Has the threat of a shutdown affected your commitment to public service?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Terrence (Terry) Hill on
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I just do the best that I can in my sphere of influence and try not to get caught up in the rhetoric surrounding our current budget crisis. We need to stay focused and strive to prove the naysayers wrong. My most challenging task is to be innovative and productive when management is mostly cautious and conservative.
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Permalink Reply by Henry Brown on -
Probably the in pushing me into scheduling my retirement.
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Permalink Reply by Henry Brown on
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sorry bout truncated entry...
Probably the FINAL straw in "Forcing" me into scheduling my retirement
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Permalink Reply by Peter Sperry on -
It does not affect my commitment because I realize it is neather personal nor directed at me. It is an unfortunate part of the politcal process but a small price to pay for living in a democracy. I am sure the Chinese government will never shut down and the Libyan government seems able to remain open but I would not trade their system for ours.
Government programs which provide real value to the taxpayers will survive a shutdown and prosper even in an environment of constrained resources. I happen to work for one such program, so I am confident the long term resolution of the budget debate will not hit me any harder than the economic downturn has impacted private sector workers. It will not be pleasent but we will survive and come out the other end stronger and more prosperous for having made the difficult choices necessary to live within our means and stop borrowing from our grandchildren.
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Permalink Reply by GovLoop on -
Was in UK last week where they've already gone through this - 40% layoffs and people having to recompete for their own jobs (often at lower pay). Folks were really demoralized and lots of folks were leaving for private sector
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Permalink Reply by GovLoop on
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Great comment from our FB GL page
Karen wrote:
"i don't care anymore. would rather shut down and get it over with than deal with this every 2 weeks"
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Permalink Reply by Bill Brantley on -
"When in confusion, fear, or doubt
Run in circles
Scream and shout!"
Actually I plan to keep on working my projects because I don't believe a shutdown will last more than a few days.Open Government is too vital to let a few days of shutdown stop it.
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Permalink Reply by Tarryn Reddy on -
As someone who is about to graduate with a Masters in Public Policy, I'm definitely questioning if I should even be applying to jobs in government right now. I hate to speak for my peers but I think we are all worried about the hiring freezes after or before a shutdown. Are agencies even looking at resumes if they are waiting for a shutdown?
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Permalink Reply by Jenyfer Johnson on -
I'm an old-timer who has been through the past shutdowns so I am rather philosophical about the potential of this threat. If it happens, so be it...my family will deal (my husband and I are both civil service). If it doesn't happen, I will continue to work. The commitment to my job is the same right up until I am told to go home, that is what I do, that is what I am committed to do and what I am paid to do.
I can't say I enjoy the feeling of "waiting for the other shoe to drop" while Congress and the President fight out this budget battle but that is what happens sometimes. Nothing I can do about it, so I try to spend my time worrying about the things that I can change/effect and HAVE to worry about. I'm too old and been working too long (27+ years) to let it get in the way of what I have to do!
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Permalink Reply by Eric Erickson on -
This is an interesting discussion - it hasn't adversely impacted my commitment. If anything, it's strengthened it.
That said, even though I try not to let it negatively impact me, I know it is distracting. In fact, we have to plan out how we would alter our outreach directed to external audiences should a shutdown occur...this is time that would otherwise be spent on our regular workload. With no government shutdown, that was just wasted time.
Surely other agencies are doing the same thing. I've seen many stories about how much a shutdown would cost once it happens...but I bet it costs even more when you add in the amount of time gov't employees are spending preparing for it - not to mention having to ramp up when we return.
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Permalink Reply by Marco Morales on -
It's sort of like playing a card-game of poker -- you engage with the hand you're dealt and then gamble on being dealt better cards in the interim, when you discard the weaker cards, so that your winning strategy improves. In the meantime, some us could sing along with Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler"... You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away and know when to run, You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table, There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealing's done...
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