continue. If you wanted to wreck government then certainly you would fire this group.
Since I started working in Land Management in 1999, I saw more Conservative people come into these Agencies and they have been voting to end their jobs for a long time. In fact several I know are gone and that expertise cannot be replaced.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Little Joe asks Hoss “Hey Hoss, who did YOU vote for?” as Hoss just hangs his head…
Despicable. Without a public lands administration, there are no public lands. The Sagebrush Rebel dream–privatize it all. For all those who voted Trump, you just lost your favorite hunting range, your favorite fishing spot, your favorite trail, your favorite high ground to see the waves of mountains flowing to the horizon. Fools.
My daughter is or was a seasonal Nps ranger in canyonlands in Utah. She was given a letter of hire for her second season and two weeks later after quitting her winter job and getting ready to report for work with the Nps she was sent an email resending her job offer. This is sad for all employees affected by this crazed president. Our lands and parks are greatly at risk. I believe he will destroy them to grab all the energy resources he can from these lands.
The Department of Energy is desperately trying to rehire people who were in charge of managing our nuclear stockpiles and Lummis calls it “ferreting out true waste, fraud and abuse.” She is a disgrace.
Virtually every ex federal employee can pick up work at post office as well. Or FAA
We have to cut money spending. But this also great to show that time to stop sending money overseas. Keep it at home. We been feeding the world far far too long. We feed people the dictators but bullets. Which our government is also selling and is one of leading arms sellers. Why look at Hillary with operation fast & furious. Almost as bad as Contra affair. US government swapped arms for drugs and brought drugs into USA to sell.
We all, especially elected officials, have to take responsibility for the bad situation we are in. First of all, we have waaaay too many folks ready to be taken care of, and demanding that they be responsible for nothing except spending for whatever they want. Except for physical or mental disability, all welfare recipients should be required to provide at least say 4 hours a day helping cook, clean up or otherwise contribute to providing that help. Perhaps working at providing child care or house cleaning, etc for those that are working and paying taxes. Everyone has to have some responsibility
The present situation ;punishes those who work and earn and benefit those who sit and take.
Like farmers and ranchers.