Leaked VA memo calls for up to 83,000 layoffs to reduce workforce to 2019 levels

Hard to say how this will actually go but as a vet, I&#x27;ve had some pretty poor experiences with the government support networks as a whole, and the VA is no exception; I know the VA has improved from the horror days of 03-06 but it certainly feels like it could have done so much more, especially after we got out of Iraq and the overall operation tempo dropped.<p>I have friends who were hurt 15+ years ago now, and have been through the ups and downs of the VA system; its just sad that after all that time they&#x27;re still struggling (occasionally at least) with basic things and keeping their care going.

Holy hell, they hired 83,000 people since 2019? Does no one care we are $36T in debt? 40% of our income taxes go to paying just the interest on our debt!

Ignoring the obvious humanitarian aspect of it (veteran suicide rate, societal promises of healthcare: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Honoring_our_PACT_Act_of_2022" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Honoring_our_PACT_Act_of_2022</a>), politically you have to wonder why do this. Vets usually vote conservative, are often employed by the VA. It&#x27;s an economically unstable time with other administration policies like tariffs. It won&#x27;t reduce the deficit by any significant %. VA hospitals are often a source of general healthcare to fill gaps in the system.

It&#x27;s so difficult to evaluate this stuff from afar.<p>In 2019 there were 399,000 workers. Now 482,000. In 2022, the Biden admin tried to <i>slash</i> 50,000 workers and was stymied, and then the VA <i>hired</i> 61,000 the following year.<p>What&#x27;s the right number? I&#x27;m sure people leaning one way politically will <i>confidently</i> say one thing, though they may have said something else in 2022, and vice versa. I find it hard to have a problem with a plan if its at least partially originating internally, and its hard to say there&#x27;s <i>no</i> problem if the current and previous administration were both trying to curtail growth.

The Administration actions are all to fund the $4.5 trillion tax cut.<p>* DOGE - Cut Expenses<p>* Tariff - Bring Revenue (another form of Tax, the victimized countries can&#x27;t&#x2F;don&#x27;t influence USA politics); this is essentially Sales&#x2F;VAT Tax without being said as Sales&#x2F;VAT Tax.<p>* Cutting Aids - Cut Expenses<p>* Ukraine - Cut Expenses<p>They&#x27;re looking for all avenue to fund $4.5 trillion tax cut for the Billionaires.<p>That is the main logic and reason behind all these moves, not the smoke and mirror they said to the media.