62-Year-Old Conservative: I Never Dreamed This Could Happen - Then Came Trump

In a bold and unexpected move, President Trump announced yesterday that he is offering severance packages to 2 million federal employees across several government departments, encouraging them to leave their positions.

As a 62-year-old conservative, I never imagined that the federal government could actually shrink within my lifetime. Yet now, for the first time, it seems like a real possibility. Government, by its very nature, tends to expand and become more intrusive—history has shown this to be true time and time again.

If Trump can make this happen, it could serve as undeniable proof that, just like everything else in life, the federal government is capable of outgrowing its necessity. Even those who don’t support him may have to acknowledge this reality.

However, what I really want to focus on is the sense of entitlement that seems to surround government employees—as if their jobs are untouchable. There has long been an assumption that this particular class of workers (who, by the way, are employed using our tax dollars) are somehow above the challenges that everyday Americans face in the workforce.

Layoffs, firings (whether justified or not), losing health insurance, and struggling with lost income—these are all things that people in the private sector deal with regularly. Yet, government employees often act as if they should be immune to these realities. And let’s be clear: the private sector is often spoken about as if it’s some kind of lesser world, but the truth is, there are only two types of workers in America—those employed by the government, and everyone else who pays for them to be there.

I’ll admit my own bias—I’ve always resented the fact that private-sector workers can lose their jobs at any time while government employees enjoy unparalleled job security. As long as they "show up," their jobs are safe. They don’t necessarily have to be exceptional at what they do; they just have to be present.

Then came COVID-19, and even that minimal expectation was removed. Many government employees didn’t even have to show up anymore. All they had to do was log in from home, often in their pajamas, and go through the motions. Yet, they kept all their benefits and salaries, even as their responsibilities became easier to fake.

Here’s my core belief: No government employee—federal, state, or local—should be guaranteed a job for life. They should be subject to the same accountability that exists in the private sector. If I have to prove my worth to my employer every day, so should they.

In the real world—the one that funds the government—we have to justify our positions constantly. We balance work and personal responsibilities, knowing that if we fail, we can be replaced.

And yes, I am saying that everyone, including government employees, should be held accountable to the same standards. That’s how employment works. Nobody loves every aspect of their job, but the key to success is making yourself indispensable. It’s about proving your value, solving problems, and staying competitive. If I ever start believing that my job is untouchable, then I probably deserve to be replaced.

Losing a job is never easy. I’ve been through it myself, and I know how painful and stressful it can be. But each time it’s happened—whether justified or not—it forced me to reevaluate my skills, adapt, and push forward. That struggle, however difficult, made me stronger.

The idea that an entire class of government workers is somehow entitled to avoid that experience is offensive to me.

I am THANKFUL. I am lucky, I have a career with good moves and generous employers, but I have performed for them solving problems for them, some they didn’t know they had. It’s wrong in America to have a class insulated from this important life lesson.