Question: Govt. Shutdown? Do you care?

[bamacon]

There is talk of a govt. shutdown if there is an impasse of a budget. The Dems decided against passing a budget for election reasons (that really worked out well) last year but the deadline for action is March 4th. Personally, I can see the Reps. shutting it down and I'm not sure the Dems or Pres. would mind that one bit. I feel that they believe it is still 1995 and that the citizenry won't tolerate their beloved rulers being shut down so they can't help the huddled masses. I think they would be making a huge mistake. It will be interesting to see.

How do you feel about a govt. shutdown?

 

[crimson fan man]

They are not doing anything to help the country out when they are open so shutdown. I can see obuma on tv talking how the bad ole Reps is just taking care of the rich not careing about the hardworking middle class.

 

[ValuJet]

Thee are a few of us left who believe the role of the federal government should be to provide for the common defense and after that, guarantee freedoms.

I don't see where high speed rail and federalizing healthcare workers fits in.

 

[CaliforniaTide]

Agree with CFM - they're not doing anything productive right now (or haven't been for awhile), just bickering at each other. Why not shut it down right now?

Are there any on here that would provide financial reasons against a government shutdown? I'm thinking maybe some federal funding wouldn't be made (i.e. for education or other areas).

 

[CrimsonNan]

Govt. Shutdown? Do you care?

NO!!! Shut it down.

 

[Bodhisattva]

If there is a shutdown, "nonessential" government employees will stay home, but they will still (eventually) get paid. That's what happened last time.

 

[Tider@GW_Law]

Thee are a few of us left who believe the role of the federal government should be to provide for the common defense and after that, guarantee freedoms.

I don't see where high speed rail and federalizing healthcare workers fits in.

Federalizing healthcare workers? Please explain. This is news to me.

 

[Tider@GW_Law]

If there is a shutdown, "nonessential" government employees will stay home, but they will still (eventually) get paid. That's what happened last time.

It also ended up costing vastly more than it would have had they just operated normally straight through.

 

[Tider@GW_Law]

Agree with CFM - they're not doing anything productive right now (or haven't been for awhile), just bickering at each other. Why not shut it down right now?

Are there any on here that would provide financial reasons against a government shutdown? I'm thinking maybe some federal funding wouldn't be made (i.e. for education or other areas).

A tiny portion of the federal gov't is political. A gov't shutdown, among other things, will cost a great deal more than just operating normally.

 

[92tide]

Federalizing healthcare workers? Please explain. This is news to me.

try these, it may help you see what he sees. those commie marxo fascists are everywhere

 

[Tide1986]

A tiny portion of the federal gov't is political. A gov't shutdown, among other things, will cost a great deal more than just operating normally.

Could you give a little color on the nature of these additional costs? The "process improvement" side of me is curious.

 

[Zorak]

If there is a shutdown, "nonessential" government employees will stay home, but they will still (eventually) get paid. That's what happened last time.

Last time this happened, my dad (then a manager at the DoL in the Montgomery office, now happily retired and a curmudgeon on all things federal after 40 years of service) had just gone through neck surgery and was going to take something like 6 weeks of medical leave. I think the government may have shut down the morning of his surgery. (I guess they couldn't function without him). He got to keep all that sick leave. It worked out for him.

 

[Tider@GW_Law]

Could you give a little color on the nature of these additional costs? The "process improvement" side of me is curious.

I don't recall of the details around it, but I do know that not long into the last shutdown it was shown that it would cost more to cut-off payment to employees for a period of time than to continue paying as normal. That is why employees were eventually just paid the last time this happened. I seem to recall it having something to do with the fact that paychecks aren't just paying the employees - there are various types of insurers, plan administrators, etc. that are receiving a portion of any individual's paycheck under contracts. There was also a short-term loan program that was to be set up so that employees could pay their rent and other bills. The last stoppage happened around Christmas.

 

[cbi1972]

I don't recall of the details around it, but I do know that not long into the last shutdown it was shown that it would cost more to cut-off payment to employees for a period of time than to continue paying as normal. That is why employees were eventually just paid the last time this happened. I seem to recall it having something to do with the fact that paychecks aren't just paying the employees - there are various types of insurers, plan administrators, etc. that are receiving a portion of any individual's paycheck under contracts. There was also a short-term loan program that was to be set up so that employees could pay their rent and other bills. The last stoppage happened around Christmas.

Sounds like a good reason to get them out of the paycheck.

 

[kyallie]

No. Shut it down!

 

[rizolltizide]

Yes, it scares me terribly. I can remember the complete anarchy the last time it happened. I didn't go outside for months.

 

[rizolltizide]

Sounds like a good reason to get them out of the paycheck.

There you go using common sense again.

 

[Tider@GW_Law]

Sounds like a good reason to get them out of the paycheck.

That's a whole other issue, but I don't think employees/employers paying for health insurance, life insurance, long-term care insurance, pensions, retirement funds, etc. out of their paychecks/payrolls is going to end any time soon.

 

[Bamaro]

There is a proposal that if there is a shutdown, congress will not be paid during that time. Good idea but I'm sure it will never pass.

 

[Tidewater]

The national media will cream bloody murder that the Republican-controlled Congress has closed down the government.
In the 1980s, the same national media screamed that the Republican President had shut down the government.
Apparently, according to the national media, the government is simply entitled to the money, not the tax-payers, and whichever branch of the Federal government does not wish to spend more money is to blame for any budget conflict.
As for me, I welcome a government shut down, within limits, but the national media with savagely attack Republicans for any shut down.