OPM takeover by Musk, Federal Civil Servant Firings | DIA (including DCS) now

[BlooVooDoo]

The squeeze is on ...

Federal layoffs ‘likely’ if too few employees choose to quit, memo says​

Workers have until Thursday to decide whether to take an offer to resign now and be paid through the end of September.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/04/federal-government-layoffs-likely-memo/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert

"...“Please know that I empathize with the tough decisions you each are having to make,” wrote Erv Koehler, assistant commissioner of general supplies and services at GSA, in the email. “Please focus on making the best decision for you and your particular situation.”

Koehler wrote that GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service “is being asked” to cut its program by 50 percent, reflective of agency management’s goal to halve the size of its staff, according to two people familiar with internal conversations, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share private discussions.

... Cheered on by Elon Musk — the world’s richest man, who is now running the Department of Government Efficiency out of a White House office — the offer went out last week with a deadline of this Thursday. Musk’s allies are also now running GSA, which manages real estate and some procurement and information technology across the federal government. ..."

Even if you believed there was a real need to cut staffing by half for financial reasons or that there was a lot of deadwood that needed to be pruned this is about the most poorly conceived way to go about it. It’s simply reckless.

 

[nycfan]

 

[gregh1]

I've been avoiding political news, pretty much all news. I dipped a toe into a few threads on here on the last 24 hrs, and I heard from a relative employed at CDC how fearful they were. And now I really want to turn it all back off, but I'm afraid I'm going to miss signal to prep for something bad.

ignorance is bliss but that's what got us to this point.

 

[altmin]

I've been avoiding political news, pretty much all news. I dipped a toe into a few threads on here on the last 24 hrs, and I heard from a relative employed at CDC how fearful they were. And now I really want to turn it all back off, but I'm afraid I'm going to miss signal to prep for something bad.

ignorance is bliss but that's what got us to this point.

The signal to prep for something bad was election night. 99.999% of America missed it. I'd say everyone needs to start furiously catching up. The murderers are in the house and people are arguing over what locks to install. We are 100% in the sustained insurrection period and the more people who realize that, the better off the country will be, but it's for sure too late to prevent it. It's now about wearing it down, if that can even be done. Odds are it's over, at least for a few generations.

 

[gregh1]

The signal to prep for something bad was election night. 99.999% of America missed it. I'd say everyone needs to start furiously catching up. The murderers are in the house and people are arguing over what locks to install. We are 100% in the sustained insurrection period and the more people who realize that, the better off the country will be, but it's for sure too late to prevent it. It's now about wearing it down, if that can even be done. Odds are it's over, at least for a few generations.

I didn't mean mentally prep. I meant prep like stockpiling MREs, buying gold instead of stocks, working on my canning skills...

 

[altmin]

I didn't mean mentally prep. I meant prep like stockpiling MREs, buying gold instead of stocks, working on my canning skills...

So did I. The moment is here.

Groups who seize power tend not to give it up willingly. The only question is how far does it slide. Is it a slow boiling of the frog like Hungary, or a tectonic plate shift like the 1930s. I would say the former, BUT Hungary didn't have President Musk controlling things. Orbon whittled away, Musk is taking a chainsaw to the structure of the government.

The question won't be resolved for a while, but at that point it is too late in my opinion to gather things. Things happen slowly till they very suddenly don't.

 

[gregh1]

So did I. The moment is here.

Groups who seize power tend not to give it up willingly. The only question is how far does it slide. Is it a slow boiling of the frog like Hungary, or a tectonic plate shift like the 1930s. I would say the former, BUT Hungary didn't have President Musk controlling things. Orbon whittled away, Musk is taking a chainsaw to the structure of the government.

The question won't be resolved for a while, but at that point it is too late in my opinion to gather things. Things happen slowly till they very suddenly don't.

I knocked on doors in the week leading up the election. Otherwise I don't know what i can do. We're beyond "call your senator", not that i'd call Tedd Budd or Tillis for anything, but if Dem senate and congress aren't appalled now they never will be.

 

[altmin]

I knocked on doors in the week leading up the election. Otherwise I don't know what i can do. We're beyond "call your senator", not that i'd call Tedd Budd or Tillis for anything, but if Dem senate and congress aren't appalled now they never will be.

I hear you.

 

[05C40]

While Elon Musk continues his role as the evil henchman to the wicked St. Donald of Mar-a-Lago, I would take it as a personal favor if they would reframe from dismantling the IRS until after I get my tax refund.

 

[Mulberry Heel]

The response of Democrats - not just Congressional Democrats but even the Democratic base - has been far more muted and quiet to start Trump's second term than it was in his first. In his first term there was a great deal more open and vocal opposition and defiance. This time I think many average Democrats are just numb that the American people actually wanted this guy for a second time and have either given up or just withdrawn or walked away from politics. I know a number who have taken the latter route. They may still vote in 2026 and 2028 and all that but they're done trying to convince people or having any hope that they can stop MAGA Nation from pretty much doing whatever the hell it wants to do, no matter how crazy or cruel or damaging to the nation. As for DC Democrats, I think most of them - especially older ones like Schumer - are just stumped by Trump and simply don't know how to effectively respond, and they're also still living in this illusion that the political rules and "norms" have not drastically changed under Trump. Some younger Congressional Dems like AOC get it and seem to realize what is really happening, but they're mostly not in positions of authority or power to do much more than speak out on social media or in committee hearings and press conferences.

 

[mpaer]

This time I think many average Democrats are just numb that the American people actually wanted this guy for a second time and have either given up or just withdrawn or walked away from politics. I know a number who have taken the latter route.

 

[altmin]

While Elon Musk continues his role as the evil henchman to the wicked St. Donald of Mar-a-Lago, I would take it as a personal favor if they would reframe from dismantling the IRS until after I get my tax refund.

Might want to reverse those roles. Trump does not appear to be calling the shots for the most part.

 

[BlueSmoke]

Its interesting that Trump started with the foreign aid agency from a populism point of view. Politico noted yesterday that Democrats have to be careful of walking into a trap on this one. It's easy to demonize foreign aid so that may be why he started with that agency in particular. So that he can beat Dems up when they come after him on it.

Dems need to counterattack on this one of course, but it may be better to point out most of what he is cutting there is what Republicans approved for decades. And do it with a smile. At this point, why bother if its true or not. I haven't looked it up but I bet most of that spending had Republican buy in.

 

[gregh1]

The response of Democrats - not just Congressional Democrats but even the Democratic base - has been far more muted and quiet to start Trump's second term than it was in his first. In his first term there was a great deal more open and vocal opposition and defiance. This time I think many average Democrats are just numb that the American people actually wanted this guy for a second time and have either given up or just withdrawn or walked away from politics. I know a number who have taken the latter route. They may still vote in 2026 and 2028 and all that but they're done trying to convince people or having any hope that they can stop MAGA Nation from pretty much doing whatever the hell it wants to do, no matter how crazy or cruel or damaging to the nation. As for DC Democrats, I think most of them - especially older ones like Schumer - are just stumped by Trump and simply don't know how to effectively respond, and they're also still living in this illusion that the political rules and "norms" have not drastically changed under Trump. Some younger Congressional Dems like AOC get it and seem to realize what is really happening, but they're mostly not in positions of authority or power to do much more than speak out on social media or in committee hearings and press conferences.

Agreed. And it is weird to say that a few weeks ago I think many were okay with saying "fine, let it all burn down under Trump".
But if the EPA, Public Healthcare, Military/Intelligence, etc, etc are a) in disarray, b) led by white-nationalists, christian nationalists, fascists techBros, grifting control freaks, or "useful idiots", then it becomes apparent that this outcome will actually really, really, suck.

 

[superrific]

As for DC Democrats, I think most of them - especially older ones like Schumer - are just stumped by Trump and simply don't know how to effectively respond, and they're also still living in this illusion that the political rules and "norms" have not drastically changed under Trump.

I do not think anyone is under any illusion that rules and norms are the same, or even relevant any more.

The problem is the effective response. We've now learned that active, virulent racism is now the driving force on the right. If the majority of Americans a) agree with pro-cruelty policies; and/or b) never hear about them or are told that all reporting on them are hoaxes, what are we to do?

That's why I started the thought experiment thread. Under what circumstances should more radical actions be taken; by whom; and how.

 

[dukeman92]

Dems tried to subpoena Musk to appear before the oversight committee today. Pubs blocked it.

 

[JCTarheel82]

Dems tried to subpoena Musk to appear before the oversight committee today. Pubs blocked it.

There will be no resistance from Congress for at least the next two years. That much is clear. Trump and fElon have carte blanche.

 

[Healing]

Under what circumstances should more radical actions be taken; by whom; and how.

I don’t think such things should be a normed discussion, here. The extremity of one’s opposition leads to extreme counter ideation, and this is not the appropriate venue.

 

[superrific]

I don’t think such things should be a normed discussion, here. The extremity of one’s opposition leads to extreme counter ideation, and this is not the appropriate venue.

If you're not even going to contemplate alternatives to capitulation to the fascists, then at least have the decency to stop bitching about it.

There are all sorts of civil disobedience actions that could be taken. Protests ain't gonna cut it. Maybe we need a general strike. Maybe we need to think about what the consequences should be for these people. We tried rule of law and look what happened. We need to think about whether any of Trump's pardons should be honored in the future. We need to think about removing the Supreme Court justices.

If you won't think about anything, then the result will be a bloodbath when and if the pot boils and there's no plan.

 

[BlueSmoke]

Monday I called for "hitting the streets" in protest and I understand that today there was a 50 state capital protest. Great to see.

Protests are more effective, the more allies you get. Perhaps we need a thread for keeping up with allies in surprising places.

Being originally from a farming area, I think my farming friends and relatives are beginning to find out they are being screwed by Trump. Everything from billions in foreign aid purchases of farming products going away, tariff war with China screwing cotton, soybean and pecan markets, and fertilizer or potash coming from Canada being threatened. Couldn't help but notice Senator Chuck Grassely's post on that. Bet he was getting phone calls.

Point is to accumulate allies that Republicans are really sensitive to. Farmers certainly have clout, because they are everywhere in red states.