March 3, 2009
There Were Two Things I Liked About Obama

Posted at 6:37 pm, in: Uncategorized

There were two things I liked about Barack Obama: he’s a Marlboro Man, and he said DC was full of wimps when it comes to snow. I’m going to have to take that second one back.

DC is not full of wimps when it comes to snow. It is full of federal government employees. Typically, they lack work ethic, which is how they ended up in the federal government in the first place, because they couldn’t compete in the private sector, and look for any opportunity to milk the system in every way they can.

Yesterday morning I woke up to find out that the branch I work for was on a two hour delay, or unscheduled/liberal leave policy. What this means is that it is up to the employee to decide whether or not they should come in to work, and leaves the supervisor unable to deny their request for leave. Now, a good employee does their best to make it in, at the very least, on a two hour delay. The government employee doesn’t make it in at all. Why would they if they know that a) they can get away with it; b) everyone else is doing it so; and, c) they can’t be judged?

Your typical government employee wants to get paid as much as possible without doing anything. Most are looking for an opportunity to get paid to do nothing. There’s a sense of entitlement that permeates every government building. And, this is why I’m taking that second one back.

Obama mischaracterizes the situation when he calls them wimps. It suggests that they’re not strong enough to come in, or that they’re too scared, as if they just need to toughen up. They don’t need to toughen up; they need to grow up. They need to act like responsible adults, not like spoiled brats. They are despicable, lazy, federal government employees who are just coasting until they can retire. And, with his “stimulus” plan, there will be plenty more where that came from and they will be planted in every state.

How prepared can we possibly be for any catastrophe when our nation’s capital comes to a grinding halt for a half a foot of snow? How vital can these government employees be when they can all simultaneously take an unexpected day off with no effect? What does it say about a city that can stop at the drop of a snow flake?

Yesterday’s “snow” day was like the Day Without (Illegal) Immigrants protest a couple of years ago. The only lesson I learned from both is how much easier my life would be without federal employees and illegal immigrants.I grew up in Connecticut. What I’m sure most of DC will refer to as a snow “storm” would have been considered a dusting. We should be required to come to work. That’s a mentality I can get behind. And, our president has the capability of changing the current mentality.

If he feels it is ridiculous for his children’s (private) school to be closed, shouldn’t the people whose jobs are supposedly vital to running our nation be seen as ridiculous for getting the day off? He can change this, but he won’t. Why would he? The majority of federal government employees are Democrats; they’re an interest group. Tell them you’re taking a holiday away and you might lose some votes!

On the shuttle into work this morning, the two people sitting in front of me were talking. The guy mentioned something about work the day before. The woman, in complete shock turned to him with her expression of dismay, and said, “You came to work, yesterday!” That about sums it up. When it comes to federal employees, coming to work on a liberal leave day is a revolutionary idea. Why would you do a thing like that? Didn’t you hear, you’re entitled to that day off! There was five inches of snow out there!

The truth is, the majority of federal government employees aren’t necessary. A snow day in DC proves that. The good news for Obama is, in my eyes, he still has one thing going for him. And, he better not quit. With the new SCHIP bill he signed into law, it is now the responsibility of every smoker to keep smoking or else some middle-class child might not get health care. So, light up Mr. Marlboro Man! That cigarette just may save a child’s life.

*Full disclosure requires that I confess to you that I am a federal government employee. Judge me as you see fit; I can take it. There are days I want to punch myself in the face for working there. But, during my tenure there, I have never taken advantage of the “liberal” leave policy.