Lamentations of a Federal Government Worker

I’m going to miss another Monday Links. I swear, I forgot the pace of insanity with Trump. Half the time, the links I write up on Saturday to post Monday seem to be obsolete. We will return to regularly scheduled Monday Links next week. I think.

I understand that I am probably going to get little sympathy. I understand that in the circles I normally travel in – from a writing standpoint – are most likely trumpeting the shrinking of the federal workforce. I have, on this very blog, also advocated for reducing the size and scope of the federal government.

I am also a government worker. I will not name the segment I work in for anonymity’s sake. This post is more a chance to let out my fears and frustrations. You can agree with them or not. You can revel in my despair. I really don’t care.

I am also an evil teleworker. I haven’t had an office/cubicle since March 2020. Even before those days, I was a part-time teleworker. So, yeah, I was annoyed by the “return to office” push. Honestly, it feels like I’m being punished for the misdeeds of workers in Washington and because business owners in DC were upset about losing business. So, my household has to incur a bunch of new expenses (especially since we are currently a one-car household) because others couldn’t act responsibly.

And now I’m looking at lay-offs. I’ll admit, it’s the uncertainty that’s eating me up. I would like to think my leadership would do what they could to keep me. I like to think that I earn my salary by providing good value for my organization and the American taxpayer. In fact, one of the odd things about being a libertarian in government is that I’m often the one advocating against spending additional funds without significant justification at how this works for our mission. But the chaos of the last month means that no one knows what to expect.

Here is my lamentation. I am being fed to the mob. Not because there is a real plan to cut the size and scope of government. It’s just performative destruction by trolls and bullshit artists. There is no 3-D chess or brilliance. It’s whatever can get done before people are stopped by the courts.

Do I expect your sympathy? No. I can fully understand why people are celebrating the cuts of what they see as waste, fraud, and abuse of their hard-earned tax dollars. I know that others have been in this position with companies undergoing restructuring.

Do I expect that some will revel in my fear of losing my job? Absolutely. We are in a populist time. A time where emotion overrides reason. Where people feel free to unleash their worst sides online.

I just needed to get these words out instead of bottling it up. I know the fear is infecting my family bonds. I process by writing, and this lamentation is my processing.

If you have sympathy for me, I will graciously accept it. If you don’t, I will accept that as well.