“Our work has been denigrated constantly,” says government scientist
By Bill Brady
President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has slashed thousands of federal government jobs in the first several weeks of his administration.
In some cases people have been quickly rehired. But in others, the cuts have been accompanied by promises of even more to come.
The situation has left many federal employees anxious.
Some of those employees live in St. Anthony Park and its adjoining neighborhoods and suburbs. The Park Bugle spoke with one of them, a scientist who works for a federal agency. They spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Jamie” lives not far from a Roseville shopping district and works remotely. When interviewed in early March, Jamie still had a job but said, “There is no security. I think there is a reasonable chance that I will be fired in the next three months.”
In February, department employees were told to expect mass layoff, Jamie said. Then weeks went by and only one person had been cut. But mixed messages from Washington continue to create anxiety.
“There is no clarity as to how many folks will be laid off,” Jamie said. “Guidance has been confusing and contradictory. We continue to plan but it is hard to know what to prepare for, 10% reduction, 20%? Nobody knows and I am not confident anyone will let us know.”
“Intentionally cruel”
Worse than the uncertainty has been what Jamie maintains is a callous and “intentionally cruel” tone to the pronouncements from the administration. It started with the first email from the new management team at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
According to Jamie, “It told us that we were all wasteful and had to change. That we should leave the unproductive public sector and go be productive in the private sector. Our work has been denigrated constantly.” (Calls and emails to OMB to confirm the email’s content were not returned).
No one should be surprised at the disrespect, Jamie says, noting the new OMB director, Russell Vought, is a former Heritage Foundation executive who in the past has called not just for a smaller federal workforce, but for the demoralization of workers who remain.
“We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected,” Vought said in a 2023 speech at the Center for Renewing America (an organization he co-founded). “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains … We want to put them in trauma.”
“Un-American”
Watching this speech on YouTube apparently had the desired effect on Jamie, who was left feeling dispirited and more than a little angry.
“I don’t care what political affiliation you have, this is disgusting and really un-American,” Jamie asserted. “I may not be particularly heroic, but I sure as hell am not a villain.”
Jamie acknowledged the federal budget, as enormous as it is, undoubtedly has pockets of waste that should be addressed.
But at the same time, “there is a side to government where people are trying to do a good job and be good stewards of taxpayer money,” he said. “I can’t speak for the whole federal enterprise, but the people I see are working hard to get things done. They are smart and dedicated. For these folks, it’s not just a job. It’s a mission. To smash the whole thing with a sledgehammer is not a good approach.”
“Look,” Jamie continued, “I know RIFs happen, they happen relatively frequently in the private sector. (But) even the worst companies show some compassion for folks. I have never heard of a company taking such glee from doing something like this.”
Jamie is looking at new job postings and may decide to leave before being fired.
Still, if that happens, “that would be very sad for me,” Jamie said.” This has been a dream job. Everyone I work with is brilliant and dedicated to protecting the public. But I can’t afford to be caught flat-footed.”
Bill Brady is copy editor and occasional reporter for the Park Bugle.
Photo caption: A local federal worker said he’s uncertain if he will be able to hold onto his job in the wake of the Trump administration’s large-scale slashing of government spending. Photo by Bill Brady.
