Republican politicians in states and congressional districts that are chock-full of federal families may be in for a jolt in 2016.

Whether it is true or not, it seems that a growing number of feds are starting to equate Republicans (especially those in the House) with famous destroyers. Folks like Jason Voorhees (the guy in the hockey mask), slasher Freddy Krueger, or having Norman Bates at your next shower.

Recent GOP proposed budget plans have called for a variety of changes — read cuts — in federal worker benefits. Many think the Internal Revenue Service is being slowly starved to death for the sins — real or imagined — of a few. And that could be a factor in some places, in next year’s presidential and congressional elections.

With few exceptions, D.C.’s Maryland suburbs have long-been Democratic congressional turf. A little gerrymandering helped, but the numbers are there. Virginia has been trending from Red to Purple to Democratic Blue with the Northern Virginia counties bordering D.C., solid for Democrats, except for the legacy seat left by former Rep. Frank Wolf.

About 14 percent of all federal employees live and work in the D.C. metro area. Put another way that means 86 of every 100 feds live and vote in California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio.

Uncle Sam is the major employer in Ogden, Utah and Huntsville, Alabama. The San Antonio area is chock-full of feds. So are Raleigh-Durham-Carey, North Carolina. Feds (and families) are a major presence in places like Idaho and Colorado and Washington state.

When he visits colleagues, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) often takes along data showing the federal employee population in their home states. It is often an eye-opener. Or if not, maybe it should be.

Many civil servants are convinced that politicians — and they mostly cite Republicans — are trying to wreck government so the public will demand privatization. They point out that contractors give (as in can afford) more money to politicians than feds.

“After the politicians are finished eviscerating the federal workforce and replaced by high-school dropouts who have been working in Wal-Mart warehouses stacking pallets for $8 per hour, there will be howls of protest once services disappear … from the same politicians who believed cheaper is better,” said one reader. Many other agree.

Another said, “I foresee many eligible employees jumping ship” if current federal benefits are cut and pay raises are held down.

Yet another said, “The idea is to make us, and government, look bad, then farm-out our jobs to the private sector.”

As a wise man once said, the only thing worse than having the IRS collect taxes is having anybody else do it!

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID

By Michael O’Connell

The Boston Gazette originated the term “gerrymandering” on March 26, 1812, in describing how then Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry redrew the state senate election districts to favor his Democratic-Republican Party. On a map, the redrawn Essex South state senatorial district resembled a salamander. The Gazette combined “Gerry” with “salamander” to come up with the new word.

Source: Wikipedia

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