Sequestering
I'm unsure of the impact the sequester will have on me personally. My immediate direct contact with the federal government is much more limited than it once was.
In the past it was much, much, much more important. I lived through a sequester in 2004 when the Welfare to Work Program from which I was paid was defunded and unspent funds were recaptured by government. It was originally part of welfare reform legislation.
Locally funds were used to provide part time employment to welfare recipients that were no longer eligible to receive "cash" because of time limits in the existing welfare reform legislation. Customers were limited to receiving cash benefits for a maximum of 60 months during their lifetime.
The part time employment was with local, state, and non profit agencies. Participation in the program also meant that subsidized child care and food stamps were available.
I was the program administrator of this project and it was an educational experience beyond anything that a college degree or graduate school could have provided.
When we got the word that legislation had passed and there would be no more money for this program I was emotionally prepared. Over thirty years in local government money was added to program and then taken away. With my seniority I would be bounced around but still have a job. I was close enough to retirement that it was a serious option.
We were allowed forty five days worth of money to close out the program and some money to use to negotiate the end of leases that still were in effect. Leases that could not be gotten out of required some moving of staff and lots of other details.
Some of our customers were offered jobs by their work sites, others were given help in finding other work. In 2005 in Miami there were by comparison to today many jobs. Those that really looked hard were able to find something, others went back to working the system.
I spent the last few months resolving close out and audit issues from 2003. I retired in February after working working for Miami Dade County 32 years.
Had my circumstances been different I would have accepted a furlough and it would have been like time off, unpaid, but just time off. I would have adjusted like I did to retirement. My income took a big hit and I went from saving for retirement to spending savings to supplement my retirement and working part time.
Sadly public service isn't a good place to start a career and working in the newspaper business, where I had my first job selling advertising and now distribute advertising is changing a lot faster than I'm able to.
It ain't easy but it could be a lot worse, but it doesn't have to be.
In the past it was much, much, much more important. I lived through a sequester in 2004 when the Welfare to Work Program from which I was paid was defunded and unspent funds were recaptured by government. It was originally part of welfare reform legislation.
Locally funds were used to provide part time employment to welfare recipients that were no longer eligible to receive "cash" because of time limits in the existing welfare reform legislation. Customers were limited to receiving cash benefits for a maximum of 60 months during their lifetime.
The part time employment was with local, state, and non profit agencies. Participation in the program also meant that subsidized child care and food stamps were available.
I was the program administrator of this project and it was an educational experience beyond anything that a college degree or graduate school could have provided.
When we got the word that legislation had passed and there would be no more money for this program I was emotionally prepared. Over thirty years in local government money was added to program and then taken away. With my seniority I would be bounced around but still have a job. I was close enough to retirement that it was a serious option.
We were allowed forty five days worth of money to close out the program and some money to use to negotiate the end of leases that still were in effect. Leases that could not be gotten out of required some moving of staff and lots of other details.
Some of our customers were offered jobs by their work sites, others were given help in finding other work. In 2005 in Miami there were by comparison to today many jobs. Those that really looked hard were able to find something, others went back to working the system.
I spent the last few months resolving close out and audit issues from 2003. I retired in February after working working for Miami Dade County 32 years.
Had my circumstances been different I would have accepted a furlough and it would have been like time off, unpaid, but just time off. I would have adjusted like I did to retirement. My income took a big hit and I went from saving for retirement to spending savings to supplement my retirement and working part time.
Sadly public service isn't a good place to start a career and working in the newspaper business, where I had my first job selling advertising and now distribute advertising is changing a lot faster than I'm able to.
It ain't easy but it could be a lot worse, but it doesn't have to be.
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