PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Federal workers will have to document everything they did last week or face resignation. That message from Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, posted on X, comes as record layoffs are sweeping across the federal government in the name of eliminating “waste, fraud and abuse.”
President Trump and his business ally Elon Musk are trying to reshape the government by drastic reductions in the federal workforce. Many people welcome it, but the speed of the actions is tricky.
The dramatic layoffs, which Trump promised before the election, could affect you sooner or later. In the category of sooner, the layoffs could hamper the investigations into two scary episodes in our region: the medical jet crash at Cottman Avenue, which paralyzed a busy neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, and the Jenkintown fire at SPS Technologies, which was a threat to nearby homes and businesses uses, and which closed schools for a time out of safety concerns.
These are emergencies. Other routine services in our region — health advisories, food poisoning, medical aids, necessary supplies for schools — could be affected by government layoffs, too.
This is not a Republican or Democratic issue, nor is it a debate over cutbacks. That's a choice for the President, Congress and the voters.
This week, the greatest danger is indiscriminate mass layoffs that can have a negative impact on daily life. If large layoffs happen, your members of Congress need to let you know what areas of impact you should be aware of. That's their job, whether it's unsafe toys, hazardous materials, or an item affecting your health, your need to know is important.
Final note, the Pentagon this week will notify 5,000 civilian employees that they're being laid off, but it was delayed because the leaders wisely wanted to know to make sure who is doing what, before they eliminate those jobs. This is not about polling or ideology. Presidents have the power to do their jobs right now. It's about common sense.