Stephanie
Diamond Member
- Jul 11, 2004
- 70,230
- 10,864
- 2,040
good grief, welcome to the real world
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'Tears were shed,' said a spokesman for Florida Rep. Alan Grayson, who lost in the elections. | AP Photo
CloseBy ERIKA LOVLEY | 11/15/10 4:35 AM EST Updated: 11/15/10 6:38 PM EST
As many as 1,800 Democratic congressional staffers will soon lose their jobs, with layoffs hitting everyone from entry-level schedulers to six-figure committee lawyers in a mass exodus that will accompany the greatest congressional turnover in 70 years.
While results are still being tallied in some races, the damage is clear for Democratic staffers. At least 60 seats have been lost, meaning those offices need to start packing their boxes to clear out in December. POLITICO estimated the likely layoffs based on the average number of staffers per House office, as well as the Democratic committee staffing level, which will most likely be slashed in half now that Democrats will be the minority party.
Tears were shed. We were absolutely disappointed that this is going to end, said Todd Jurkowski, a spokesman for Florida Rep. Alan Grayson, who lost to Republican Daniel Webster. We were good, and we were getting better.
Jurkowski said he has no job lined up and wants to help wind down the office.
To be sure, most staffers come to Capitol Hill realizing their jobs are, by nature, ephemeral. Their vocations are tied to the whims of voters and the electability of their boss. But the 2010 wave will cause a giant turnover on Capitol Hill, where offices of Nov. 2 losers soon will fill with packing boxes and paper shredders will start humming. Most offices have to be empty by December to clear the way for the massive class of newcomers to be sworn into office in January.
Last week, there were counselors making the rounds in some Democratic offices to not only offer advice on résumés and job hunting but also help with the emotional aspect of the losses. One section of a packet handed out to staffers dealt with the stages of grief.
It was like it was about death, one staffer said. It was bizarre.
Not everyone was expecting his or her bosses to lose.
It was a terrible shock, said one longtime Democratic aide, a late-career congressional staffer. The first thing I did was call my wife to give her the news. ... Were not rich. Im not as young as I used to be. I was not prepared for this personally; I was prepared for it happening to other people. That concern is reverberating around the Hill not only among congressional office staff but among House committee staff as well now that committees will be led by Republicans.
read it all and comments.
Read more: On the agenda: Packing, shredding - Erika Lovley - POLITICO.com
151 CommentsRSSEmailPrint
'Tears were shed,' said a spokesman for Florida Rep. Alan Grayson, who lost in the elections. | AP Photo
CloseBy ERIKA LOVLEY | 11/15/10 4:35 AM EST Updated: 11/15/10 6:38 PM EST
As many as 1,800 Democratic congressional staffers will soon lose their jobs, with layoffs hitting everyone from entry-level schedulers to six-figure committee lawyers in a mass exodus that will accompany the greatest congressional turnover in 70 years.
While results are still being tallied in some races, the damage is clear for Democratic staffers. At least 60 seats have been lost, meaning those offices need to start packing their boxes to clear out in December. POLITICO estimated the likely layoffs based on the average number of staffers per House office, as well as the Democratic committee staffing level, which will most likely be slashed in half now that Democrats will be the minority party.
Tears were shed. We were absolutely disappointed that this is going to end, said Todd Jurkowski, a spokesman for Florida Rep. Alan Grayson, who lost to Republican Daniel Webster. We were good, and we were getting better.
Jurkowski said he has no job lined up and wants to help wind down the office.
To be sure, most staffers come to Capitol Hill realizing their jobs are, by nature, ephemeral. Their vocations are tied to the whims of voters and the electability of their boss. But the 2010 wave will cause a giant turnover on Capitol Hill, where offices of Nov. 2 losers soon will fill with packing boxes and paper shredders will start humming. Most offices have to be empty by December to clear the way for the massive class of newcomers to be sworn into office in January.
Last week, there were counselors making the rounds in some Democratic offices to not only offer advice on résumés and job hunting but also help with the emotional aspect of the losses. One section of a packet handed out to staffers dealt with the stages of grief.
It was like it was about death, one staffer said. It was bizarre.
Not everyone was expecting his or her bosses to lose.
It was a terrible shock, said one longtime Democratic aide, a late-career congressional staffer. The first thing I did was call my wife to give her the news. ... Were not rich. Im not as young as I used to be. I was not prepared for this personally; I was prepared for it happening to other people. That concern is reverberating around the Hill not only among congressional office staff but among House committee staff as well now that committees will be led by Republicans.
read it all and comments.
Read more: On the agenda: Packing, shredding - Erika Lovley - POLITICO.com