Federal workers Hached are faced with parents who celebrate their dismissal

By Matt Sedensky, national writer of Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) – Rush to replace their health insurance and to find new work, some federal workers licensed meet another unexpected inconvenience: parents encouraging their dismissal.

The bitter tribal policy of the country is spreading in text channels, publications on social networks and animated conversations while Americans absorb the reality of government cost reduction measures. While waiting for sympathy, some axing workers find family and friends who are rather firmly in their support for what they consider a waste of swollen government.

“I was treated as a public enemy by the government and now he is bleeding in my own family,” explains Luke Tobin, 24, who was dismissed last month of his work as a technician with the US Forest Service in the National Nose Percée de l’Idaho.

The loss of jobs of Tobin made him rush to fill the prescriptions before losing his health insurance and to fill dozens of requests to find the work he can, even if it is in a quick restaurant. But some parents reacting to his dismissal such as “what must happen to make the government great” was one of the worst parts of the whole test.

“They cannot separate their ideology and their policy to support their own family and their own loved ones,” explains Tobin.

Kristin Jenn obtained a similar response from family members after learning the use of the Ranger of the National Park Service that she was to start had been suspended by the frost of the Ministry of Elon Musk government. She thinks it is likely that the work will be completely eliminated.

As she expressed her disappointment in the potential loss of her dream job, some members of her mainly conservative family deactivated her on social networks. Others give it silent treatment. Almost all promote such cuts even if she is a victim.

“My life disintegrated because I cannot work in my chosen field,” explains Jenn, 47, from Austin, Texas. “Publish in addition to this without family support – it strikes you very hard.”

The conflict has extended to Jenn’s mother, a former federal employee herself. When she criticized the actions of the administration, her mother simply says that she supports the president.

“In a way, she was convinced that the civil servants are parasitic and unproductive even if she was a civil servant,” explains Jenn.

Federal job cuts are Doge’s work, which has torn the agencies looking for suspicious waste. No official statement of dismissals has been published, but the list extends over the thousands and to almost all parts of the country.

No more layoffs are expected because Doge continues his work.

Eric Anderson, 48, of Chicago, always absorbed the shock of being dismissed from his national parks service as a technician in organic sciences when he came across the publication of the social media of his aunt celebrating the Doge Cups. The main thing, Anderson said, was: “Dude, it’s really great to see all this eliminated waste.”

He gets angry while thinking about it.

“Do you think I’m a waste?” He says, his voice rising remembering the post. “There are many people who hurt at the moment who are not waste.”

Erica Stubbs, who worked as a forest technician at US Forest Service in Boulder, Colorado, avoids social media after seeing hatred for federal workers.

Although most of the people in her life have been favorable since she was dismissed, some have made comments on the need to eliminate jobs like hers.

“What they tell me is that it only cuts waste, excess expenses – that your work is not so important,” says Stubbs, 27. “I am not saying that it is the most important work in the world but it is my work. It’s important for me.

Social media are full of messages writing backdown and urging Doge: “Fire Plus!” In a fiercely divided country, many have seen the cuts through their own political objective.

It turns out that a man’s devastation can be the pleasure of another man.

Riley Rackliffe, who worked as aquatic environmentalist in the national leisure area of ​​Lake Mead in Nevada, was argued that his dismissal led so many friends and parents to reach out, offering to pass his curriculum vitae, call their Congress member or even help with his mortgage.

Mixed with this, however, was vitriol.

When his dismissal made local news, a Facebook publication in history led to a storm of comments that mocked it and defended the layoffs. A person called Riley, who is 36 years old and has a doctorate, a “glorified pool boy” of which almost anyone could do the work.

Even some friends of Rackliffe have twinned their consolation expressions for Rackliffe with the support of the job cup they supported were a useless government bloating.

“Hey, I’m sorry you’ve lost your job, but I think we really have to cut some of this waste in the government,” said Rackliffe, a friend sent him a text, saying that he supported Doge’s goals. “He essentially said,” We have to do this. We have to scam the dressing. »»

What stings the most, says Rackliffe, is the assertion that people like him were lazy and worthless, collecting large pay checks for meaningless work.

“It is really hurtful for the president to insinuate that you do not exist or that your work consisted in sitting at home by doing nothing and taking the pay check,” he said. “I would like to see him scrutinized through the spinous naiade in weather at 120 degrees in search of parasitic snails. It is he who will play golf course on the government’s penny. I don’t even know how golf.

Matt Sedensky is contacted at msedensky@ap.org and https://x.com/sedensky.

Originally published: March 7, 2025 at 6:31 PST