Disqus - Latest Comments for kathrynsimpson

Re: Royal Caribbean drops vaccine mandate for U.S. cruises

Kathryn Simpson — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 16:41:27 -0000

Have you read the protocols on RC's website? They answer those questions and make it clear that isolated cases of testing positive won't ruin everyone's cruise.

https://www.royalcaribbean....

Re: Royal Caribbean drops vaccine mandate for U.S. cruises

Kathryn Simpson — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 16:25:44 -0000

Enigma,
According to the protocols, anyone who is unvaccinated will be required to be tested for COVID immediately before cruising. Why the hostility?

Further, according to the protocols, anyone who is aboard ship who develops symptoms will be isolated. That doesn't mean the ship will turn around and ruin everyone's vacation.

Ships deal with medical emergencies and communicable diseases (flu, legionaires, etc) all the time and you often don't even realize they are happening in the medical suite.

The fact remains that an unvaccinated person is not a risk to a vaccinated person. That is the science. So, get vaccinated if you can. But calling names isn't helpful. Nor is it scientific.

Re: Royal Caribbean changes Covid-19 vaccine requirements for cruise ships

Kathryn Simpson — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 19:54:43 -0000

And it appears the rules continue to change.

I spoke with an RC COVID Specialist on Tuesday to specifically try to understand the requirements before we make our final payments. She looked up my September cruise (leaving from Bayonne) and said being vaxxed isn't required (as of now).

I appreciate your trying to stay on top of this and also understand how quickly it seems to be evolving. It may change again by September... but right now I'm very hopeful that I will be able to cruise. At least hopeful enough to make final payment. ;-)

Re: Royal Caribbean changes Covid-19 vaccine requirements for cruise ships

Kathryn Simpson — Mon, 31 May 2021 15:54:56 -0000

Matt,
That RC guidance appears to refer to "For Cruises Departing from Seattle or The Bahamas" with specific requirements. Then, below that it refers to "For Cruises Departing From Other International Ports." Ports in the USA are domestic ports. I'm really trying to understand this. Are cruises starting in the USA domestic or international ports?

I don't want to argue the merits/non-merits of vaccinations. I simply know from conversations with my docs that I am not advised to get it due to severe medical allergies. I want to cruise so I want to understand the rules. I'm reading this differently than you are in regard to domestic and international ports. Can you clarify? Is Bayonne a domestic or international port?

Re: Royal Caribbean has not decided on any more cancellations following Norwegian Cruise Line announcement

Kathryn Simpson — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 15:36:03 -0000

Thanks, Matt. I lifted and shifted from a September 2020 cruise on Oasis and I suspect a lot more folks will be taking advantage of the opportunity as we wait for the next possible push-back.

Re: Military Travel Ban Extended Until June 30; Some Restrictions Eased | Military.com

Kathryn Simpson — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:05:35 -0000

You make an inflammatory and insulting statement about the current President and then question that someone was disrespectful about President Obama? You can't see your own hypocrisy?

Re: 2018 Royal Caribbean Beverage Package Info, Tips, Pros & Cons

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 09:59:12 -0000

That might be true at the bar. However, at the soda machines you can get a variety of diet drinks and sodas. I think every drink package comes with access to the soda machines.

Re: WEA union threatens illegal strikes to close schools again » Publications » Washington Policy Center

Kathryn Simpson — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 09:19:17 -0000

While I believe striking teachers should be fined and suspended for striking (and fired if they strike a second time), they are not working part time. They crunch a year's worth of time and effort into 10 months of effort.

Strikes by public employees are illegal. They should respect the law. I am a public employee and I take my no-strike clause seriously. If there comes a time I cannot accept the conditions of my employment, I will find employment in the private sector.

By the way, we have common ground on shifting to a year-round calendar.

Re: Why Feds Don’t Strike

Kathryn Simpson — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 10:41:10 -0000

Stones? Is that what you call violating one's oath? Having stones?
I think it takes 'stones' to keep one's oath even under difficult circumstances.

Re: Why Feds Don’t Strike

Kathryn Simpson — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 10:16:24 -0000

That is a bonafide concern that Congress and the President need to consider carefully... loss of good employees due to these shenanigans. Furloughs and lack of raises that keep up with inflation don't help us retain and recruit a high performing workforce.

Re: Why Feds Don’t Strike

Kathryn Simpson — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 10:10:12 -0000

I took my first federal oath in 1981. And I have taken that oath very seriously ever since. I remember President Reagan firing the air traffic controllers who violated their oaths. I also remember Steve Largent (Seahawks receiver who later became a Congressman), who crossed the NFL picket line and went to work because he signed a contract. That is honor. That is keeping one's word.

I don't like being a pawn of electeds. But when I accepted employment as a fed then I accepted that from time to time I would be caught in the crossfire. But I keep my oath. If it gets to be more than I am willing to tolerate, I will quit before I am willing to strike.

One more thing, I was not a fan of Obama Administration policies, but he was the duly elected President and I carried out his policy initiatives because he was the duly elected President of the United States issuing lawful orders. It angers me that some feds think they don't have an obligation to do the same with President Trump and are covertly (and sometimes overtly) undermining his lawful orders. We swore an oath to the Constitution and that includes following the lawful orders of the President of the United States while we serve in the Executive Branch. I fulfill that oath regardless of my personal feelings. Do you?

I also have the courage of my convictions to use my real name. Do you?

Re: Trump Mar-a-Lago Buddy Wrote Policy Pitch. The President Sent It to VA Chief.

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 12:09:43 -0000

Anyone who doesn't grasp that policy initiatives often start this way is naive. There is nothing unusual or unseemly about this. An idea is an idea whether it starts on a cocktail napkins or from an epiphany in the White House Situation Room.

Kudos to the President for being open to new ideas regardless of the paper stock it originates on.

Re: Analysis: How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever

Kathryn Simpson — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 08:24:28 -0000

Chris,
Federal electeds may not feel the pain of needing their paychecks, however, if they are faced with being restricted to the Capitol Campus and being unable to return home to campaign or participate in family activities then that may motivate them better.

It is ironic that many federal employees are considered “emergency essential” and work without pay during shutdowns but the electeds charged with passing Appropriations are not required to continue working.

Re: Analysis: How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 21:02:18 -0000

What bipartisan deal for DACA? The President made a generous offer regarding DACA and the Democrats refused it. They didn't want to give him any sort of a win so they threw away a great offer for those in DACA limbo.

Re: Analysis: How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 16:05:19 -0000

I will concede that the President sends a lot of mixed messages. But he has been unequivocal that the status quo for border security is no longer acceptable.

The Democrats should negotiate with him. Instead, they just don't want to give him any sort of a "win". Personally, I think they should tie wall funding to a compromise solution to DACA. The President made a side DACA proposal last year and then the D's threw it away wanting to fuel election fodder. The D's threw DACA hostages under the bus and are now doing the same with federal employees for political purposes. Sad.

Re: Analysis: How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 15:50:59 -0000

He could have tweeted, watched TV, and played martyr from anywhere.

The President, at least, had the work ethic to be where he should be during an emergency. Pelosi... Not so much.

Re: Analysis: How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 13:09:03 -0000

By the way, my eyes are wide open.

Re: Analysis: How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 13:07:00 -0000

The President has felt strongly about border security from day one of his campaign.

To be clear, I don't particularly like the President's leadership style. However, just because I don't like someone doesn't make them wrong all the time.

I liked President Obama, but I didn't like his apathy to border security or his stance on many other issues. I didn't like President Clinton but he made some sound decisions while in office.

The President stayed in town to do his job. That was a good example. Going to Hawaii was a very poor leadership example.

Re: Analysis: How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 12:52:57 -0000

You lost me at "a situation one person caused." The President feels strongly enough about this issue to stick to his guns and isn't yielding to what is effectively a hostage situation. That is the Constitutional process. Every elected has a responsibility to the Constitutional process. Not just the President.

I didn't like a lot of the Obama Administration policies, but I respected the Constitutional process. So should ALL federal electeds. Do your job! And stay at work until your job is done!

Re: Analysis: How to End Government Shutdowns, Forever

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 12:34:31 -0000

CR’s are not the solution. The solution is to pass a law that requires all Appropriations bills to be passed into law by July 1st before the new fiscal year and if that is not accomplished then all federal electeds are restricted to the Capitol Campus until all Appropriations are complete.

Would be nice to see teeth to such legislation with the following additions: 1. Every day past August 1st, each elected must send one staff member home without pay until all Appropriations are complete. By September 1st, all staff members are sent home without pay until the work is complete. If the work is not complete by Labor Day, shut off the electricity and only allow chili and cornbread deliveries.

We supposedly elect people to sort this stuff out. Not to use federal employees as hostages in political nonsense.

Going to Hawaii while 400,000 federal employees are caught in a shutdown crossfire is unconscionable.

Re: A Girl Died After Staying At a Facility Not Meant To Hold Immigrants

Kathryn Simpson — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 10:51:15 -0000

Thank you for acknowledging that you don't know whether BP was negligent. Since you don't know if they were negligent then you don't know BP was "wrong" or responsible for the child's death.

When a child dies on school grounds that doesn't mean the school personnel were "wrong", or negligent, or culpable.

Thus, I maintain my position that you are using this tragic situation as a political sucker punch.

My heart goes out to any family who loses a child. But misplacing blame for political fodder doesn't help the overall situation.

Re: A Girl Died After Staying At a Facility Not Meant To Hold Immigrants

Kathryn Simpson — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 10:26:50 -0000

Have you ever gone septic? I have. I went from being perfectly healthy to septic with an infection and extreme fever in FOUR HOURS last year. Only because I was in the immediate vicinity of an excellent hospital was my life saved. Had I been camping or on a long flight, I would not likely have survived.

A minor cut or mosquito bite can turn into a crisis very fast. I feel badly for the child and her family. But you are twisting a tragic situation into a political sucker punch.

Re: A Girl Died After Staying At a Facility Not Meant To Hold Immigrants

Kathryn Simpson — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 15:29:52 -0000

Blaming the Border Patrol is misdirection. It appears that they did everything they could, under the circumstances, to save the little girl's life. One has to wonder how quickly the child would have received medical attention if she and her father had not been apprehended.

If she had been at school and suddenly ran a fever, was taken to a hospital immediately, and died, would you blame the teacher, the nurse, or the principal? No, it would be a tragedy. Plain and simple. Blaming the Border Patrol is a political stunt at this point. Sadly, at the expense of a grieving family and impugning the professionalism, civility and compassion of those who tried to save her life.

Re: Trump Formalizes Federal Pay Freeze Plan for 2019

Kathryn Simpson — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 07:26:18 -0000

Obama was the first President to freeze locality pay. If you are not finding the links to the 11/12/13 pay freezes then you are not looking very hard.

Re: Trump Formalizes Federal Pay Freeze Plan for 2019

Kathryn Simpson — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:43:57 -0000

Truth!