I play poker several times a week with Department of Defense employees here in SoCal. When they talk about current lay-offs, unpaid work, and the other financial stresses hitting their agencies it sounds like morale and enthusiasm are at an all time low by any standard. Not even sure if they will receive upcoming paychecks, or receive promised benefits. One lady is now thinking of retiring after forty years but she does not trust the Federal Government to pay her pension either in a timely manner every month or in full. They all sound as if they feel trapped.