Federal workers

Upon viewing from President Donald Trump’s own lips last month the sweeping characterization of federal employees as fraudsters, liars, deep state bureaucrats and unnecessary, I had to speak out in outrage and defense. This former school board chairwoman never used or considered anything close to such disparaging language to describe our Virginia Beach City Public Schools workforce. Certain members of our community have risen up in indignation; where do others (including certain members of our local congressional delegation) stand?

This largely unchecked, indiscriminate wrecking ball against federal government employees and programs that challenge congressional authority and potentially breach civil service protections is a daily horror show. The inevitable, massive brain drain that looms in many critical departments and agencies too numerous to mention here would be incredibly hard to rebuild. To lump all into some amorphous category of incompetents and worse may satisfy political narratives, but flies in the face of reality and is beyond insulting.

These employees dedicate their lives to something bigger than themselves; a time-honored “common good” concept of public service that is becoming too readily dismissed. U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans’ stand on our responsibility to our veterans is commendable; I would hope this respect would extend to all of the federal workforce.

Of Virginia’s 145,000 civilian federal employees, 60,000 reside in our region. These are our friends and neighbors. Show your appreciation and respect; communicate your concern.

No context

Every day we see stories that the Department of Government Efficiency is “slashing” federal spending or “dismantling” the government. Pay close attention to these articles because there will certainly be an important fact left out — that being the gargantuan federal deficit. Every day brings a new sob story about someone being hurt by Elon Musk’s chainsaw (ugly image, right?) but never provides context.

The reality is that four months into the new fiscal year, the federal government was already $840 billion in the red, a 58% increase from the prior year. We have had decades of indoctrination about the necessity of all these government programs. The spotlight so many are crying about should only become brighter. We’ll all be the better for it.

Help me!

Debt reduction: Cost cutting and right sizing government is done to run the government at a profit until debt is paid.

Examples include salaries and benefits of the thousands fired; shuttering Congress-approved agencies and programs; nonpayment of contractual obligations and congressionally approved expenditures; selling off real estate holdings; and defunding aid to Ukraine.

Deficit: Difference between what is spent, and what is taken in through taxes and other revenue streams.

How does this align with the $4.5 trillion that President Donald Trump wants Congress to add to the national debt to eliminate taxes for billionaires and corporations?

Elon Musk says we will go bankrupt if we don’t fire all these people and shut down all these programs. It’s not adding up. Help me understand.

Leaders

This is a message to all Americans and government officials who have and continue to support President Donald Trump and his autocratic vision.

When you’re done allowing him to rip apart our American way of life, our health, our protections, our opportunities, our children’s education and our freedoms, I hope that you can finally see the damage you’ve done. We are becoming a shell of what we were founded to be, and I hope you can look into your children’s faces with pride as they’re struggling to face life’s challenges in a dictatorship, and realize that it was all your fault.