Summary
The Trump administration’s recent mass layoffs of national park and forest staff have sparked outrage as services deteriorate and safety concerns grow.
Around 1,000 National Park Service employees (5%) and 3,400 Forest Service workers (10%) were terminated on February 14, causing long entrance lines, trail closures, and reduced visitor services.
Former employees like wilderness ranger Kate White worry about visitor safety and ecological damage at popular destinations.
Conservation work for endangered species has halted, and wildfire response capabilities are threatened. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the cuts as deficit reduction, while critics call for policy reversal.
What economic theory do you tend to gravitate towards that says the US should be running outlandish deficits every year, and that it benefits the citizens?
I’d be curious to read more into it.
The economic theory that “cutting” critical services (ie: privatizing or starving the beast) is more expensive than just paying for what’s needed. The only cheap form of government is no government at all, and I don’t think many people would like that in practice.
Well that’s silly, America is still running emergency Covid level deficits. Powell himself said its not sustainable.