Sequestration and the Hobby

US Army civilian employees will begin furloughs in April which will effectively reduce their take home pay by 20%. I’m not sure if the rest of the Department of Defense will institute these furloughs or not. This will last until at least the end of September. For me, that 20% is the disposable income I use to hobby. It will likely cause me to hobby bargain shop for the remainder of the fiscal year (specials, loyalty rates, fewer hobby days etc.) It will likely eliminate my doubles encounters altogether. I didn’t bring this up to make this a “feel sorry for me post” as I think this 20% cut will have many ripple effects, both in the hobby world and the civilian economy. I imagine providers have at least a part of their clientele that are Army civilian employees and can expect a reduction in the number of visits. How much effect would depend on the number of clients. Using the same theory, eateries, movies, entertainment venues, and any other “nice to do” things should feel some of the pain due to reduced entertainment income. We shall see.

Same with air force... Think DoD wide... 22 weeks of 4days/80%.

Also affecting medical community with medicare cut.

But is is going to have NO effect according to what I keep reading and hearing from the terminally misinformed. I'm still "unemployed" because the job at McDonalds doesn't pay enough to be viable in supporting the lifestyle I was tempted with.

My response has been to find alternate means of employment that benefit me and not the "establishment".

I've been expecting this downturn for some time. When our leaders choose to speak in 20 second sound bytes and are not held accountable for being less than factual this sort of thing is going to happen. It is working in my favor though because I need a new TV. Have you seen how much they have dropped in price since the Super Bowl sales? When the economy they all depend on runs out of funds, then people stop buying and prices fall. Same thing happens in the hobby. We begin to become choosy, take less risk in finding new providers, reduce our frequency, become acquainted with Rosie Palm again, or cut out the hobby altogether. The only upside to that is then the shadow economy begins to contract as well and I have always believed the losers that run the establishment depend on the shadow economy for their wealth.

Then again, what do I know?

Also affecting medical community with medicare cut. Originally Posted by bushmasterM4

Right...not just primary care givers. It is killing us in research too. Huge hit in the research budget. I may go sell ice cream

Yet because of the Eagle Ford Shale demand it seems that the ladies are maintaining the $$ standard and higher rates.

Time will tell...

SF

Can't remember which on right now but saw a provider offering 20% discount for uniform military.... That's how you support our troops!

It will be a domino effect, starting in late April and getting worse in the summer as those paycuts start adding up. Less pay for me means less money to spend, plain and simple. Hopefully I get to keep traveling, because that is the only way I hobby.

If this truly happens, Christmas 2013 will be a Grinches dream.

My siblings all went medical with their careers.. They've both have already had to deal with lower incomes because of cutbacks... Thankfully I chose technology and focused on oil and gas industry.

A lot of guys I know are on civilian contracts and they are shitting bricks right about now. I stayed private sector and now I'm glad I did. It could get ugly in a few months.

I'm in the medical field, and as soon as Obama took over my income slowly went from 20k a month to under 5! And more cuts are coming! So much for his change...I will have lay off all my workers by 2014 the tax increase and Obamacare really took its toll. It's not gonna get better either as the taxes and cuts are going to increase. It sucks that our president is sending millions of dollars to his Muslim buddies overseas while our military have to take a cut. I'm expecting more girls to join the hobby but will soon find out there no customers at $$ rates.

Well Sput,
Maybe you need to do as your colleagues do here:

http://healthland.time.com/2013/02/2...re-killing-us/

No one tells the squirell to store his nuts for the winter. It's natural. Those facing the 20% cut might apply that to their hobby activities. The ladies posting rates in that range will become popular and that will not go un-noticed. Gee whiz, would you really cry if the boss said instead of 200 an hour he could only pay 160.

Also affecting medical community with medicare cut. Originally Posted by bushmasterM4

bushmasterM4- Hope things get better for ya & the guys out there...

That John Boehner and Mitch McConnell need to come into work 20% less.