The Next President is...

[brabus]

4 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

but it does show the government system is a freaking mess and warrants a peak under the hood

$4.7T in federal untracked payouts. Doesn’t mean that’s all FWA, but it does at least demo the complete incompetence of the federal gov. The gov is managing our money like children, some of them with sinister intent.

 

[BashiChuni]

22 minutes ago, brabus said:

$4.7T in federal untracked payouts. Doesn’t mean that’s all FWA, but it does at least demo the complete incompetence of the federal gov. The gov is managing our money like children, some of them with sinister intent.

 

THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO PAY MORE TAXES - nsplayr

[nsplayr]

1 hour ago, BashiChuni said:

THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO PAY MORE TAXES - nsplayr

I do think people who have the money to do so, i.e. high W2 earners but also, and first, the extremely wealthy & highly profitable corporations need to pay more taxes, yea.

If for nothing else to stop deficit spending every single year, but also to maintain our nation's quality of life and top dog place in world affairs.

[SocialD]

2 hours ago, bcuziknow said:

Hate much, or just that bitter over life’s choices?

 

Nah man, life actually couldn't get much better now that I'm retired from the military lol.  Just had flashbacks to dealing with GS employees who were just road block after roadblock, rather than supporting the people their shop is supposed to support.  I just see those types as easier to let go than a bunch of newhires, especially those closest to SS age.  Best way to figure out who to keep/dump would be to talk to those who they're supposed to support.  

[nsplayr]

2 hours ago, brabus said:

$4.7T in federal untracked payouts. Doesn’t mean that’s all FWA, but it does at least demo the complete incompetence of the federal gov. The gov is managing our money like children, some of them with sinister intent.

 

FY24 total federal outlays totaled $6.75T. Do you really think that because allegedly $4.7T of those were missing a previously-optional field that it's indicative of widespread fraud, waste, and abuse?

4.7 / 6.75 is exactly 69%, I'm half inclined to believe man-child Elon picked that number as another 69 joke.

If Treasury, the Fed & DOGE want to work together to improve internal accounting practices, great, go for it. Maybe requiring this code on every transaction is a good improvement, I'm not an expert here but I'm happy to accept smart, positive changes to the way the government operates it's processes.

It's like in the DCA crash when folks latched on to the fact that the helo wasn't broadcasting ADS-B. Wow, that seems like a smoking gun! But if you actually fly aircraft, you know that's not a big deal, let alone causal in deadly crash that occurred.

Some folks here (not saying you on this, just folks in general) rightly laugh / get mad when non-experts wildly speculate and misjudge stuff about aviation but also happily make the same mistake when the headline is about something else and it conforms to their predisposed views. 

Edited 1 hour ago by nsplayr

[nsplayr]

12 minutes ago, SocialD said:

Just had flashbacks to dealing with GS employees who were just road block after roadblock, rather than supporting the people their shop is supposed to support.  I just see those types as easier to let go than a bunch of newhires, especially those closest to SS age.  Best way to figure out who to keep/dump would be to talk to those who they're supposed to support.  

Agreed on this...if dead weight is anywhere in the federal bureaucracy it's at the top, not the young folks or recent job-movers who are still probationary.

If I were a dictator and bent firing folks in my squadron, it's not all the LTs who would be packing their shit despite the fact that they are hopeless fuckups who can't even make corn right 😅 The first folks I'd can are the non-leadership O5s and E8s who have 20+ years in the bank but are still just cruising on, taking up space.

My favorite government civilian who should be sent packing is one Mr. Bumpers. Clown-ass named individual but that's his real name. Useless roadblock. The young highly recruited folks like the AG's Honors Program who were all canned is the absolute back-asswards way to do it.

If Pete et al are talking about "Why do we have 44 4-stars," I mean I can tell him the answer and he's still a wholly unqualified and inappropriate choice for SECDEF, but he's at least starting at the right echelon to find efficiencies...

Edited 1 hour ago by nsplayr

[SocialD]

48 minutes ago, nsplayr said:

The first folks I'd can are the non-leadership O5s who have 20 years in the bank but are still just cruising on, taking up space.

 

 

This is exactly why I left when I did.  Finished up a CC tour with 22 YOS and less than zero desire to continue down the leadership track.  I knew I'd just be a deadweight O-5 DSG, soaking up sorties and holding up an O-5 slot.  Unfortunately, way too many of those Mr. Bumpers out there who are filling a seat, dug in like a tick, maintaining the status quo.   

Walked into the local FSDO a few years back and the place looked like a geriatric facility.  Talking with one of the reps, most were retired military, who already were fed retirement eligible and clearly old enough to collect SS.  Anyone who has worked with the FAA knows how painful some of those crotchety old dudes can be.  I understand the desire to keep working, but new blood is a good thing. Hell, one of the reasons we can't get enough DPEs in the area is because the early 70s dude at the FSDO doesn't want to manage more DPEs (per a friend/DPE).

Edited 35 minutes ago by SocialD

[nsplayr]

💯 to all that

[ClearedHot]

47 minutes ago, nsplayr said:

It's like in the DCA crash when folks latched on to the fact that the helo wasn't broadcasting ADS-B. Wow, that seems like a smoking gun! But if you actually fly aircraft, you know that's not a big deal, let alone causal in deadly crash that occurred.

Shut up Nav. 

ADS-B was not a smoking gun and I didn't latch on to the ADS-B issue as casual, but as a dinosaur who now uses ADS-B religiously, I see the enormous SA benefit offered by the capability.   I think if it was in use it could have been a glove save.  On at least two occasions ADS-B has "saved" me.  Both times were I was where I was supposed to be and others were not.

56 minutes ago, nsplayr said:

I do think people who have the money to do so, i.e. high W2 earners but also, and first, the extremely wealthy & highly profitable corporations need to pay more taxes, yea.

I already do pay more....how much is enough?  I already pay 35% AND Social Security that I likely won't get.  The progressive tax schedule is pure punishment to those who are successful.  Please save the progressive liberal crap justification.  It is blatantly unfair and now you want more...shocking...not.  I am so glad my "extra" contribution could pay for these items.

- $59M for ILLEGALS to stay at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC

- $10M for "Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision"

- $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop "a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills" -

- $2.3M for "strengthening independent voices in Cambodia"

- $32M to the Prague Civil Society Centre - $40M for "gender equality and women empowerment hub"

- $14M for "improving public procurement" in Serbia

- $486M to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,” including $22M for "inclusive and participatory political process" in Moldova and $21M for voter turnout in India

- $29M to "strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh"

- $20M for "fiscal federalism" in Nepal

- $19M for "biodiversity conversation" in Nepal

- $1.5M for "voter confidence" in Liberia

- $14M for "social cohesion" in Mali

- $2.5M for "inclusive democracies in Southern Africa"

- $47M for "improving learning outcomes in Asia"

- $2M to develop "sustainable recycling models" to "increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalized communities of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egypt"

- $1.4M contract to physically observe mailing and clerical operations

- Over $32 million from various other government departments for Politico Pro, which then wrote nothing but positive stories about Biden and negative stories about Trump.