Tag: National Park Service

Patience Wearing Thin Among Those Most Affected by Shutdown

Patience Wearing Thin Among Those Most Affected by Shutdown

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Double Whammy

Carl Triplett, an IT management analyst at the U.S. Department of Transportation, has the dubious distinction of being doubly impacted by the government shutdown. Not only has Triplett been furloughed, but Carolina Q, the food-truck business he co-owns with his partner, has lost some of its customer base.

For Triplett, the primary problem is the uncertainty of when the shutdown will end. “Going without one or two paychecks might not be that bad,” he says, “but when you have no end in sight,” it is cause for concern. Even the promise of at least partial back pay is cold comfort, as there is no set return date, and thus employees have no idea when to expect payment.

“I can’t write an IOU to my car payments, apartment, and credit cards,” he noted.

The barbecue business has suffered as furloughed workers remain home, or at least reduce their spending. Triplett had already noticed a downturn during September—one he attributed to the end of summer vacations and the costs associated with children’s return to school—but the effect of the shutdown has been immediate and severe. Continue reading “Patience Wearing Thin Among Those Most Affected by Shutdown”

Interior Announces Summer Jobs Program, Cancels Park Police Furloughs

Interior Announces Summer Jobs Program, Cancels Park Police Furloughs

National Park Service in March said that sequestration would force service reductions to many popular tourist attractions, including Utah's Arches National Park.
National Park Service in March said that sequestration would force service reductions to many popular tourist attractions, including Utah’s Arches National Park. Wikipedia Commons User Gridge

This story has been updated.

The Interior Department has launched a program to provide jobs for 17,000 young people at locations on the country’s public lands, in national parks and at wildlife reserves, as the National Park Service announced it was canceling remaining furloughs for U.S. Park Police.

The new jobs program has nearly $4.2 million — mostly from grant funding — to support thousands of employment and mentoring opportunities for young people.  The federal government will be working with local governments and private companies to help leverage opportunities and support the next generation of environmentalists. Through the program, Interior also hopes to create a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, as outlined by President Obama. Continue reading “Interior Announces Summer Jobs Program, Cancels Park Police Furloughs”

Part 4: Morale Of Federal Workers Fluctuates As Cuts Loom

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Part 4: Morale Of Federal Workers Fluctuates As Cuts Loom

By: Jonathan Wilson // August 1, 2012
A view of the U.S. Capitol dome from inside the building as the sun sets.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
A view of the U.S. Capitol dome from inside the building as the sun sets.

Those looking for signs that the talk about shrinking government is getting federal employees down won’t find it at the Next Generation of Government training summit — an event aimed at bringing together Generation X and Y government professionals.

Diverse 20- and 30-somethings mix and mingle, laugh and share stories in between conference sessions, and you’d never know they stand to be directly affected by pending budget cuts.

With Congress under pressure to reduce spending, compensation for government workers is often on the chopping block, as are the resources dedicated to each agency. But not every federal employee sees the debate about spending as a bad thing.

In fact, the possibility of a smaller federal government isn’t changing how these young federal workers feel about their jobs, says Dave Uejio, a 30-something president of Young Government Leaders, one of the groups sponsoring the “NextGen” conference.

It’s partly because the new generation of federal workers doesn’t necessarily see government work as a lifetime commitment in the same way as previous generations did, adds Uejio, who works at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Continue reading “Part 4: Morale Of Federal Workers Fluctuates As Cuts Loom”

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