She hoped Trump’s victory would change her life, but not like this
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
BALDWIN, Mich. — Ryleigh Cooper exhaled as she slid onto the couch after nine hours of work for the U.S. Forest Service, still covered in the blue paint she used to mark trees for local loggers. Then she got the text.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” her union leader wrote.
It was the second Thursday in February, and a historic White House purge aimed at federal workers like Cooper was sweeping the country. But the headlines felt far away from her life in rural Michigan. She figured her job, with paychecks totaling about $40,000 a year, would be safe from the cost-cutting campaign led by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.
Besides, motherhood was her most pressing concern. Cooper, 24, and her husband were trying to get pregnant, but the doctor said that IVF might be their best chance. Trump had promised to make it free. That is what she thought about in the voting booth.
Now she was staring at her phone, learning that probationary workers in the Forest Service were the next to be fired by his administration. Cooperwould likely be one of them, her union head told her.
Her eyes watered. She knew it wasn’t personal. Every day brought new rumors of cuts, and her performance evaluation from last fall found her “fully successful” — the highest possible score. She reminded herself that she had done everything right: graduated college with a 3.5 GPA, finished her first semester of work toward a master’s degree in forestry with a 4.0, rescued two dogs and two cats from the local shelter, chosen a man who held her on the shower floor when she found out she had endometriosis, a condition that can lead to infertility, and told her, “It’s okay, there is more than one way to be a parent.”
She thought about the Facebook posts she had seen a few days earlier.
“It’s February 3,” her grandmother posted, “and we’re going in the right direction.”
“Any government employee who is afraid of transparency,” wrote the man who taught her AP government class in high school, “is a criminal!”
Cooper knew the people in her life meant well, but she wanted her future to be different from theirs. She had grown up watching her family struggle as her mother lost one job, then another, then another. She was just a few months shy of her graduate degree and close to a promotion that could nearly double her salary. Even $50,000 or $60,000 a year, she thought, could help get her a house a few counties over, with better schools.
For now, she and her husband lived in Baldwin, a village of about 1,000 people where the high school track is made of cracked cement and weeds. They had purchased their home because it was cheap, less than $150,000, and close to their families, who could help with child care.
It takes three minutes to drive past Baldwin’s one post office, one bar, and one bowling alley, which also serves pancakes and omelets for breakfast. The median household income is about $23,000, according to the most recent American Community Survey, making it among the poorest towns in Michigan. In the winter, locals ice fish from shanties warmed by propane heaters and drive snowmobiles to bars. In the summer, they drive lawn mowers to gas stations, though Cooper said she would never do that.
Most people in Baldwin like President Donald Trump; more than 62 percent in Lake County, which includes the town, voted for him in November and in 2020. But people don’t talk about it. Politics here, at least until recently, felt removed from everyday worries.
Now it was in her living room, as she turned to her husband and burst into tears. “I think I’m getting fired,” she said.
Getting fired meant she would no longer have health insurance, including the 12 weeks of paid maternity leave that was a guaranteed benefit of her federal service. Also gone would be the promotion that would allow her to plan for the kids she so badly wanted to have.
She wondered if Trump was going to break his promise to make IVF free, and if it would even matter if he did.
Her husband sat beside her and squeezed her hand, still processing. Together they had been counting. Sixteen days until they could try again. Twenty eight until she could take her next test.
After she was sexually assaulted at 16, Cooper had sworn she would never be caught unprepared. But here she was. Betrayed by her body, which would not cooperate. Betrayed by her family, who supported firing federal workers like her. And, perhaps most painfully, betrayed by herself.
Cooper did not want to think about what happened three months prior but her mind went there anyway. To the voting booth in Baldwin’s town hall, where she filled out every part of the ballot before turning to the box that said “Presidential.” She recalled staring at it for 15 minutes.
She did not want to vote for Trump. Cooper hated what he said about women and hated how he treated them. Her family always said the women who accused the president of sexual assault had either made it up or deserved it. Cooper heard them and kept her own experience a secret, thinking that they might feel the same way about her.
She voted for Joe Biden in 2020, her first time casting a ballot in a presidential election. But life felt more complicated these days. Her mortgage was too expensive, groceries were nearly $400 a month, and one single cycle of IVF could cost more than 10 percent of her annual household income.
Trump, at a campaign stop an hour and a half south of her, had promised to make IVF free. She knew that from a video clip she saw on TikTok. And she had believed him.
She also believed him when he said that Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for the next Republican administration that suggested mass cuts to the federal workforce, was not his plan.
So Cooper filled in the bubble next to his name, thinking of the daughter she wanted. She planned to name her Charlotte.
The days after she got the text passed quickly. A call from the district ranger, who is in charge of the Forest Service in Baldwin, telling her to pack up her things. A box of printed performance reviews and tree identification books and a framed picture from her wedding last fall under a willow tree. A text from her co-worker who brought candy to refill the jar at her desk but arrived to find it, and her, gone.
Four days after Trump fired her, Cooper was in bed with her husband. She picked up her phone and saw the news.
There was a new executive order to expand access to IVF. She read the White House fact sheet, which talked about Trump’s request for policy recommendations to reduce costs of the service.
But it still wasn’t free, and she was out of a job and out of a plan.
“Delivering on promises for American families,” read the White House’s announcement.
“That’s bulls---”, she recalled thinking, and put down her phone.
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It’s really hard to feel sorry for anyone who thought Trump wasn’t the massive liar that he is, or that Trump actually cares about his supporters. Enjoy the life of childless poverty that you so ignorantly voted for.
A sentiment that stands as a perfect example of the self righteousness, intolerance and absolute lack of empathy for anyone who doesn't follow the party line that characterizes modern progressivism.
Speaking for myself, I can't imagine wishing childless poverty on a young woman simply because she, let's see, voted differently than I did one time.
Who is supposed to have empathy for someone who knew in her heart that she was voting against her interests and but went ahead and threw the dice anyway, forcing everyone to suffer right along with her. You sure as fuck wouldn’t if the situation were reversed. This woman just helped drag thousands of Americans into the position of being denied a family. Great job. She should feel ashamed of her selfish ignorance.
She's a 24 year old young woman who suffered a setback. Who wouldn't? Especially when her supposed "transgression" consists solely of casting a single meaningless vote against the Party. Wishing her a life of childless poverty is an example of the type of zealotry found in a Hawthorne or Orwell novel.
I didn’t wish it on her, and you know it. I am only acknowledging that she helped do it to herself, and in the process contributed to the misery of countless others - many of whom were smart enough to know the consequences of a vote for Donald Trump and did not encourage their own downfall.
Yes. But you're not a member of that church.
You've used several religious terms so far.. "self-righteous", "transgression", "zealotry", etc. So you obviously understand the ideology. She has sinned and therefore deserves to suffer.
It's a view you and I consider both amoral and hypocritical, but it's sadly not uncommon in our society today.
Well, less poverty if she doesn't have a kid
An unfortunate truth for the anti-choice party.
I'm of the opinion that if you are not capable of bearing children let it go. There's a reason for it. Adopt or get a dog. If I had found out I was incapable of bearing children I would have 3 more cats and 2 dogs right now
Well said Trout.
My kids were both accidents, but I consider myself extremely fortunate to have them. It’s hard to put yourself in the shoes of people who desperately want kids they can’t have. I can’t imagine getting old without family to lean on.
Oh, I love my family! I loved them at all stages. But I was not one of those young women that marriage and babies was the end all and be all
tough shit. she got what she voted for ...
So when there is no one to rake the forests clean of debris that fuels the next forest fire,
who you gonna call? Elon? Donald? Gene Hackman?
I see that the CFPB has lost it's spine and balls under the new temporary Administrator.
They are dropping the $2billion case against Chase with prejudice.
They dropped similar case against another bank which advertised a high interest savings account but set up two savings accounts with nearly identical names where it parked most new clients with very little interest in a classic bait and switch move.
And the Piece de resistance, As I understand this, the 2% of students who actually received relief from their student loans through bankruptcy were still being charged for the principle, interest, and late fees etc by their student loan holders because the loans supposedly cannot normally be discharged in a normal bankruptcy.
The CFBP had brought suit against the lenders on the students' behalf. The case was quietly dropped two weeks ago.
I've found that it's becoming easier to radicalize the highly educated disaffected now. one of my friends lost his seasonal job of almost 2 decades in a national park that he performed as more of a service to help protect his favorite fishing areas and another experienced a last minute title change by his superiors at his gov't job in order to protect his previous functions as one of 4 people with the doctorate and the specialized credentials required in the US gov't to perform the job. both of my friends are past retirement age, but are duty bound patriots, unlike the unamerican filth in DC that is running the show now.
Seems to already be a problem. One of the recommendations made to California in the not too distant past, that they scoffed at was to do just that.
Hence the Irony Jim...
You beat me to it.
That said, state and federal forests in Michigan don’t require the same type of forest management that say some areas in California require for fire prevention.
Not even close.
It’s funny that anyone but Donald Trump would think it is possible to rake a forest. I live in the woods. It’s nearly impossible to keep up with raking my lawn. The surrounding woods are filled with fallen trees and boulders. It would be literally impossible to clean the forest floor, and if you did you’d end up with an ultra massive pile of biomass. How would you keep that from catching fire itself? It was just an incredibly stupid thing to say from a guy who has never physically worked a day in his life.
As it has been for years...........
Aren't controlled burns used for debris build-up?
Yes they are...........or are supposed to be.
I thought so
when life hands you lemons, make lemonade ...
[Removed][✘]
yeah, that'll stop me from doing it in real life ...
what'd ya do this time?
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and the confusion continues...
I have somewhat conflicted thoughts about this young lady. It sounds like she sincerely believed that Trump was offering her help for her particular problems, but also that she took his word for everything. Most people don't follow political news to the extent or depths that we do here, but if you don't want to make yourself informed then don't vote.
She fell into the trap of not realizing that reasonably good character is the most important quality in a president, and Trump has none. People like him consider her, with her 40,000 dollar salary and 150,000 dollar house to be losers.
Jobs reports in the coming months will be devastating. All these government employees with niche backgrounds not suited for the private sector will be fighting for the few jobs that are available, even though they can’t compare to their competition. They will have no insurance, no future, and likely no place to live. The ugly future of this country hasn’t even scratched the surface yet.
This morning's jobs report has the highest unemployment rate in 3 months.
Thing is, with the inevitable momentum of AI technology, the USA faces an increasing problem with unemployment. In the near future there simply will not be enough jobs and wages will thus stagnate (or drop). The snowball effect from this is not something anyone wants to see.
Trump should be focused on actual waste and fraud rather than engaging in broad slashing of jobs. But, of course, doing this the right way takes time and effort and both Trump and Musk want immediate results that they can spin into some great accomplishment.
Doing it the right way takes a real plan not the concept of one.
They're both lazy and umimaginative
And my guess is that they will in the mid-terms....
Unfortunate but a scenario that plays out countless times a day in the private sector. Not sure why the Fed should be any different.
Is there no need to mark trees for loggers, or should they just cut down any trees they please? Is there a role for a national department of forestry? If she is laid off from a necessary job, who will do it? Do the remaining employees have to work twice as hard ?
I’m sure there is.
Yes, see below
Do you have information that her job was necessary? Do you know if they were over staffed? Do you know if she was doing her job? Do you know if she was doing a good job?
So many questions, so little time.
The article specifically says her job performance was above average.
Yes, that is what the article claims. My questions still stand. Perhaps you’ll try to answer them all this time.
Am I, or you , supposed to know more about her job performance than the article does? Anybody can ask pointless questions.
It’s so much easier to just call all government employees welfare queens who know nothing of what it means to put in a hard days work.
Judging this layoff, without having all the information needed to properly do so, is the truly pointless thing. Ignorant even.
Only one here I see saying that is you.
Judging layoffs is exactly what Elon Musk is doing, at a rate so impossibly fast that he and his minions don’t even recognize words like “Ebola” and “nuclear” in their title. Nice self own there.
It said it was the highest possible rating:
Do you think she was fired for cause or simply because she was probationary? That is, do you think analysis was done to determine her job was unnecessary or that her job performance was poor?
I have no idea and neither do you. But it does spool up the Trump triggered faithful to push a frivolous firing narrative …..
You should have an idea since it was announced that probationary employees are the first to go. Given there is no indication that the employee management is involved in making the firing decisions, the evidence suggests a hatchet act.
Also, the endless, stupid claim that anyone being even slightly critical of Trump is 'triggered' illustrates comments that serve no purpose other than to be obnoxious.
It’s just as likely that “probationary” staff was unnecessarily hired and not required to meet the agency in questions goals. You don’t know that either way so suggesting that the layoffs are a “hatchet act” is simply premature.
Yeah, it might be stupid if that is what was being done. Triggered explains this discussion perfectly. Because it’s Trump doing it, people are overreacting without all the information needed to make an accurate assessment of the situation. It goes way beyond “slightly” critical as no one, at least not me, is calling out “slightly” critical comments about Trump and saying so just reinforces comments about being Trump triggered.
Were these same triggered folks just as up in arms about the thousands of pipeline worker jobs lost on Bidens first day?
All of them? How ridiculous. Thing is that we can see how they are approaching this. This is not a careful analysis. They are axing to meet a quota. It is intended for quick results.
I never said “all” but you go with that. That said, thinking that would be no more ridiculous than assuming all of them were doing a good job. Which was the point of that post in the first place.
This triggered response to “probationary” employees being let go typifies how kooky some of my friends on the left can get. It’s so sophomoric it’s almost funny.
If the DODGYS are going to fire people they need to stop telling them it's because of poor job performance. Have the balls and come right and say you're being let go because you are a probationary employee.
When the Feds (and a huge number of private companies) hire an employee, the employee has to COMPLETE their probationary period before permanent placement can/will occur.
As a probationary employee, you can be a super person in every definition of the word, but you can still be Fired for/not for cause with no reason - non-discretionary employees have little to no protection from being let go depending on many, many factors.
I worked with and supervised Wildland Fire Crews and I believe I know and understand what she and many other Temporary/Probationary employees in the ranks go through. Every year, I had to hire, either as temps or probbies, work crews that needed additional workers (such as "Tree Painters") during our burn/logging season from six weeks up to 170 days.
During that time frame, my agency and the Forest Service would direct the employee's work and the specific needs of that/those particular crews to determine if we needed to either add additional permanent employees through the various rules and regulations of Federal Employment - which in the cases of temps/probbies is pretty straight forward. If we're overmanned/over represented in manning, "out the door ya go - thank you very much - see ya next year".
All I gotta say is - sorry Cooper, but, welcome to the real world. Your "future employers" ain't gonna worry 'bout whether or not you and your significant other wanna have kids or puppies or birds and live in a town of "only" 1,000 or one of 1.6M population - and they ain't gonna be concerned about who you voted for.
You were released from a temporary/probationary work position that is not a mandatory manning slot and, I firmly believe if you read your employment papers correctly, you were told - in writing - that this could happen.
Your "future employers" ain't gonna worry 'bout whether or not you and your significant other wanna have kids
I work for an international company that absolutely celebrates and supports their employees’ family planning choices, as well as their widespread diversity. Not every company in the country is managed by assholes.
You are also overlooking the reason why so many long term government employees have probationary status. You don’t climb the GS ladder by staying in the same position forever, and every job switch results in a probationary period.
Different rules - different industries. Fed law dictates manning levels in fed slots - not so for private industry.
I worked for the Feds for 23 years as a civilian - went from GS-10 - GS-14 when I retired. True, I was a probationary employee with each step of advancement, but, as a permanent employee, if I did not live up to the job requirements, I would go back to my prior selection - not get laid off.
She was a probationary hire and could be released from duty/job for any or no reason - based on the manning schedule requirements. That was stated very plainly in her employment contract.
The majority of workers in the U.S. , even if they've been there 10 years, can be fired for no reason. It is called "at will" termination.
"Depends" - Union/non-union - contract/non-contract - NLRP rulings establish thumbs up/thumbs down in the civilian sector.
As an engineer in the private sector I have literally never had a job that was not at will. It sounds a lot scarier than it is in practice. I’ve never known anyone to get fired for no reason. This administration sees the prospect of ruining peoples’ lives much differently.
This administration also sees that there is a glut of too many people in jobs/positions that, technically, are not needed.
And there is a right way to address it. This is obviously not the right way. Wait for future jobs reports and tell me I’m wrong. This chaos will ripple through the private sector too.
Right now they have a "go to" excuse that the liberal left thinks is justified. Thousands of probationary employees are let go regularly for a wide variety of reasons (i.e. seasonal employment, temporary work, etc.). This is just an easy excuse. Nothing more.
The IVF piece of this was thrown in to as a pathetic way to reinforce that pathetic "go to" excuse.
Wonder why they didn't bring up the "high school track is made of cracked cement and weeds." - you know - the poverty thingy.
It doesn't fit the narrative that many are pushing quite as well as IVF.
I really can't get upset by this as I was once upon a time an IRS probie and seasonal worker bee.
Layoff's are gonna happen. But when the next employer asks for a reference What is Cooper going to be able to show them?
A form letter that doesn't say anything about being probationary, but says quite clearly that your job performance was lacking isn't a fair way to handle all of these layoffs.
the money the afrikaner thinks he's saving will soon be eclipsed by back pay and legal judgements against the gov't ...
Quite possibly on the "Full-time" employees - but - Temps and Probbies won't be covered UNLESS their manning document states otherwise.
Already happening.
It's still going to cost taxpayers with all of the paperwork correcting the paperwork and making all of these people eligible for rehire.
very inefficient of DOGE
End up costing the tax payers more than what F'Elon is "saving" them
Judge said otherwise yesterday tossing another predictable wrench into this thoughtlessly planned cluster fuch!
I remain hopeful that 2000 year old ideologies are rewarded with 2000 year old punishments ...
Some business hire probationary employees to get them through peak seasons and then let them go when the rush is over
She also believed him when he said that Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for the next Republican administration that suggested mass cuts to the federal workforce, was not his plan.
Because those who were pointing out how obvious it was that he and his party were lying are democrats. This is where we are. People are having their lives ruined because they’ve been conditioned to believe that democrats are so toxic that anything they say can’t be true. Zero sympathy from me for anyone who believed Trump had no connection to the master plan that is ruining their futures.
To me, it is obvious that Trump is scum, but I have read many many articles about him and even skimmed through a few books about him. That adds up to a lot of information since 2011 when he jumped into the birther lying. People like this young woman don't do any of that.
People like this young woman don't do any of that.
They will now and forever more. The Republican Party has made a grave miscalculation imo.
in the media, the governor of virginia is looking like he just got ass-raped by his golfing buddy. job losses of 100K+ in his state, and an election to hold on to his office looming on the horizon. he got what he voted for too ...
Which has nothing to do with her being hired as a probationary employee and fired/released from duty based on reduction of excess manning.
Sure it does. Republicans have been gleefully advertising how they’re going toss probationary positions into the woodchipper ever since they got the control to do so. Stop pretending that this is just day in day out normality.
So, where are the slams against Independents - you know - those who have
Respect for each individual’s life and liberty, without government coercion or force. We strive to reduce the use of force, thus increasing happiness, harmony, and prosperity for all.
We believe that the most peaceful, prosperous, socially fair, and tolerant society is one that solves its problems without government force. We believe that social woes like inaccessible healthcare, inadequate social justice, inadequate housing, economic instability, and racial disparity are caused and perpetuated by officials who would rather increase their power instead of solving problems.
We believe in freedom. For 50 years, the Libertarian Party has been at the forefront of advocating once radical issues like marijuana legalization, marriage equity, school choice, gun rights, transportation competition, and ending mandatory minimum sentences and asset forfeiture laws. We oppose foreign wars and want to bring our troops home from overseas.
We want to stop giving money and power to the same people who have caused the problems we face today.??
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Never said what the husband does for a job. They are going to have to come up with a plan "B", and give up on the idea of having kids until they can afford it, which might never happen.
That is what is missing. Plan "B" and affordability. Close to "I want it all and I want it now" of the last decade or so.
Interestingly, the "article" boo-hoo's that she will be "losing her health insurance" - sorry folks - as a probationary you don't get the benefits - vacation, sick days, insurances - until you've satisfied your probationary period and become a full-timer.
That cannot be true. Nobody would switch positions if it meant they had to lose their health insurance for two years. Google confirms this.
Why losing for two years?
Probation is up to two years.
From the article............
Sounds like she already had insurance and, in most cases, COBRA is available for her if she can afford it. Question is, can they afford not to? The question also remains: Can her husband put him on her since he is employed?
Yes, she did - contrary to what was said above in 8.1.1. Have you ever priced COBRA? Lol - it’s like four car payments per month, for a person who has no income. Great plan. If her husband could afford to add another adult to his plan at full price they probably wouldn’t be living where they are.
Yes, I have as a matter of fact. In this case, her hubby works and add some of that to her unemployment, it should be covered You know, rainy day shit...........Point being, if they are both in good health, barring any unforeseen calamity, perhaps they don't need it. Looks pretty young and healthy
Don’t need health insurance? I didn’t plan on tearing my ACL in half, but damnit if it didn’t happen anyways when I was in my 20s. There are an unlimited number of unplanned reasons why you are so wrong. I’ll give your side one thing - you never give up on trying to justify the unjustifiable.
Btw, I’m sure Elon and his crew made sure to check and see if these people looked young and healthy, right?
Not legally in the United States.
By law, COBRA costs whatever the total cost to the employer is plus 2% for administration fees.
There is Obamacare, still, you know for those less fortunate................and unless the ads on TV are bullshit, should get it for next to nothing............they wouldn't bullshit something that important would they?
Except you get to pay the whole thing instead of a small portion with your employer covering the rest as part of your benefits plan. Why do you guys pretend that everybody doesn’t already know this stuff?
It is usually one year but can be up to two. And yes, of course it is legal for the federal government to do so. You guys are ridiculous.
In some agencies. Most have a one year probation and some even offer health/leave/life benefits - but not all - depends on the agency.
Because most people don't know it. Most people think COBRA is some alternate insurance plan that costs a fortune. They don't realize it's the exact same insurance plan at the exact same cost.
The Affordable Care Act stipulates that a full time employee (30 hours/week or more) must be offered benefits no later than 90 days after they start employment.
Most people think COBRA is some alternate insurance plan that costs a fortune. They don't realize it's the exact same insurance plan at the exact same cost.
I don’t know anybody who doesn't know exactly what COBRA is. Effectively, when you LOSE your source of income AND insurance benefits it IS an alternate insurance plan that costs a fortune.
The Affordable Care Act stipulates that a full time employee (30 hours/week or more) must be offered benefits no later than 90 days after they start employment.
That’s nice. Are you aware that this person was fired without reason? She has no employment. That’s the point of this article.
I have to explain it to clients frequently.
You were talking about probation and losing insurance for 2 years. Which is not how it works.
1st warrior is claiming that as a probationary employee she couldn’t have had insurance benefits. I was disputing that, because obviously nobody would ever switch jobs in the federal government and voluntarily end up on probation for up to two years if it meant they would be ineligible for health insurance for that period.
Ah.
Got it.
I didn't get that from anything I read...
but when I started working remotely the company switched me to a 1099 and made me a contractor with COBRA.
Instead of $170.00 a month for health insurance it went to almost $600.00.
Eventually I moved to Texas and when I went to use the insurance in an emergency found that that it was restricted to the counties touching Philadelphia PA.
Two years of premiums wasted.
If your health insurance or Medicare card has a suitcase icon in the lower right hand corner be aware that the coverage is regional, not national.
Fair enough. I misunderstood.
Yeah.... a lot of HMO plans specifically don't travel well. Medicare Advantage plans tend to be HMO based, so that tends to be a problem with them, as well. The ACA now requires them to cover emergencies as though you're in network, but that can get ugly in a hurry if your emergency leads to a hospital admission, which is no longer an emergency situation.
Depends on classification requirements.
Hal - you're slamming what you don't know. Depending on the agency, a probbie "may be eligible" for the benefits of insurance, vacation, sick leave, Thrift Savings Program, etc. - but, IT DEPENDS ON THE AGENCY.
However, as stated above, I "hired" temps/probbies under contract with the USDA Forest Service to supplement my/DoD's fire remediation/reduction program. I also know, for a fact, that in 2010 I had 16 FS temps/probbies working with my crews who were drawing nothing but a paycheck, housing, food, work clothing, transportation, etc. At that time, they were not afforded the benefit packages that were upgraded in 2012.
Incidentally, two of the Granite Mountain Hot Shot Team were part of my FS temps/probbies in 2010
Well one thing is obvious - regardless of whether she had insurance through the government job or was privately insured, she won’t be insured anymore because there’s no way she could afford it without a solid income. That is axiomatic in this country of ultra high premiums for substandard care.
We just switched providers at work and I had to make an open enrollment selection. This time I went with the HSA plan because it looked cheaper. What I didn’t take into account was the $2,000 deductible on prescriptions. I went to refill some maintenance meds, four were free and one was over $1,650 for 90 days. I bit the bullet and placed the order. I received it all in the same cheap plastic delivery bag. America.
Unless of course she goes on the ACA marketplace and gets a subsidized policy.
Any premium over $0 is too high when you have no income coming in and have little savings to fall back on. That’s a big chunk of America that overlaps the mass of affected federal workers. Goodbye health insurance, goodbye Starbucks, hello Folgers.
Maybe she could learn how to code.
Or as one callous idiot once said about the keystone pipeline workers that got laid off the day dementia boy took office, she can go build boxcars.
OMG - I just changed mine from $961.00/month to $842.00/month - and that's my BC/BS "retired" cost.
$2K deductible - gads man.
There are frequently plans available for that premium.
Well, the federal government does not exist to employ people. Our government needs to spend far less money than it does, and as the nation's largest employer by far, that's going to involve some personnel reductions.
I realize that as I say the nation needs to spend far less than it does, congress appears to be on the verge of spending another 4 shitloads. So it would appear that Trump and Musk are working at opposite purposes. Maybe that's not the case, but it will be interesting to see how that shakes out.
There are frequently plans available for that premium.
When I was unemployed a few years back I looked on the ACA marketplace and everything was excessively expensive because my wife had income. I settled for a policy outside the ACA that didn’t come with Obamacare protections, because it was about half as be much. It could barely be called insurance though since it wouldn’t cover anything related to preexisting conditions for two years.
Well, the federal government does not exist to employ people. Our government needs to spend far less money than it does, and as the nation's largest employer by far, that's going to involve some personnel reductions.
But when it does it has an obligation to not wreck the lives of existing employees with mass firings coupled with bogus claims of bad performance. It seems this administration will not do the right thing until all the wrong methods are exhausted.
There are a lot of factors that go into the premium credit, but that is definitely one. Age would have been another.
You would not have been eligible for premium credit at all if she had health insurance through her employer and could have added you. That's known as "the Obamacare Glitch". You would have been charged full price, and it's expensive
I think you're talking about two different things here, so "no" and "yes".
As a nation it is long past time we started looking at some of the things our government does and evaluating whether or not the benefit of those things warrants their cost.
The federal government at least as far back as LBJ has looked at expenditure like it's not real money. Elon Musk's popularity on this issue rests in the idea that for the first time ever somebody has been given the directive to go look at what the federal government is doing and ask the fundamental question "would you spend your own money on that"?
If or when we come to the decision that the government will cease an activity, then the employees engaged in that activity will be let go. So "mass firings" are necessarily a natural part of reducing the size of government, and I believe firmly we need to reduce the size of government.
Accusations of poor performance are a totally separate issue. I agree that erroneous implications of poor performance are not acceptable.
Well when it comes to foreign aid no citizen should pretend to understand the underlying reasoning behind any particular aid package, and for that reason it’s a bullshit move to frame and “expose” them as ridiculous expenditures as Musk is doing. The reasons behind these agreements are largely based on classified planning operations that Joe Public is not a part of, they are designed to achieve certain objectives that may not be intuitive, and now our enemies are positioned to step in and usurp our role in these processes. Inserting oneself into a game of 3D chess is a fool’s errand. Aid is such a tiny portion of federal spending, and the damage done by reneging is incalculable.
Probably true. Don't you think we should understand, though?
You're sounding very much like some staunch conservatives.
Maybe. Or maybe one particular influential donor or another has a particular burr up their ass to give money to a pet cause.
We can say that about a lot of things. But after a while all those things have added up to be a large number.
Don't you think we should understand, though?
No. It’s not strategy when you announce your reasons for your moves to the other players. Instead of trusting the skills of those in charge, this dumbass administration just blindly removes them from the game.
I think it's a bit problematic to spend the amounts of money they do without giving some kind of idea about what we're getting for the money.
Then buy a book. There is an endless number of books about foreign aid on Amazon.
it's easier just to believe whatever the melon felon tells them ...
And here you've been trying to pretend that all of this aid is part of some secret strategy that the average person shouldn't know? Make up your mind.
They didn't think that far ahead with their manufactured outrage.
People should not have kids they can not afford.
I agree. But then again, if the majority of rightwing conservatives listened to that kind of advice half a century ago much of Trumps base wouldn't even exist. White, poor and dumb are three of the most desired and marketed demographics for MAGA.
Trump and his Reich followers are simply trying to cut out the middle man between them and the governments money.
It applies to all groups.
Yes, but the people who have the most children are the least likely to afford them
That is the problem and it seems to continue for generations.
It's not because of lack of education. We were given the birds and bees talk in high school. The ones that needed to be there were "absent". And those were the ones that were pregnant before the school year was over
but, but, but, geezus ...
wiped out all but 1 of the 12 member varsity cheerleaders at my high school. took a pretty big toll on all those good girl reputations ...
Good gawd! I have to say our cheerleaders were either good girls or smart. I'm gonna go with smart
I'm still friends with the cheerleader that didn't get knocked up. my grand daughter goes to her dance studio.
I've run into a few of the others over the years, that looked like they probably peaked in high school ...
This will be one of thousands and thousands of stories due to massive job cuts by DOGE with Trump's blessing.
He knew on the campaign trail he was lying for votes and that his base would buy every lie with cult like devotion.
Many Republican voters just check the "R" every election regardless of policies.
Unless these remorseful Trump voters commit to vote for the "D" locally to send a message to Republicans as a protest vote, then their "feel sad" stories are pointless without stating their commitment to future action against these policies with their votes.
Well, ya take into account that many Democratic voters just check "D" at every election - specifically this one with Harris as the candidate.
If there is a "D" candidate. In many small, red towns (like mine) there isn't a D candidate to vote for.
That was the case all across the rural South prior to 1964. When I was a kid the Democratic primary was for all intent and purpose the only election that mattered. The South went for George Wallace in 1968 and started moving to the gop for Nixon (Nixon's Southern Strategy) in 1972. Yes, Carter was the old Democratic Souths last gasp in 1976, but he was nothing like Southern Democrats before. Since 1980 the Solid South has turned MAGA Red. Everyone knows this history. Which is why the bullshit about Southern Democrats today being anything like Southern Democrats then is TROLLING!
South went for George Wallace in 1968 and started moving to the gop for Nixon
Eisenshower won the south in 1956. The entire country moved to the gop for Nixon in 72. He won 49 states,
And Wallace NEVER became a Republican.
No, the southern democrats today are more like the southern republicans today, the racist southern democrats of yesteryear are just like the Northern/West coast democrats of today. their racism runs deep. that's why the old southern racists like Clinton moved to the north where they feel comfortable and at home.
Wow, that's quite the amusing fantasy you've created, but I guess you can tell yourself whatever you need to if it makes you feel better. It's bullshit, but I guess some folk just can't handle the truth, especially when it comes to their upbringing. It's truly hilarious to hear some southerners today try and claim the "white rightwing conservative racist Southern Democrats who celebrated their confederate ancestry" all moved out of their States and that the South is now controlled by some completely unaffiliated non-history of racism "white rightwing conservative Southern Republicans who celebrate their confederate ancestry" who supposedly moved in to fill the void left by those displaced Southern Democrats. One might think that would be a laughable claim because it's just so fucking obvious that the racist Southern Democrats didn't move anywhere, they just changed party affiliation, but there are still some desperate morons who try to twist and contort reality into something more palatable for themselves.
he left the democratic party to become a tea party pioneer, you know a racist independent ...
I still have one of his early campaign buttons. it says stand up for america. cracks me up every time.
karma ...
youtube is being flooded with hilarious videos from low info maga types that just got burned by their cult leader ...