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Despite Furlough Exemption, NSA Review Panel Shut Down

Initially the government-promised NSA reform and review panel took heat because it was being overseen by NSA Director James Clapper, who has a history of lying before Congress. Last week criticism grew because the panel was being stocked with a bunch of status quo, intelligence community insiders. Insiders who aren't likely to see much wrong with the way the agency conducts itself.

Now comes news that while a large chunk of the intelligence community (including the panel itself) are exempt from furloughs under the Pay Our Military Act, the NSA review panel itself has been suspended until further notice. From Politico:
quote:
"I simply thought that it was inappropriate for our group to continue working while the vast majority of the men and women of the intelligence community are being forced to remain off the job," said (former CIA director and panel member Michael Morell. "While the work we’re doing is important, it is no more important than - and quite frankly a lot less important - than a lot of the work being left undone by the government shutdown, both in the intelligence community and outside the intelligence community."
Glenn Greenwald, who broke the Snowden leaks, continues to be unimpressed with Morell and the entire process.
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Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One

MVM

Let me just translate that for you.....

"Now that Congress has stated all federal employees will be paid for the furlough time once the government starts back up, why the f*&k would we go to work while everyone else gets a paid vacation?"

RARPSL
join:1999-12-08
Suffern, NY

RARPSL

Member

Re: Let me just translate that for you.....

Anyone who voluntarily goes back to work should IMO earn overtime pay or extra vacation time until the furlough is over.

Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One

MVM

Re: Let me just translate that for you.....

Some positions have the option to voluntarily furlough, but no one in a position deemed furloughed has the option to work. It is against the law.

Insane
@comcast.net

Insane to Camelot One

Anon

to Camelot One
said by Camelot One:

"Now that Congress has stated all federal employees will be paid for the furlough time once the government starts back up, why the f*&k would we go to work while everyone else gets a paid vacation?"

Insane, isn't it? The House voted unanimously to give back pay to all those shutout. I guess they want those 800,000 to thank them for their paid vacation at election time.

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH
(Software) Sophos UTM Home Edition
Ruckus R310

buzz_4_20

Member

WHAT!!!

We can't afford to pay these people to work. But we can afford to pay them for not working?

I know it has to do with available money, and it's a crappy situation BUT... We're going to be paying for a large number of people to have a free vacation?

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

1 recommendation

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: WHAT!!!

Tea Party logic, you expect it to make sense?
54761437 (banned)
join:2013-01-18
Durham, NC

54761437 (banned)

Member

Re: WHAT!!!

Tea Party? Obummer is the one who won't make any concessions on the budget. Harry Reid says a piecemeal budget deal is against the law, ignoring the fact that he himself tried to pass a budget in 2007 that defunded the Iraq War (protip: hardly any Democrats went along with him in this).

It's political theater. You're being used. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband to buzz_4_20

Member

to buzz_4_20
It's not a matter of not being able to afford, its the fact that no budget is in place to say who gets what money. In the end everyone will still get paid, thus we can afford it as a country.

Mike
Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA

Mike

Mod

Lying to congress

Isn't that illegal?

Shouldn't he be in jail?

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH

Premium Member

Re: Lying to congress

Silly citizen, only members of the great, unwashed proletariat are held to account for their illegal actions.

The rich, powerful & well connected get a pass for such shenanigans. Just ask Jon Corzine.....

CrazyFingers
join:2003-10-01
Columbia, MO

CrazyFingers

Member

Do You Get It Yet?

So, have you seen enough, or do you still need further examples?
They do not care what we as citizens think, say, or do. Our opinions are irrelevant. Our actions are mostly impotent. Those that aren't will be labeled terrorist activities and used as justification for indefinite detention.
This is America in 2013.

Deal with it.

Yes, I realize this comment goes in my NSA file.
clone (banned)
join:2000-12-11
Portage, IN

2 recommendations

clone (banned)

Member

Re: Do You Get It Yet?

All anyone on this message board (hell, in general) is concerned with is partisan politics. D blames R. R blames D. Everyone gets into heated arguments then goes back to watching Dancing with the Stars or Monday Night Football with a smug sense of accomplishment.

No one cares. All they know is what they've been programmed to parrot by their pundit squawk box of choice (CNN, MSN, FOX, RUSH). For Obamacare? You're a librul soshulist commie pinko. Against Obamacare? You're a rayciss Tea Party 1% fat white pig who wants brown people dead.

No one really has any idea the laws, the events, the players, the real ramifications of anything that happens, just that they hate the other guy, and arguing on message boards gives them a sense of self-importance. Truth be damned, I'm a (D/R) and I (hate/love) Obamacare and the shutdown is the (R/D) fault and they should all be jailed for terrorism.

That's the level of discourse we've sunk to. Enjoy the ride from here on out, it's going to be wild.

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH

Premium Member

Re: Do You Get It Yet?

Pretty much sums it up. My cousin is programmed this way, and thinks that because I'm pro 2nd Amendment, I must be a bigoted asshole. I'm more "liberal" than she is on a lot of issues of the day.

I don't consider myself a Republican, a Democrat, a Liberal, or a Conservative. I'm a citizen who has my own viewpoint on every topic. When I hold a viewpoint, I take care to seek out what I feel is the opposing viewpoint in order to either change my views, or be in a better position to support them.

If someone disagrees with my viewpoint, I'm happy to have a friendly conversation with that person, so long as we both refrain from personal attacks.

There ARE a lot of people out there like that, they just don't make for good TV and radio. Or political theater for that matter.

Perhaps we'll be left to pick up the pieces after this crop of idiots (and that's the whole lot of them) leaves everything to fall apart.

David
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL

David

Premium Member

I say leave the government shut down

I say leave it shut down, when they start having money problems, that's when they will take notice and a lot of crap will go by the wayside.

Attack the wallet, when you do that, the government will listen because they will have to. They won't have the cash to fight back.