Posts by Jose Scott3

Patrick Cook said:And why did private sector workers get a "get out of jail free" card just because a bunch of idiots decided to paralyze the entire country?

Who's going to pay your salary then? The private sector is shot—it's basically gone. That tourism industry that used to drive 20% of the GDP? Poof. Nonexistent. Who exactly is supposed to finance all these wages?

I mean, I think I know the answer: the government could just print everyone's paycheck for them, but then your salary would look the same on paper while being worth three times less in reality.

So they got a temporary lifeline just to stop the pandemic from blowing up?

We got a lifeline too, but people are actually showing up to work because if we don't hit our deadlines, all our testing and research goes down the drain...

Tourism will bounce back after June 1st, except it'll just be locals and neighbors visiting, hardly any international travelers. You're overreacting a bit and clearly don't trust anyone. Things can normalize fast... even after deadly outbreaks happen...

Patrick Cook said:So, you're telling me a business owner who doesn't have enough cash on hand to cover three months of payroll shouldn't be considered an entrepreneur? Give me a break! That’s exactly how these people in the government sector operate—totally disconnected from reality. Honestly, they probably couldn't tell you the difference between revenue and actual cash flow if their lives depended on it.

Seriously, just shut down the government already; this whole setup makes zero sense.

I mean, why even bother being a private business owner at all? Let's all just go become bureaucrats and get paid to do nothing.

Hey Dr. Frank, what kind of business owner are we talking about here, and how does that even make sense?

Look, I might not know the technical difference between revenue and cash flow, but I know my old man. He runs his own shop, and he'll be paying his crew minimum wage for the next three months instead of firing them. He isn't pulling in massive profits, but he's a rational guy... And 90% of small business owners could do the exact same thing. Anyone claiming otherwise is just lying through their teeth...

Larry Walker24 said:Hey, what's up, man? 👍

Cheers.

dustymarlin10 said:Is there any point in replying?
Nope.
Doing so just proves how the public sector thinks the world revolves around them, that money grows on trees, and that every private citizen is just a thief.
Over and out.

Reserves?
Yeah. I have reserves. I can cover my own salary and all my taxes for five months without earning a single cent.
And why would I?
Why would I burn through my hard-earned savings just to subsidize bureaucrats?
And what happens after those five months?
Nothing.
After the first month, I'm hitting the unemployment office.
The cash can stay in the company account and wait for better days.

All that massive wealth private companies rake in is built on the back of public sector innovation.

Sure, that's just one slice of the pie, but you and your buddy are treating the whole damn public sector like it's all the same.

dustymarlin10 said:Is there any point in replying?
Nope.
Doing so just proves how the public sector thinks the world revolves around them, that money grows on trees, and that every private citizen is just a thief.
Over and out.

Reserves?
Yeah. I have reserves. I can cover my own salary and all my taxes for five months without earning a single cent.
And why would I?
Why would I burn through my hard-earned savings just to subsidize bureaucrats?
And what happens after those five months?
Nothing.
After the first month, I'm hitting the unemployment office.
The cash can stay in the company account and wait for better days.

You really think my old man—who's spent the last 20 years building everything from scratch—is some kind of crook? The guy feeds ten people (plus himself), pays every single tax and contribution, and still drives a car from 2006... and he's a thief? Look, there are decent business owners and then there are total scumbags, but I'm not the one generalizing here, you are... since you're out here calling for sanctions against almost the entire public sector.

dustymarlin10 said:Is there any point in replying?
Nope.
Doing so just proves how the public sector thinks the world revolves around them, that money grows on trees, and that every private citizen is just a thief.
Over and out.

Reserves?
Yeah. I have reserves. I can cover my own salary and all my taxes for five months without earning a single cent.
And why would I?
Why would I burn through my hard-earned savings just to subsidize bureaucrats?
And what happens after those five months?
Nothing.
After the first month, I'm hitting the unemployment office.
The cash can stay in the company account and wait for better days.

That's proof right there that there are good and bad business owners. Why didn't my old man do that?

Go ahead, hit the market. But don't mess around and demand everyone else's wages get slashed or start handing out pink slips.

dustymarlin10 said:Is there any point in replying?
Nope.
Doing so just proves how the public sector thinks the world revolves around them, that money grows on trees, and that every private citizen is just a thief.
Over and out.

Reserves?
Yeah. I have reserves. I can cover my own salary and all my taxes for five months without earning a single cent.
And why would I?
Why would I burn through my hard-earned savings just to subsidize bureaucrats?
And what happens after those five months?
Nothing.
After the first month, I'm hitting the unemployment office.
The cash can stay in the company account and wait for better days.

All that massive wealth private companies rake in? It’s built on public sector innovation. Modern civilization is basically held together by people working in government-funded labs. So yeah, go ahead and keep arguing for cutting their paychecks...

That’s just one slice of the pie, but you and your buddy are treating the whole public sector like one big monolith.

dustymarlin10 said:Is there any point in replying?
Nope.
Doing so just proves how the public sector thinks the world revolves around them, that money grows on trees, and that every private citizen is just a thief.
Over and out.

Reserves?
Yeah. I have reserves. I can cover my own salary and all my taxes for five months without earning a single cent.
And why would I?
Why would I burn through my hard-earned savings just to subsidize bureaucrats?
And what happens after those five months?
Nothing.
After the first month, I'm hitting the unemployment office.
The cash can stay in the company account and wait for better days.

You really think my old man is a thief? He’s spent the last 20 years building everything from scratch. The guy feeds ten people (including himself), pays every single tax and fee, and still drives a car from 2006. He’s a thief? Look, there are good business owners and there are scumbags...but I’m not the one generalizing here, you are... because you're out here calling for sanctions against almost the entire public sector.

dustymarlin10 said:Is there any point in replying?
Nope.
Doing so just proves how the public sector thinks the world revolves around them, that money grows on trees, and that every private citizen is just a thief.
Over and out.

Reserves?
Yeah. I have reserves. I can cover my own salary and all my taxes for five months without earning a single cent.
And why would I?
Why would I burn through my hard-earned savings just to subsidize bureaucrats?
And what happens after those five months?
Nothing.
After the first month, I'm hitting the unemployment office.
The cash can stay in the company account and wait for better days.

Case in point: there are good and bad business owners. Why didn't my old man do that?

Go play the market and do whatever you want, but don't mess with anyone else or demand that other people get pay cuts and layoffs.

Jack Cook7 said:My guess: The Brookings Institution? 😁

Man, I'd love to kick the entire Academy right where it hurts.

Nah. Biotech sector. We have zero connection to the social sciences.

If by Academy you mean HAZU, I'm totally with you.

dustymarlin10 said:And why did you take our criticism personally?
It wasn't aimed at you (I don't even know your situation), nor should it have been meant to hit you where it hurts.
But tell me, why would I get fired from my job?
I work hard, I generate revenue, I pay insane taxes, and I’ve never owed anyone—not even the government—a single cent.
Now that the state has effectively blocked me from working by its own decision, am I supposed to just be "solidary" with those of you who are being funded by MY labor?

No.

Look, folks, things suck; I’m heading to the unemployment office, and that $1,500+ a month coming out of MY paycheck for YOUR needs has vanished. Now it’s your turn to pay me some benefits.
It’s about time you guys grew a pair, rationalized your headcount and your budgets, and brought yourselves back down to reality.

EDIT: The whole debate about whether public sector jobs are even necessary is pretty questionable. One of my clients is the National Archives.
You should see how much they value their own importance... and how everything is always such a massive emergency and they're always "so busy"...

How do I know they weren't directed at me? Because with his proposed measures, he basically called me one of all those "state and public administration and institution employees."

Let's be real, that guy Miroslav didn't call for a "lynching of bureaucrats" just to stir the pot and score political points; he actually wants to slash the pay of everyone working in public institutions.

dustymarlin10 said:And why did you take our criticism personally?
It wasn't aimed at you (I don't even know your situation), nor should it have been meant to hit you where it hurts.
But tell me, why would I get fired from my job?
I work hard, I generate revenue, I pay insane taxes, and I’ve never owed anyone—not even the government—a single cent.
Now that the state has effectively blocked me from working by its own decision, am I supposed to just be "solidary" with those of you who are being funded by MY labor?

No.

Look, folks, things suck; I’m heading to the unemployment office, and that $1,500+ a month coming out of MY paycheck for YOUR needs has vanished. Now it’s your turn to pay me some benefits.
It’s about time you guys grew a pair, rationalized your headcount and your budgets, and brought yourselves back down to reality.

EDIT: The whole debate about whether public sector jobs are even necessary is pretty questionable. One of my clients is the National Archives.
You should see how much they value their own importance... and how everything is always such a massive emergency and they're always "so busy"...

No one in the private sector deserves to stay in business if they can't survive on their reserves after years of operating.

Like, for real, my old man is a small business owner, employs a handful of people (somewhere between 5 and 10, I think), and he's going to pay them minimum wage for the next three months himself without firing anyone, simply because he values his workers and knows things will normalize eventually.

A business owner who can't pull that off shouldn't even be in business—if you can't maintain a surplus for a few months when things get weird, you're failing.

Once this madness ends, that guy will restart production and hire the same people back. But us in the public sector, who didn't land our jobs through the Party, no force on earth is going to get us back to work if we get fired like > suggests.

Not like those scumbags in the restaurant industry driving BMWs and whining about layoffs, only to bring those same workers back in a couple of months once the epidemic passes.

dustymarlin10 said:And why did you take our criticism personally?
It wasn't aimed at you (I don't even know your situation), nor should it have been meant to hit you where it hurts.
But tell me, why would I get fired from my job?
I work hard, I generate revenue, I pay insane taxes, and I’ve never owed anyone—not even the government—a single cent.
Now that the state has effectively blocked me from working by its own decision, am I supposed to just be "solidary" with those of you who are being funded by MY labor?

No.

Look, folks, things suck; I’m heading to the unemployment office, and that $1,500+ a month coming out of MY paycheck for YOUR needs has vanished. Now it’s your turn to pay me some benefits.
It’s about time you guys grew a pair, rationalized your headcount and your budgets, and brought yourselves back down to reality.

EDIT: The whole debate about whether public sector jobs are even necessary is pretty questionable. One of my clients is the National Archives.
You should see how much they value their own importance... and how everything is always such a massive emergency and they're always "so busy"...

Give me a break. I’m not paying your bills. There's a massive crowd in the public sector living off EU funds. And yeah, some of that money flows into the healthcare and social safety nets for both you and me.

dustymarlin10 said:And why did you take our criticism personally?
It wasn't aimed at you (I don't even know your situation), nor should it have been meant to hit you where it hurts.
But tell me, why would I get fired from my job?
I work hard, I generate revenue, I pay insane taxes, and I’ve never owed anyone—not even the government—a single cent.
Now that the state has effectively blocked me from working by its own decision, am I supposed to just be "solidary" with those of you who are being funded by MY labor?

No.

Look, folks, things suck; I’m heading to the unemployment office, and that $1,500+ a month coming out of MY paycheck for YOUR needs has vanished. Now it’s your turn to pay me some benefits.
It’s about time you guys grew a pair, rationalized your headcount and your budgets, and brought yourselves back down to reality.

EDIT: The whole debate about whether public sector jobs are even necessary is pretty questionable. One of my clients is the National Archives.
You should see how much they value their own importance... and how everything is always such a massive emergency and they're always "so busy"...

Actually, no. Just like every other guy on this forum, you're lumping all public employees into one big bucket. In our country, science and higher ed are already paid way below what they should be. If we start slashing everything to minimum wage and handing out pink slips, those are the people who are going to get screwed first.

dustymarlin10 said:And why did you take our criticism personally?
It wasn't aimed at you (I don't even know your situation), nor should it have been meant to hit you where it hurts.
But tell me, why would I get fired from my job?
I work hard, I generate revenue, I pay insane taxes, and I’ve never owed anyone—not even the government—a single cent.
Now that the state has effectively blocked me from working by its own decision, am I supposed to just be "solidary" with those of you who are being funded by MY labor?

No.

Look, folks, things suck; I’m heading to the unemployment office, and that $1,500+ a month coming out of MY paycheck for YOUR needs has vanished. Now it’s your turn to pay me some benefits.
It’s about time you guys grew a pair, rationalized your headcount and your budgets, and brought yourselves back down to reality.

EDIT: The whole debate about whether public sector jobs are even necessary is pretty questionable. One of my clients is the National Archives.
You should see how much they value their own importance... and how everything is always such a massive emergency and they're always "so busy"...

I didn't realize the National Archives was busy solving real-world problems, like finding cheaper drugs, developing new medical procedures, boosting crop yields, genetic engineering, new pesticides, energy storage tech, coding crisis management apps, renewable energy, robotics, and stuff like that.

Reminder once again: you and your buddy are treating all public workers like they're the same. Chill out. Public servants don't deserve minimum wage pay or layoffs either.

dustymarlin10 said:To put it simply:

Long live the cronies. Let everyone else rot, as long as there's enough left for you guys.

Let me expand that to six sentences:

I work at a state research institute doing stuff that’s actually useful. I’m not a cop, I’m not an EMT, and I’m definitely not some clerk behind a desk, counting stamps, making coffee, or showing up to a local town hall once a month. I didn't land this gig through the Party or because some cousin pulled strings.

So why should I be stuck with minimum wage or lose my job just because "Jack Cook7" thinks so? This guy is generalizing, and honestly, labeling everyone in public service as a corrupt crony is straight-up psychopathic...

Like I said, if we actually wanted to trim the budget without slashing salaries or firing people—and we're talking about salaries around the average in America—we’d start with the politicians and the big shots. They're the real crooks. That would save a fortune on its own...

crimsonranger3 said:But I am leaving my residence. That means traveling through several small towns to get there, and from what I can tell, that counts as violating the lockdown.

The median incubation period is about 6 days. If there haven't been any new recorded cases in 13 days, then either everyone is handling the virus exceptionally well and building immunity, or those three infected individuals (who tested positive because they traveled from abroad—one from Italy, one from Bavaria, and one who had contact with the first two) really are the only ones infected.
Again, I'm not saying we should scrap all measures as if nothing happened, but we shouldn't apply the exact same restrictions to all of America.

They should've just locked down the whole county...

I just hope those folks who headed down to the Gulf Coast actually follow self-isolation orders like the police told them to... though I’ve got a bad feeling they won't... 😢

Anthony Jackson2 said:Then what's the point if tens of thousands of people are just going to end up leaving shelters again for work? What's stopping the hundred or so folks who leave just to visit a grocery store they don't have locally, or to see parents, grandparents, or a partner?

And it’s not different in the country—it's pretty obvious people aren't visiting each other much lately; they're mostly just staying home. In my view, people from more rural areas are far less of a headache than those from the cities.

I'm with you on that one. Over the last thirty years in America, the cities have basically turned into small towns, while the rural areas are trying to act like big cities...

Joseph Taylor11 said:But how far counts as "within" or "close"?
Is that actually written down anywhere?

Honestly—does the distance even matter? If a person goes alone and they'll be by themselves anyway...?

(Just thinking out loud here—given my own situation....)

Of course they didn't write it down... the whole point of CZ is to make sure nobody ever leaves the house...

Honestly, I’d say nobody's gonna mess with you if you just head out to nature somewhere close to home. As long as you aren't under self-isolation or whatever, you're fine. Personally, I wouldn't think twice about driving out of Washington, D.C. toward the mountains... easy enough...

Jack Cook7 said:But that's exactly the point! In the end, the whole government sector will be nothing but The Party. And once that happens, they'll be incredibly easy to clean out.

Yeah, you clearly forgot what kind of Country we actually live in. We'll see that exact scenario play out once this whole COVID mess settles down. In the meantime, the people who didn't follow The Party line are going to get absolutely screwed... mostly because you (and basically everyone else) spent all this time trying to squeeze every last cent out of the public sector. 🤦

I'm telling you, no pay cuts, no layoffs, no minimum wage bullshit. Just the average Rhode Island salary spread across the entire public sector.

Jack Cook7 said:Are you seriously guaranteeing me a full month on this? Because if that warranty turns out to be total BS, who’s actually footing the bill for the "repair"?

Quentin:

Jose Scott3 Short and sweet: beat it.

That’s just how we talk around here.

Quentin:

Look, everyone needs to chill—this whole budget situation isn't nearly as dramatic as people are making it out to be. Just so you know, besides the doctors, the military, the cops, and the firefighters, there are plenty of other folks working in public institutions who actually show up to an office every single day instead of working from home. You really think they should all get bumped up to minimum wage too? Man, your whole post sounds like "Revenge of the Private Sector, Part 2" or some weirdly specific cheerleader chant from Miroslav’s squad. Honestly, they should just get it over with already: set one flat salary for everyone working in government and public service based on the national average here in the States. Just level the playing field! That way, politicians and all those useless bureaucrats would actually take a temporary pay cut, while our police officers, firefighters, nurses, and the rest of the real heroes would see a temporary bump up. Simple, right?

I'll be sure to come back and bug you at the end of the year once we're stuck staring at a $130 billion budget with a massive $50 billion deficit.

What do you guys think happens when our workforce drops from the current 1.3 million—with maybe 800,000 in the private sector—down to something like 500,000 in private business? What on earth is the government going to do with all those extra employees sitting around in state agencies and massive corporations? Like, what services are they even going to provide that someone would actually pay for? And more importantly, how would anyone afford it? Is a smart Government just gonna start hiking up Credit? Or maybe they’ll just sell off everything they own?

Honestly, they should just slash their salaries now and then slowly freeze them out or lay them off. It’s way better than all of us going broke at once just because The Party is playing backward games to protect their voter base.

This is actually a perfect excuse to trim down those 550+ townships and 130+ cities into a much more sensible 100+ total, kind of like how they do it in Denmark. The same goes for state and local agencies—take Bandic's sanitation department, for instance. They ballooned from 1,000 employees to 2,000, yet trash is still piling up in the streets! Lately, they've even started pulling recycling bins and trash cans off the sidewalks just to "reduce the workload." I mean, no bins, no trash, everything looks clean, right? Pure genius. Meanwhile, they've got hundreds of municipal inspectors out there just making sure citizens are walking properly down the street.

The real crisis in this country isn't some virus or an earthquake; it's the incompetent government that's been handing out jobs to their buddies for thirty years straight. Out of those 800,000 people in the private sector, you don't even have 300,000 who actually operate independently from the government. A huge chunk of them rely on businesses that depend on government contracts, so if those contracts vanish, they go down too. The state basically controls 80% of the GDP. That is the real sickness in America.

That's why we need a total systemic collapse. We need it so we can finally kick all those cronies out to where they belong—all hundred thousand members of The Party and their entire extended families.

Look, I'm not the one making the calls here. It’s the researchers... the ones who actually studied how long the COVID virus sticks around on different surfaces and stays active in people who've already recovered...

Jack Cook7 said:Are you seriously guaranteeing me a full month on this? Because if that warranty turns out to be total BS, who’s actually footing the bill for the "repair"?

Quentin:

Jose Scott3 Short and sweet: beat it.

That’s just how we talk around here.

Quentin:

Look, everyone needs to chill—this whole budget situation isn't nearly as dramatic as people are making it out to be. Just so you know, besides the doctors, the military, the cops, and the firefighters, there are plenty of other folks working in public institutions who actually show up to an office every single day instead of working from home. You really think they should all get bumped up to minimum wage too? Man, your whole post sounds like "Revenge of the Private Sector, Part 2" or some weirdly specific cheerleader chant from Miroslav’s squad. Honestly, they should just get it over with already: set one flat salary for everyone working in government and public service based on the national average here in the States. Just level the playing field! That way, politicians and all those useless bureaucrats would actually take a temporary pay cut, while our police officers, firefighters, nurses, and the rest of the real heroes would see a temporary bump up. Simple, right?

I'll be sure to come back and bug you at the end of the year once we're stuck staring at a $130 billion budget with a massive $50 billion deficit.

What do you guys think happens when our workforce drops from the current 1.3 million—with maybe 800,000 in the private sector—down to something like 500,000 in private business? What on earth is the government going to do with all those extra employees sitting around in state agencies and massive corporations? Like, what services are they even going to provide that someone would actually pay for? And more importantly, how would anyone afford it? Is a smart Government just gonna start hiking up Credit? Or maybe they’ll just sell off everything they own?

Honestly, they should just slash their salaries now and then slowly freeze them out or lay them off. It’s way better than all of us going broke at once just because The Party is playing backward games to protect their voter base.

This is actually a perfect excuse to trim down those 550+ townships and 130+ cities into a much more sensible 100+ total, kind of like how they do it in Denmark. The same goes for state and local agencies—take Bandic's sanitation department, for instance. They ballooned from 1,000 employees to 2,000, yet trash is still piling up in the streets! Lately, they've even started pulling recycling bins and trash cans off the sidewalks just to "reduce the workload." I mean, no bins, no trash, everything looks clean, right? Pure genius. Meanwhile, they've got hundreds of municipal inspectors out there just making sure citizens are walking properly down the street.

The real crisis in this country isn't some virus or an earthquake; it's the incompetent government that's been handing out jobs to their buddies for thirty years straight. Out of those 800,000 people in the private sector, you don't even have 300,000 who actually operate independently from the government. A huge chunk of them rely on businesses that depend on government contracts, so if those contracts vanish, they go down too. The state basically controls 80% of the GDP. That is the real sickness in America.

That's why we need a total systemic collapse. We need it so we can finally kick all those cronies out to where they belong—all hundred thousand members of The Party and their entire extended families.

Do you only threaten your own people with being fired like this, or is this just how you treat anyone who isn't part of your inner circle? Because it’s more than obvious you're just using this as an excuse to... Not exactly selective... Just some sympathy for those who don't fit into your little circle...

Jack Cook7 said:Are you seriously guaranteeing me a full month on this? Because if that warranty turns out to be total BS, who’s actually footing the bill for the "repair"?

Quentin:

Jose Scott3 Short and sweet: beat it.

That’s just how we talk around here.

Quentin:

Look, everyone needs to chill—this whole budget situation isn't nearly as dramatic as people are making it out to be. Just so you know, besides the doctors, the military, the cops, and the firefighters, there are plenty of other folks working in public institutions who actually show up to an office every single day instead of working from home. You really think they should all get bumped up to minimum wage too? Man, your whole post sounds like "Revenge of the Private Sector, Part 2" or some weirdly specific cheerleader chant from Miroslav’s squad. Honestly, they should just get it over with already: set one flat salary for everyone working in government and public service based on the national average here in the States. Just level the playing field! That way, politicians and all those useless bureaucrats would actually take a temporary pay cut, while our police officers, firefighters, nurses, and the rest of the real heroes would see a temporary bump up. Simple, right?

I'll be sure to come back and bug you at the end of the year once we're stuck staring at a $130 billion budget with a massive $50 billion deficit.

What do you guys think happens when our workforce drops from the current 1.3 million—with maybe 800,000 in the private sector—down to something like 500,000 in private business? What on earth is the government going to do with all those extra employees sitting around in state agencies and massive corporations? Like, what services are they even going to provide that someone would actually pay for? And more importantly, how would anyone afford it? Is a smart Government just gonna start hiking up Credit? Or maybe they’ll just sell off everything they own?

Honestly, they should just slash their salaries now and then slowly freeze them out or lay them off. It’s way better than all of us going broke at once just because The Party is playing backward games to protect their voter base.

This is actually a perfect excuse to trim down those 550+ townships and 130+ cities into a much more sensible 100+ total, kind of like how they do it in Denmark. The same goes for state and local agencies—take Bandic's sanitation department, for instance. They ballooned from 1,000 employees to 2,000, yet trash is still piling up in the streets! Lately, they've even started pulling recycling bins and trash cans off the sidewalks just to "reduce the workload." I mean, no bins, no trash, everything looks clean, right? Pure genius. Meanwhile, they've got hundreds of municipal inspectors out there just making sure citizens are walking properly down the street.

The real crisis in this country isn't some virus or an earthquake; it's the incompetent government that's been handing out jobs to their buddies for thirty years straight. Out of those 800,000 people in the private sector, you don't even have 300,000 who actually operate independently from the government. A huge chunk of them rely on businesses that depend on government contracts, so if those contracts vanish, they go down too. The state basically controls 80% of the GDP. That is the real sickness in America.

That's why we need a total systemic collapse. We need it so we can finally kick all those cronies out to where they belong—all hundred thousand members of The Party and their entire extended families.

No, any sane person would realize that in a situation like this, you'd spend the next year or eighteen months aggressively slashing the federal budget and cutting spending across the board. You'd have to sit the public down and explain that certain services just aren't happening for a year or two... strictly due to force majeure...

The solution isn't mass layoffs, heavy taxes, or slashing everyone's paychecks... It's strictly about gutting the budget.

Jack Cook7 said:Are you seriously guaranteeing me a full month on this? Because if that warranty turns out to be total BS, who’s actually footing the bill for the "repair"?

Quentin:

Jose Scott3 Short and sweet: beat it.

That’s just how we talk around here.

Quentin:

Look, everyone needs to chill—this whole budget situation isn't nearly as dramatic as people are making it out to be. Just so you know, besides the doctors, the military, the cops, and the firefighters, there are plenty of other folks working in public institutions who actually show up to an office every single day instead of working from home. You really think they should all get bumped up to minimum wage too? Man, your whole post sounds like "Revenge of the Private Sector, Part 2" or some weirdly specific cheerleader chant from Miroslav’s squad. Honestly, they should just get it over with already: set one flat salary for everyone working in government and public service based on the national average here in the States. Just level the playing field! That way, politicians and all those useless bureaucrats would actually take a temporary pay cut, while our police officers, firefighters, nurses, and the rest of the real heroes would see a temporary bump up. Simple, right?

I'll be sure to come back and bug you at the end of the year once we're stuck staring at a $130 billion budget with a massive $50 billion deficit.

What do you guys think happens when our workforce drops from the current 1.3 million—with maybe 800,000 in the private sector—down to something like 500,000 in private business? What on earth is the government going to do with all those extra employees sitting around in state agencies and massive corporations? Like, what services are they even going to provide that someone would actually pay for? And more importantly, how would anyone afford it? Is a smart Government just gonna start hiking up Credit? Or maybe they’ll just sell off everything they own?

Honestly, they should just slash their salaries now and then slowly freeze them out or lay them off. It’s way better than all of us going broke at once just because The Party is playing backward games to protect their voter base.

This is actually a perfect excuse to trim down those 550+ townships and 130+ cities into a much more sensible 100+ total, kind of like how they do it in Denmark. The same goes for state and local agencies—take Bandic's sanitation department, for instance. They ballooned from 1,000 employees to 2,000, yet trash is still piling up in the streets! Lately, they've even started pulling recycling bins and trash cans off the sidewalks just to "reduce the workload." I mean, no bins, no trash, everything looks clean, right? Pure genius. Meanwhile, they've got hundreds of municipal inspectors out there just making sure citizens are walking properly down the street.

The real crisis in this country isn't some virus or an earthquake; it's the incompetent government that's been handing out jobs to their buddies for thirty years straight. Out of those 800,000 people in the private sector, you don't even have 300,000 who actually operate independently from the government. A huge chunk of them rely on businesses that depend on government contracts, so if those contracts vanish, they go down too. The state basically controls 80% of the GDP. That is the real sickness in America.

That's why we need a total systemic collapse. We need it so we can finally kick all those cronies out to where they belong—all hundred thousand members of The Party and their entire extended families.

The solution isn't about slashing salaries... It’s about setting a flat average pay for everyone in public and government service while this lasts. That way, the overpaid ones end up getting cut in half, and the underpaid people actually doing all the heavy lifting finally get a fair shake... $333 More.

Jack Cook7 said:Are you seriously guaranteeing me a full month on this? Because if that warranty turns out to be total BS, who’s actually footing the bill for the "repair"?

Quentin:

Jose Scott3 Short and sweet: beat it.

That’s just how we talk around here.

Quentin:

Look, everyone needs to chill—this whole budget situation isn't nearly as dramatic as people are making it out to be. Just so you know, besides the doctors, the military, the cops, and the firefighters, there are plenty of other folks working in public institutions who actually show up to an office every single day instead of working from home. You really think they should all get bumped up to minimum wage too? Man, your whole post sounds like "Revenge of the Private Sector, Part 2" or some weirdly specific cheerleader chant from Miroslav’s squad. Honestly, they should just get it over with already: set one flat salary for everyone working in government and public service based on the national average here in the States. Just level the playing field! That way, politicians and all those useless bureaucrats would actually take a temporary pay cut, while our police officers, firefighters, nurses, and the rest of the real heroes would see a temporary bump up. Simple, right?

I'll be sure to come back and bug you at the end of the year once we're stuck staring at a $130 billion budget with a massive $50 billion deficit.

What do you guys think happens when our workforce drops from the current 1.3 million—with maybe 800,000 in the private sector—down to something like 500,000 in private business? What on earth is the government going to do with all those extra employees sitting around in state agencies and massive corporations? Like, what services are they even going to provide that someone would actually pay for? And more importantly, how would anyone afford it? Is a smart Government just gonna start hiking up Credit? Or maybe they’ll just sell off everything they own?

Honestly, they should just slash their salaries now and then slowly freeze them out or lay them off. It’s way better than all of us going broke at once just because The Party is playing backward games to protect their voter base.

This is actually a perfect excuse to trim down those 550+ townships and 130+ cities into a much more sensible 100+ total, kind of like how they do it in Denmark. The same goes for state and local agencies—take Bandic's sanitation department, for instance. They ballooned from 1,000 employees to 2,000, yet trash is still piling up in the streets! Lately, they've even started pulling recycling bins and trash cans off the sidewalks just to "reduce the workload." I mean, no bins, no trash, everything looks clean, right? Pure genius. Meanwhile, they've got hundreds of municipal inspectors out there just making sure citizens are walking properly down the street.

The real crisis in this country isn't some virus or an earthquake; it's the incompetent government that's been handing out jobs to their buddies for thirty years straight. Out of those 800,000 people in the private sector, you don't even have 300,000 who actually operate independently from the government. A huge chunk of them rely on businesses that depend on government contracts, so if those contracts vanish, they go down too. The state basically controls 80% of the GDP. That is the real sickness in America.

That's why we need a total systemic collapse. We need it so we can finally kick all those cronies out to where they belong—all hundred thousand members of The Party and their entire extended families.

Do you honestly believe the public sector is mostly made up of people who aren't voters or political hacks, or is that just your delusion? You're basically suggesting pay cuts and layoffs should be applied indiscriminately to every single civil servant, even the ones who have absolutely zero connection to the cronies or The Party?

If they actually start doing that, the first people to get screwed over will be the ones who aren't hacks or Party loyalists!

crimsonranger3 said:Goddammit. I am not infected. There have been three cases in my city—one recovered, so that leaves two. I have a contact at the hospital, so I know for a fact there are only two active cases in a city of 50,000. And because of this, I can't even get in my car and drive out to some village 6.2 miles further out to enjoy nature, go for a walk, or ride my bike. Why? Because of a couple of Infected Washington, D.C. residents who lost their minds over an earthquake and falling facades and decided to flee? To hell with the Government and all of you supporting this. Restricting the ENTIRE country just because of a few specialists in Washington, D.C.? Give me a break.

And it won't be two weeks; this nonsense is going to drag on for two months. Since last Monday, I haven't been around people because I respect the rules. I haven't hung out with friends because I respect the rules. And frankly, I'm losing my mind because I am not some antisocial cactus that can survive two weeks without human contact. Even if I could manage two weeks, it wouldn't stop at two. You'll see what happens when people snap due to these restrictions being rolled out en masse just for Washington, D.C. They're isolating the whole country because of them. Absolute bullshit.

I followed the measures as they were introduced, even though I thought they were excessive. Now, it has reached the point where I am physically sick with anxiety over whether I will catch the virus and die, versus the desperate need to just leave the house and be with other PEOPLE. Humans are SOCIAL beings, not moles.

Where'd you get that from? You can totally get away with it if you're all in the same spot or nearby, and as long as there's fewer than five of you... provided nobody's stuck in quarantine...

crimsonranger3 said:Goddammit. I am not infected. There have been three cases in my city—one recovered, so that leaves two. I have a contact at the hospital, so I know for a fact there are only two active cases in a city of 50,000. And because of this, I can't even get in my car and drive out to some village 6.2 miles further out to enjoy nature, go for a walk, or ride my bike. Why? Because of a couple of Infected Washington, D.C. residents who lost their minds over an earthquake and falling facades and decided to flee? To hell with the Government and all of you supporting this. Restricting the ENTIRE country just because of a few specialists in Washington, D.C.? Give me a break.

And it won't be two weeks; this nonsense is going to drag on for two months. Since last Monday, I haven't been around people because I respect the rules. I haven't hung out with friends because I respect the rules. And frankly, I'm losing my mind because I am not some antisocial cactus that can survive two weeks without human contact. Even if I could manage two weeks, it wouldn't stop at two. You'll see what happens when people snap due to these restrictions being rolled out en masse just for Washington, D.C. They're isolating the whole country because of them. Absolute bullshit.

I followed the measures as they were introduced, even though I thought they were excessive. Now, it has reached the point where I am physically sick with anxiety over whether I will catch the virus and die, versus the desperate need to just leave the house and be with other PEOPLE. Humans are SOCIAL beings, not moles.

I hope you realize what a total load of crap you just spewed. That hospital connection is a joke... if things were actually serious, they'd know that "two confirmed cases" is basically nothing on paper. It means there are at least five times more people actually sick in that environment—maybe even ten times more if you count the ones showing zero symptoms. Unless your city is some medieval fortress that literally locked down every single gate the second the infection showed up... 🤦

Jack Cook7 said:Look, if anyone actually thinks self-isolation and lockdowns are going to just "delete" the coronavirus, they’re dead wrong. Even if we somehow managed to drop new cases to zero tomorrow—assuming we were testing everyone like crazy—the virus isn't gone. It's still out there. As soon as people start heading back to work, hitting up coffee shops, or just living their lives again, the virus is going to jump right back onto anyone who hasn't already fought through it. This could drag on for months, maybe even years. I mean, seriously, who among us is actually ready to stay cooped up at home for, say, 6 months straight?

The only thing these restrictions really do is slow down the spread so the healthcare system doesn't completely collapse under the weight. As for when case numbers will hit a stable, "sustainable" level where we can ditch the heavy-handed rules? Honestly, nobody has a clue.

Sure, maybe they'll roll out some miracle cure in a month or two, but let's be real—that's a total pipe dream.

And don't even get me started on how the whole public (and private) financial system is about to go belly up. Healthcare is burning through massive amounts of cash right now, way beyond the usual budget. We’re already looking at a $9 billion deficit on a roughly $23 billion annual budget. This year alone, costs are going to blow past $30 billion. Where is that money coming from? Regular revenue won't cover it, and that's assuming tax income doesn't tank because everything is shut down.

If the Government had any sense, they'd slash the salaries of everyone in state and local government, plus all those working for public and local agencies, down to minimum wage immediately (except for doctors, the military, police, and firefighters). Then, after every month, just cut another 10% of the workforce.

No way. Not happening. At most, a month after cases hit zero.

Maybe you can explain how Ebola outbreaks—which is way more contagious, by the way—actually manage to get under control within 3 months?

Jack Cook7 said:Look, if anyone actually thinks self-isolation and lockdowns are going to just "delete" the coronavirus, they’re dead wrong. Even if we somehow managed to drop new cases to zero tomorrow—assuming we were testing everyone like crazy—the virus isn't gone. It's still out there. As soon as people start heading back to work, hitting up coffee shops, or just living their lives again, the virus is going to jump right back onto anyone who hasn't already fought through it. This could drag on for months, maybe even years. I mean, seriously, who among us is actually ready to stay cooped up at home for, say, 6 months straight?

The only thing these restrictions really do is slow down the spread so the healthcare system doesn't completely collapse under the weight. As for when case numbers will hit a stable, "sustainable" level where we can ditch the heavy-handed rules? Honestly, nobody has a clue.

Sure, maybe they'll roll out some miracle cure in a month or two, but let's be real—that's a total pipe dream.

And don't even get me started on how the whole public (and private) financial system is about to go belly up. Healthcare is burning through massive amounts of cash right now, way beyond the usual budget. We’re already looking at a $9 billion deficit on a roughly $23 billion annual budget. This year alone, costs are going to blow past $30 billion. Where is that money coming from? Regular revenue won't cover it, and that's assuming tax income doesn't tank because everything is shut down.

If the Government had any sense, they'd slash the salaries of everyone in state and local government, plus all those working for public and local agencies, down to minimum wage immediately (except for doctors, the military, police, and firefighters). Then, after every month, just cut another 10% of the workforce.

Short and sweet: get lost.

The budget situation isn't nearly as dramatic as you're making it out to be.

Just so you know, besides the medics, military, police, and firefighters, there are plenty of other people in public institutions showing up to work instead of staying home. You want to cut them down to minimum wage too?

From your first word to your last, this whole post sounds like "Small Business Revenge Part 2" or some cheerleader nonsense for the elite.

What they should really do is implement a single, flat salary for everyone in government and public service based on the average wage in the US. That way, politicians and those bureaucratic hacks would take a temporary pay cut, while the police, firefighters, nurses, and the rest would actually see a temporary raise.

pinzgauer said:Just rolled through the West Gate checkpoint...
Police are pulling everyone over at the roundabout coming from Appalachia. I pulled up next to a squad car, they asked if I had a pass, I just told them I didn't have it on me... he just goes "okay, you can pass."🤦

They’ve also got cops sitting on the old road toward Boulder, and probably near John Doe too.
Plus, there's a presence right in front of the tunnel heading out of Washington, D.C., stopping absolutely everyone.

Anyone know what the deal is at the Austrian border near Gary? Are they actually letting citizens through?

Brian Anderson8 said:So, here’s my situation in Brooklyn: my official residence—the apartment where I’m actually registered—is currently rented out to a family with a little kid, and I also happen to work right there in Brooklyn. My actual residence, though, is over in Suburban Atlanta.

My temporary residency permit is set to expire on March 29, 2020. I went down to the Police Department to see about extending it, but they basically told me that extensions aren't even an option right now. It's just... stuck. My wife and our two-year-old are living with me at the Suburban Atlanta address.

When I asked if I could actually get hit with a fine for this whole mess, I got the most incredible, non-committal answer you could imagine: "Well, I guess they won't penalize you." 🤦

You don't need to be looking for trouble, just don't do anything that gives the Police Department a reason to pull you over. If they start asking questions about your Residence... Then we'll see... I’ll just tell them my residence expires soon and I'll deal with the renewal once this whole hysterical mess blows over...

Everything is such a massive headache lately anyway... getting anything done with IDs or driver's licenses is basically impossible with all these crazy restrictions in place...

nimbleharbor10 said:Exactly. What kind of threat does a man pose just by digging in his own dirt out in a rural area? It is sheer idiocy to prevent him from doing that.
My take is this: someone drafted this in an incredibly poor and imprecise manner. They are banning far too much, and the language is vague and lacks any legitimate justification. You should regulate gatherings, not basic movement.

Oh sure, you'll just guarantee everyone else behaves—like someone heading out to their ranch or a cabin won't stop by the ExxonMobil station, then hit the grocery store, then swing by cousin number one's place, then maybe cousin number two's...

The whole point is to kill off any kind of social contact, not just restrict walking around. There’s zero guarantee that someone actually out and about isn't going to grab an opportunity to hang out.

And being a "responsible individual" doesn't mean squat. The last two weeks have already proven there are way too many people who couldn't care less.

Henry Lopez10 said:I mean, seriously though...🙄
Why can't they just strictly ban everyone in isolation from going anywhere?

Well, it IS strictly forbidden, but people here act like animals. You just can't have cops going door-to-door or stopping people on every street corner to check up on them. In situations like this, the PD has actual work to do...

Henry Lopez10 said:So why haven't they put them under strict quarantine?

That would mean packing them all into one spot away from home, which just creates a massive clusterfuck of infection. If one person tests positive and twenty others don't, that whole quarantine setup goes south fast. The goal isn't just protecting the people outside, it's about keeping the ones inside from killing each other...