A former federal worker was fired not once, but twice as part of Elon Musk’s cost cutting rampage.
Mike Macans is an Army veteran who served as a disaster recovery coordinator at the Small Business Administration based in Anchorage, Alaska before he was let go. In an interview with Alaska Public Radio, Macans expressed his surprise earlier this month when he received a message telling him he was being fired.
Before the news could settle, he received another message asking him to disregard the previous termination notice that was apparently sent to him in error. Macans couldn’t celebrate the oversight for long, however. Soon enough he received yet another notice that he was, in fact, fired.
He then received a third letter of termination—with wording almost identical to the previous one.
“They locked me out of all my systems,” Macans told the NPR affiliate. “The only place I’ve gotten any help is online — on frickin' Reddit.”
The Trump administration’s efforts to reduce government spending has been spearheaded by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump’s “first buddy” has quickly dismantled USAID, a foreign aid agency, and defunded the Department of Education, all while claiming it has found $55 billion in savings.
However, about 75 percent of the savings touted by DOGE on its website is not is not accounted for.
The layoffs DOGE has orchestrated as part of its cost cutting efforts have left over 3,000 federal workers without a job so far. Macans noted these careless moves have harmed individuals like him who are simply collateral damage.
What’s more, the government is yet to send him all the required documents he needs to claim unemployment. He also hasn’t received official word on when his family’s health insurance will expire. These details are especially pertinent to his situation as his wife, Lara Macans, is a cancer survivor who requires high-priced medication to curb her autoimmune disorder.
“I’ve never felt more betrayed in my entire life,” Macans said.
“Just the disregard for the impact that this has, on not only the employee but his whole family, is astounding,” Lara Macans added.
The alleged reason for Macans dismissal detailed in the termination letter was his performance. This only fueled his anger.
In his last performance review the former federal employee was called “an exceptional asset to the Agency,” and described as someone who is “always up for a new challenge, completes work to a high standard, and proactively generates opportunities to build and maintain relationships that facilitate the delivery of SBA’s disaster loan program.”
