Posted on 04/07/2011 11:36:33 AM PDT by Lucky9teen
Government Shutdown. That’s the topic du jour in the Newsiverse. But is a government shutdown as terrifying as these talking heads are leading us to believe? Maybe it is a very bad thing if you are one of the people about to be furloughed, then again, maybe not.
There are some 800,000 government employees who are considered ‘non essential’ and they are all being told of their status today, just in case a last-minute deal is not struck.
Who qualifies as essential and gets to stay on the job?
Our troops, air traffic controllers and postal workers are considered to be ‘essential’ and their work will continue.
The non-essential workers will be asked to turn in their government IDs, blackberries and stay home until the funding is approved. They also won’t be getting paid, at least not during the shut down. However, the minute the government is back on the job, the ‘non-essentials’ will return to work and also receive retroactive pay.
Yes, you read that right. In a perfect example of the screaming inefficiency of our government, the people sent home and told not to work, will be getting paid for not working. So, who is really getting hurt by the shutdown? NOBODY! The non-essentials will be given paid days off, and we the taxpayers will foot the bill.
Back to the shutdown. Is it really as dangerous and deadly as we are hearing?
It must be. The President is so concerned, that he left DC to spend time on the campaign trail in Philadelphia and New York City. (There’s an election in 20 months you know.) Oh sure, before he left town Obama asked the leaders in Congress to ‘act like adults’ and get a budget approved. One wonders why he did not make that demand back in 2009 when a budget for this year should have been passed.
In spite of all the fear alarms ringing over a possible shutdown and the attendant blame-storming filling the cable news outlets, there is a little something called reality staring us in the face. Any shutdown will likely not last very long. On February 24th, a full six weeks ago, we learned from a frequent MSNBC guest, Charlie Cook, just how (not so) terrible this shutdown might be: “Most Americans would never even know it if there was a two or six, or one day shutdown.”
If most Americans would not notice the short shutdown, who would feel it the most? The dreaded ‘non-essential’ worker? Oh wait, I forgot, they get paid for every day they don’t work.
I wouldn’t mind getting that deal. Kinda like being a teacher.
Government shutdown = spring break for old hippies.
Nonsense.
Nonessentials are furloughed without pay. There is nothing written down anywhere that says we will be paid. The only way we may get paid is if Congress enacts special legislation after the shutdown concludes. Moreover, we are still being billed for insurance while on furlough, meaning that it’s going to be a while before some of us can get back on our feet again after this ends.
What has really bothered me in recent weeks is all of the members of this forum who want to throw parties and celebrate the fact that a lot of good people are going to be hurt because of this.
My wife is a stay at home mom, who homeschools our two small children. Those of you who homeschool know how difficult it can be to manage household on one income. An extended shutdown will be devastating to us.
Personally, I am not against a shutdown. I am willing to take a financial hit for the sake of my children’s future and for my country, but dang people, try to be a little sensitive about those of us who are going to be harmed in the short term.
We have been told we won't be notified until Friday.
Each agency may vary, but when a writer starts writing assumptions rather than facts, I tend to lose interest.
Thank you for clarifying and giving a good perspective on “the other side of the coin” on what happens to those caught in the fray.
Keep up the faith. May God provide for you (and yours), while in this troubling time.
If it will end up being without pay can you be proactive and put in for vacation time now?
I am assuming those who are on vacation will receive their due vacation pay.
During the last shutdown, looters hit some of our National Parks hard. Even though law enforcement is considered essential, the presence of nonessentials serves as a deterrent to most looters.
No, I already asked about that. We cannot use annual leave (vacation time) during a shutdown.
I understand what you are saying, I have several family members that are federal employees. However, I think the main gripe people on here have is that, although certainly an inconvenience, it is almost assured that federal employees will get back pay for any time they are idle, (they always have in the past.) Contrast that with the private sector, I have a cousin that was recently furloughed from a Toyota plant, until further notice, because of the Earthquake in Japan. Is he going to get a penny of back pay? Not on your life. The company gave the furloughed employees a presentation on how to apply for unemployment benefits, a sent them out the door. Ditto with several family members that have been idled for lack of work at the local Alcoa aluminum plant.
While I'm not the type that says that all Federal Employees are lazy, do nothings. I know better than that, my father retired from the military and went to work for the DOD as a civilian and worked just as hard as he did when he was in the service. The fact of the matter is, you all do have it a lot better than many in the private sector, especially in this job climate.
Anyway, best of luck and I do hope this is resolved in a timely manner.
That is bizarre. I'm not calling you a liar, but this is the first I have ever heard that non-essentials can't take leave and are never paid for a forced stay home. Are you in a union?
No I am not in a union.
Annual leave represents an expenditure by the government, and without funding, no expenditures are permitted.
Back pay for a forced stay at home of this nature is solely up to the opinion of elected officials after the fact.
A lot of pundits out there are talking about things they know nothing about.
But didn’t Gates say troops pay would be interrupted. That’s a sad situation. You’re overseas, and your family’s here depending on your paycheck...and one doesn’t come.
I don’t imagine a lot of servicemen/women have “nest eggs” and I’m sure many live paycheck to paycheck.
OK, so say if a worker had put in for the next few weeks for vacation at the beginning of the year (when nothing was known)...it wouldn't be honored?
That stinks too.
Thanks for the response. I had no idea. I have to ask, are the union workers paid through strike funds and such or are they equally screwed? Either way, hang in there FRiend and try to enjoy a week or two off.....
Correct: an expenditure is an expenditure, no matter what form it takes.
I am trying to stick to the facts and not editorialize, for I could get in trouble for my comments if they are viewed as political by my superiors. So forgive me if my responses seem a bit monotone. lol
No one in my agency is unionized.
Fair enough, I understand you can't say much. I will say that I think the shutdown will be short.....all the press is going AGAINST the dems in this, apparently the stupid party has played this correctly. We'll see Friday. Good luck bro.
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