“Federal employees have an obligation to deliver services for the American people,” said Jaqueline Simon, national policy director for AFGE. “They do not have an obligation to patronize businesses in downtown D.C.”
This. This is the justification that really irks me. Government officials aren’t even being secretive about the fact that they just want us to be in the city to spend money. They view us as economic objects. They value us in “units of hamburgers and coffee cups purchased.” My Union fought hard, and when I finally do go back into the office once a week, I am going to work so much harder to not spend a single cent while I’m in the city, just out of spite. Bringing my own lunch. Bringing my own coffee. Buying my gas by my house instead of closer to the city.
It sucks that the economy of downtown isn’t what it once was, but it isn’t our job to sustain what was a very risky economic model of everybody being close together all of the time. Especially when beer at my house is 10% of the cost.
drumminglulcat t1_j8s1a2u wrote
Reply to Federal Government’s Return To Office Delayed By Union Disputes by Super_lobbyist
“Federal employees have an obligation to deliver services for the American people,” said Jaqueline Simon, national policy director for AFGE. “They do not have an obligation to patronize businesses in downtown D.C.”
This. This is the justification that really irks me. Government officials aren’t even being secretive about the fact that they just want us to be in the city to spend money. They view us as economic objects. They value us in “units of hamburgers and coffee cups purchased.” My Union fought hard, and when I finally do go back into the office once a week, I am going to work so much harder to not spend a single cent while I’m in the city, just out of spite. Bringing my own lunch. Bringing my own coffee. Buying my gas by my house instead of closer to the city.
It sucks that the economy of downtown isn’t what it once was, but it isn’t our job to sustain what was a very risky economic model of everybody being close together all of the time. Especially when beer at my house is 10% of the cost.