Sequestration

[gdizzle]

Anyone else starting to feel the effects of the impending sequestration? Things around here are starting to get pretty sketchy. Lots of layoffs over the past week as projects tighten expenditures in anticipation of the sequestration implementation. My worst case scenario is we don't get funded after March 31.

[goldponcho]

Yeah, I'm feeling the effects. I was lined up to continue doing the same work I've been doing (air compressor overhaul for submarines), but that's out of the question now at least until e end of this year. I would've had a great starting wage and good benefits. We'll see were I go from here.

[flyfishing3]

IMO

We are going over lip. It will be settled before the 27th.

[Burn-E]

IMO

We are going over lip. It will be settled before the 27th.

Your two sentences don't add up. Yes it will pass or no it will not. I'm assuming you meant we AREN'T going over the lip.

Game of chicken going on here and I'm guessing neither one of them is going to blink. Just my thought given that they couldn't find an alternative 60 days ago.

[gdizzle]

Your two sentences don't add up. Yes it will pass or no it will not. I'm assuming you meant we AREN'T going over the lip.

Game of chicken going on here and I'm guessing neither one of them is going to blink. Just my thought given that they couldn't find an alternative 60 days ago.

If they don't it's going to WRECK HOUSE in the DC area and the rest of the country.

[flyfishing3]

Nothing will be settled before 3/1 so we will go off lip.

This will be resolved before the 27th when funding actually runs out

[7 VII 7]

If they don't it's going to WRECK HOUSE in the DC area and the rest of the country.

I agree, people around here are getting pretty uncomfortable. 20% less pay is NUTS around this area because that could be 800 to 1200 less a month for most people. That is crippling considering a lot of people dont save money.

This is what happens when you spend a shit load more than you have coming in and give everyone everything as a handout. It will be interesting to see how the Metro does with that much larger loss of fares to catch everyday.

[yangotang]

I agree, people around here are getting pretty uncomfortable. 20% less pay is NUTS around this area because that could be 800 to 1200 less a month for most people. That is crippling considering a lot of people dont save money.

This is what happens when you spend a shit load more than you have coming in and give everyone everything as a handout. It will be interesting to see how the Metro does with that much larger loss of fares to catch everyday.

okay cool guy, so how much do you seek to lose?

[CoRalV70]

They suspended my gov travel card and refuse to turn it on....im fucked.

[gdizzle]

okay cool guy, so how much do you seek to lose?

The problem in this area is the cost of living. It's so expensive and wages haven't adjusted accordingly the last year or so. 20% wage cut would be devastating.

[7 VII 7]

okay cool guy, so how much do you seek to lose?

Relax little man. I am not a Govt employee, but it will affect contractors on contracts won, bid and cost of people/talent to fund a contract. If a govt employee makes 100k a year. Which in this area is a GS-13 Step 5 or above (easy to make) that would mean that after taxes could be seeing $800 to $1000 less take home pay. That might seem like a lot out there on the West Coast but in this area you can't buy a house or town-home in a safe neighborhood for less than 350k.

The problem in this area is the cost of living. It's so expensive and wages haven't adjusted accordingly the last year or so. 20% wage cut would be devastating.

I read on CNN there other day that 1/3rd of people right now have more debt than savings.. which blows my mind. (does not include mortgage loan).

I wish there was an efficient way to cut lazy govt employees. Do an interview like they do in Office Space. I have worked with SO MANY people that are on the GS level that have decent resumes but when you talk to them they have no idea what they are talking about or how to do their job efficiently. I work with a number of program managers that can't even remember meetings to join or notes from the previous meeting. It is like talking to a goldfish sometimes.

[gdizzle]

Relax little man. I am not a Govt employee, but it will affect contractors on contracts won, bid and cost of people/talent to fund a contract. If a govt employee makes 100k a year. Which in this area is a GS-13 Step 5 or above (easy to make) that would mean that after taxes could be seeing $800 to $1000 less take home pay. That might seem like a lot out there on the West Coast but in this area you can't buy a house or town-home in a safe neighborhood for less than 350k.

I read on CNN there other day that 1/3rd of people right now have more debt than savings.. which blows my mind. (does not include mortgage loan).

I wish there was an efficient way to cut lazy govt employees. Do an interview like they do in Office Space. I have worked with SO MANY people that are on the GS level that have decent resumes but when you talk to them they have no idea what they are talking about or how to do their job efficiently. I work with a number of program managers that can't even remember meetings to join or notes from the previous meeting. It is like talking to a goldfish sometimes.

I totally agree. It's a joke down here. The govt has admin support that goes to their meetings for them or with them and takes notes for them, does their meeting minutes for them, send out meeting agendas for them, does their budgets for them. Then they have us, the contractors that do all the work on the project, for them. They don't do anything other than make bad decisions and change their mind all the time which drives up design costs, then bitch at us for going over budget. Not ALL of them are like that, but the vast majority are. Then they have the what I like to call "blue badge complex", when they don't get their way, they start tossing their govt ID on the table and pointing to it like it means they're the second coming.

Also, it used to be you made more in the contractor world then if you worked for the Govt, but you got better benefits w/ the govt. However, times have changed. Contractors are underbidding contracts left and right and slashing salaries by 15-20% after they win the contracts. The govt employees are now making more money than their contract counterparts and have all the perks of working for the government.

[7 VII 7]

From what I have seen from proposals is that companies are underbidding the contract in this area and then having trouble finding people with the required experience and qualifications for that job and salary. You are not going to get a person with 10 years experience, a BS and MS and certs for under $100k in this area. But yet they say they have them for the contract. Then they look to SUB and even then that does not work out.

Again this depends on the reqs for the contract on budget or performance.

We had GS people at my last location that would go out to lunch every day for 2 to 3 hours. They might get in at 7am but when you are gone from 11am to 1pm or 2pm and then leave at 3pm, there is no way you are doing your job. I like how the GS lead there did not even graduate high school and was managing these people.. and was doing a horrible job at it.

But as contractors we have to bow down to the GS.

ANYWAYS

[rmorse]

I'm right down the road from Greg, and will be feeling the hit as well (~$400 less, after taxes, per paycheck). It's a fairly large hit. I've set up my finances enough that it really doesn't matter (I just lose play money), but for the first time in a couple years, I actually have to pay close attention to where my money is going. Definitely going to be interesting to watch everyone trip out....

Oh, and Greg - they've started layoffs there? Damn son. We're actually SWAMPED with work, with the new requirements and justifications. So basically....workload goes up, pay and hours go down.

[rmorse]

Although, to play devil's advocate....We're talking about $85B here. That's really not that much $$$$. That's only a little bit more than we forked over for Sandy.