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Last week, the president’s Department of Government Efficiency fired thousands of recently hired employees with the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Many of these people are professionals whose dream was to serve the public, in a permanent job, with one of these agencies.
To make this dream a reality they had to pay their dues: college degrees, years of volunteering and working temporary jobs to get field experience, and moving around the country for their next job. Finally, when they are hired for a permanent position, their dream comes to an abrupt end through no fault of their own. No justification, no severance package.
Imagine losing your job overnight with no idea of how you are going to pay rent, your mortgage, or care for your family. Where is the gain in efficiency? The money spent to hire and train these people is wasted, the programs they worked on are severely hobbled, and the public’s natural resources are put in jeopardy.
Mainers care deeply about their wildlife, natural resources, and giving people a fair shake. I hope people will speak up against this approach to “government efficiency.”
Wally Jakubas
Hampden
