If we had decent media not owned by billionaires who value their personal low taxes over the future of the country, their daily headlines would be calling for Trump’s impeachment and for Republicans in Congress to do their jobs. They would be pointing out the corruption, lawlessness, and lies in big, blaring headlines. I no longer subscribe to the Washington Post, but today’s NYT is just more of the same bland coverage that Trump indicted Comey, sent troops to protect Portland, and ICE arrested the Des Moines schools superintendent. In other words, all is normal.

Except one curious opinion piece about Roundup! “Spraying Roundup on crops is fine. Really.”

Roundup has been linked with cancer for decades, yet the Times thinks they should be promoting its safety!

beginning with slavery and genocide.

The hate embedded in the south never abated,,
and it has managed to spread like a cancer.

I guess we're in the metastisis stage now.

But it has returned with a vengeance.

But there were forces behind the scenes
which manipulated Johnson out and Nixon in.

After that, due to race becoming a huge factor
in subsequent elextions, it was over.

The white patriarchy was not going to permit it.
Not in any way, shape or form.

They will just let it swirl down the crapper. Until we are all sitting in a sewer.

From the economy, to the environment, to education, to health care, to democracy,
just simple decency, and kindness to our fellow human beings is all going away as
we are now in a new dark age of fascism. And Trump is doing this because his boss
Vladimir Putin wants to destroy America.

The Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society, the theo-bolsheviks of the Religious Right, the techbro billionaires and their Bond-villain "visions" for the future, the economic royalists who believe in the Divine Right of Money to rule.

It's literally the Red Menace people used to be afraid of: a pack of radicals take over, upend everything, wreck our institutions in pursuit of their fantasy "perfect society", leaving us diminished and impoverished.

Look, I know I am nuttier than a squirrel turd but their policies have already resulted in
the deaths of > 1 million people in Africa with the cutting of USAID to Africa, the deportation
of ? # of people because they are brown or black, abandonment of science in our bio medical
research and work with RFK Jr. making decisions about health care in America, the closing down of the best climate observatory ever on Mt. Mauna Loa in Hawaii, and the selling of lies to Christo Fascists/
MAGA, and so much more people like Peter Thiel & Musk will thin out all of us “useless eaters.”

Right now Trump and company are trying to stop free speech in America with the help of Pam
Bondi.


God I hope I am wrong.

Our rightwing ptb do not want free anything,
including speech.

All they want is money and power.

In my fucked up brain I now think that Harris undoubtedly won but Musk, Thiel, Palantir,
Musk’s Doge Boys, and Eaton were deep into the vote data and deleted and or flipped
millions of votes to give the “win” to Trump who is out of control in his quest to become
a total dictator so as to do what his backers want done. And that includes the covering up
of his part in an international sex trafficking ring so be it.

Everything about that admin is dirty to the max.

This administration is ashamed of nothing. Instead, they find pleasure in bringing misery.

the Trumpers are planning to stay in power while dismantling government WITHOUT canceling free and fair elections. Canceling the elections MUST be part of the plan, because no electorate is going to accept abject suffering and neglect of its family members, neighbors relatives, and friends without massive voter turnout to send Trumpers packing. Look at the logic of the situation. Long term planning MUST INCLUDE the end of free and fair elections.

Why? Because Elon and Trump DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE DOING

https://www.wate.com/news/trump-administration-rehires-hundreds-of-federal-employees-laid-off-by-doge/

I was very skeptical but the agencies seem to have upheld their part of the bargain.

My last day was 26 Mar, and I've received my pay on-time, every two weeks, since then.

My last full paycheck hit the bank last Wednesday.

And best wishes to you and yours going forward!

back in March. The have continued to get paid since then while not working. The official resignation date for these people is September 30 because that is the last day of the Fiscal Year. So those hundred thousand workers will "officially" resign then and no longer get paid (but they have been paid for the last 7-8 months without working). Paychecks end September 30 for those 100,000. The people they are threatening to fire will not get any extra pay. They will stop getting paid as soon as they are fired.

?si=F-AmX5BM16TOgqGE

Wretched, foul man in same league as miller
Just whipping up destruction and hatred as effortlessly as most people breathe

Traumatically infected when that evil ol’ EPA no longer manages the quality of the water he drinks.
And traumatically infected when all those other bad, bad bureaucrats are gone … the ones who make sure food supplies are inspected and disease-free.
And who needs silly bureaucrats to manage what fossil-fuel companies spew into the air?
And while we’re at it, how’s about you never park your sorry ass in a library or a public park.
And how’s about you never complain about roads and bridges.
Also, no whining about your airplane arriving late (because the pilot was busy, taking evasive action to avoid mid-air collisions). No FAA bureaucrats, remember?

Geez, Russell, how did you get to be this way?
Too many wedgies?
Always chosen last for kickball?
Not enough hugs?
Cut off your air supply when you got stuffed into a locker?

Or Bessent got some fool notion that bigger unemployment is okay because the Federal Reserve seems a little more concerned about employment and might lower interest rates.

and there are no Federal services at all....when National Park police refuse to clean bathrooms and the filth and stench grows, when people don't get their SS payments, who will they blame?

My daughter works for the Federal government - she now does the work of at least 5 people and is pulling her hair out and has no clue of who to turn to when there's a problem. No one is happy. Federal employees are confused - the "bureaucrats" they talk about who are f'king up are those that TRUMP put in place - cronies with no clue.

People are desperately looking for other jobs.
Families are at risk.

I fear the Right will only wake up to what they've done when they are starving and sick, have lost their homes and their livelyhoods themselves .....and then they will, of course blame it on Democrats.

It's like I'm listening to my kids when they were toddlers blaming anything naughty that they did on their imaginary playmates.

that if they walked out of their jobs, they could immediately bring all these Republican Politicians to their knees.........

For one, Air Traffic Controllers..........................

They did it in the 80's but 50% of them returned to work, which barely saved the Republican's asses from a shut down of the entire U.S.

Maybe this time, the ATC workers wouldn't back down, like during Reagan's reign of terror on the middle class.......


The old adage: Hell has no fury like a woman scorned.........

Add to that: Hell hath no fury like a group of voters who suddenly wake up, and realize that they have been "Played".............

And if they are retiring they could stay until the end of December. The second and third rounds weren't as generous, but it's still amazing to me that we literally paid people to not work.

I had one team member take the first offer. He retired at the end of August., even though he could have stayed longer. I've had other team members take the second and third offers; they leave either this week or at the end of December. Meantime the rest of us have to pick up the workload. It's not a fun time to be a Fed, but I'll keep my mouth shut, my head down and do my job for as long as I can stand it. At least our politicals understand and give some degree of grace.

...I was planning to retire in December anyway, so just went early (stopped working at the end of March).

I asked about staying on until the end of December under DRP, but my agency only allowed people who would become eligible for retirement or early retirement between 1 Oct and 31 Dec stay on DRP until the end of the year, which makes sense.

This was one huge waste. All those people getting paid full salary not to work? The thing is, many if not all, would have willingly continued to work but weren't allowed to.

And to make it worse, with the hiring freeze still in place, we have limited ways to replace the people who've departed. Makes everyone's life harder, but I think that's part of the plan.

Some of America's enemies wear red hats

Pure genius, evil but genius.

Just like he didn't want honest Covid numbers released.

It's part of the formula that is used to determine the direction of the economy, such as raising and lowering interest rates.
The Felon wants lower rates for a multitude of reasons and unemployment numbers are part of the equation.
The unemployment numbers are a partial reflection of the health of our economy. He doesn't care nor understand what the numbers mean only that it's a reflection of his failure.
Not to mention the actual pain that the unemployed are feeling and the effect on the rest of the economy from the loss of consumer spending which goes to what you stated.

As someone extremely familiar with the process (I'm a recently retired career government statistician), I'm going to copy the summary from Google's AI overview. In this case, I can attest to it being completely accurate. This overview summarizes it more clearly and succinctly than I could do myself.

It is amazing how many people here engage in the exact same accusations against Trump that the right accused Biden & Obama of (stolen elections, fake data, etc.)yet insist that it's different - (because Trump really did those things!). Engaging in conspiracy theories without proof of anything is just as bad no matter which side does it.

Not the past, the future. Sure, firewalls held up before, but so much points to those barriers falling easily.

I appreciate your position on the matter and the experience you say you have.

But after all that's happened in this gov't with all of the access to our private information to 19 year olds and every "norm" that has been broken how can you possibly expect us to believe that couldn't and wouldn't happen? Are you kidding.

He's been manipulating the stock market. Or, are you gonna say that hasn't happened?

Nobody said the numbers coming in wouldn't be accurate. It's the numbers coming out that are of concern. His first term he didn't want Covid cases reported but he had pushback. This term is different. He is doing what he wants to whatever and whomever he wants. Safeguards are NOT working. He has people assisting him to manipulate the systems. Courts are slow and the S.C. is corrupt. Who's going to stop him.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

I posted the truth. If you can't handle it, that's your problem not mine. Believe what you want. And of course people like you will never admit you were wrong so you do you. I know the truth and will continue to post it here for the people who choose to listen.

"Failure to plan is a plan to fail" -Benjamin Franklin
I appreciate all of the information you provided which I will assume is accurate especially since you vouched for it. Your original statement was premised on what "is" and not what could be, implying it's an impossibility.
Please indulge me for a moment. You were by your own words a gov't statistician which means you believe the numbers, they don't lie, which I would agree with. I would imagine a statistician believes in the rules of mathematics. Everything is black and white.

Unfortunately, people lie, manipulate and cheat. I stated I "doubt" the true numbers "would" be printed. The word "doubt" means uncertainty and "would" designates a time in the future.

If we've learned anything from this current administration is that there are no certainties, no rules, policies, systems or laws they aren't willing to at least attempt to break or violate.

Respectfully, you may lack the imagination to conieve of the possibilty and furthermore your reply to me says more about you than it says about me.

I'm often wrong and I've admitted as much on many posts here on DU with apologies and corrections. In fact, I sincerely hope to be wrong in regards to this post. Otherwise, people will be hurt financially and practically more than they already are.
What does it say that you think anybody's ego is so weak to be affected by a statement such as "you're not worth it".
We're just 2 people with a difference of opinion. Your's is based in fact conditional on the current state and mine is based on the possibilty this administration will continue down the deceitful path of destruction they have chosen.

Being wrong is not a weakness, not admitting it to yourself or others is, when nothing is done to correct it.
You are worth my time as evidenced by my long post at this late hour.
Be well, Wiz Imp

No, we don't have a difference of opinion. I presented facts (NOT opinion) and you think your opinion is more relevant than the facts.


I take that as an insult even if you didn't mean it as one. I have always corrected myself when I've posted something wrong here at DU. When it comes to BLS data, I am not wrong. I know what I'm talking about. You don't. And I don't mean that as an insult either. It's just a fact.

Someday (probably soon), one of two things will happen to show you and all the other people here denying reality that you were wrong and I was right. Either (1) the administration will try to release manipulated data, at which time whistleblowers will come out left and right informing the public that the data is not real. All the major economists who use and understand the data will do the same.; or (2) The administration will simply stop publishing much of the BLS economic data because it shows how bad the economy is and they can't have that. However, they realize they can't get away with manipulating it, so their only option is to suppress it.

The one thing that will NOT happen is the administration releasing manipulated data and people just going along with it.

Skepticism of this administration is warranted. I believe most if not all BLS employees were very fearful of what this administration would do with the data when they came into office in January. They are very proud and protective of the honest work they do. Which is exactly why it will be impossible for the administration to get away with manipulating data - they can't do it without the staff who actually develop the truthful data knowing about it.

OK. I've said all I have to say on this thread. I've spent too much time on it already.

This is directed at me, not you.
I follow this line of thinking.

I suspect that you're probably a good person that takes umbrage when something you've known to be true is challenged. I get that. I can appreciate the fact that you have faith in the safeguards and the people involved to implement those safeguards. I'm sincerely grateful to them and to you for the work and expertise you have provided in our government on our behalf.
Like I said, I don't want to be right. I only presented the possibility, maybe even whether correctly or incorrectly the probability, at some point this administration will try to corrupt the system that is currently in place. Can't happen, won't happen are absolutes that no longer exist when it comes to this Administration.

I don't need to be right or to convince you of anything. All that I ask is "what if".
I'm reassured of our systems that you have knowledge and expertise including the people safeguarding the system.
But to not allow for the slimmest of possibilities of corruption is how we got this Administration led by a 34 count Felon that is currently challenging the 14th Amendment, annihilating boat crews in international waters, assaulting and arresting politicians and has been given immunity by a corrupt court. Because it can't possibly happen. We have to think outside of the box.

Other systems in our government have been corrupted and employees have told everybody that would listen about the corruption, to no avail. Sure there are courts putting up roadblocks but ultimately, they get to the Supremes who are giving him just about everything he wants. We need better strategies. They probably won't work either but at least we'll keep fighting until we can reverse course.

I appreciate you taking the time to have read my replies and replying back. Thank you for the discussion.

...as the OP references won't show up in the unemployment numbers because they won't be seeking unemployment benefits.

Since the post was about voluntary resignations I should have been more specific.
I seriously doubt this administration will post the actual unemployment numbers not counting voluntary unemployment.

They will now ensure its destruction just to be able to say "We told you so."

And people fall for it every time.

I'm 63 and it wasn't the plan. I was hoping to go a few more years but the culmination of events which included a newly assigned horrifically inept flight commander coupled with Kegsbreath and DOGE threats made it a no brainer. 31 March was my last day of work and (so far so good) receiving full pay til 31 Dec, followed by retirement.

Right before I retired from the California Govt, I used up 5 months of vacation and sick leave and then retired. Having that 5 months of full pay while I prepared for retirement was nice.

...376 hours, which will be a nice paycheck, when it arrives. We can't sell back sick leave, but it counts towards pension calculation, so I got an extra 6 months out of that.

I took the lump sum annual that allowed me to pay off my car note!

The unused sick leave did go towards adding to my "years of service" calculation for the annuity.

(and thankfully, and I checked, they did deposit my monthly annuity check yesterday)

with 200,000 workers paid their full salary and benefits while on administrative leave for up to eight months,'

https://youtube.com/shorts/Eibfo6IkBhE

I am getting a bit tired of the counter-resistance message that we are powerless in the face of the 47 juggernaut.

Hope is the life's blood of resistance, just as lies are the life's blood of authoritarians.

Find ways to keep your own hope alive. And when it all feels overwhelming find something, some act, however small to connect with others and connect to our own power. We don't need a movement. Each of us just needs to find ways to MOVE and tap into our collective creativity to resist.

Hope is the foundation and the four C's -- Connection, Courage, Creativity, and Commitment -- point the way forward.

Putin's envoy is making it easier for Russia to win without having to fire a shot.