If the Federal Government shuts down, who is to blame?

[Giggle Goose]

I will preface this by saying that I am a federal employee in a civilian agency, thus being "nonessential." Right now Obama is on TV praising both sides for working together to reach a budget deal.

Less than an hour before the deadline. Yeah, great fucking job everyone! The most laughable part is how both sides are patting themselves on the back for acting like they're so fucking brilliant for extending government operations for less than a WEEK. And apparently they "will have reached an agreement" by the end of that week. Just like they said they would do by end of the 6 other continuing resolutions that have funded the government in a "tollbooth" fashion since October 1.

I know that people have serious issues with my choice of employer. I also know that there are certain people who would like to see me out on the street because I have the audacity to make a modest income with a benefits package that I could only dream of when I was waitressing my way through college. Fine, whatever, but at the end of the day I know that I didn't cause this bullshit, seeing as how my paycheck is in the hands of 535 morons. I am fortunate that I don't have a family to support, while there are countless military families worrying whether or not they will be getting a steady paycheck.

I can deal with furloughs, layoffs, whatever. I can deal with people hating me for choosing public service. But for fuck's sake, our working families deserve so much better.

So now I can start planning my expenditures for the next week, at the end of which I have a pretty strong feeling we'll be going through this same bullshit again. Now that's livin! (/sarcasm)

[IDrinkaRum]

Now, at least, my husband can go to his doctor appointments this Monday. Because the government is technically being funded, he can take his "vacation" day and go to the doctor without fear of being put on furloughed and then having to go through channels to get back on the "payroll" as he is an essential employee. Which is baloney, there are higher ups who should be more essential than him (and he even says he's not that essential and doesn't understand why he's listed like that).

In the DC metro area, you either work for government contractors or the federal government or military to have a good-paying job around here. There's no two ways about it. Actually, people look at you in surprise when you say you're working something other than those 3 above jobs.

Hubs was frustrated because he had "non-essential" employees, but he couldn't tell them anything because those "on high" hadn't sent out the message to him so he could inform his employees who should and should not show up on Monday (if the budget hadn't been passed) and he was incredibly frustrated. He didn't get the message until after his appointment with his surgeon (to get his surgeon's opinion on possible hernia surgery).

The government drives me crazy. Especially when both parties have their heads up their a$$e$ and can't see the forrest for the trees.

[Greenday]

Contractors who are non-essential wouldn't have gotten paid, period. They wouldn't have been allowed to work and wouldn't have gotten paid at all.

Honestly, it seems like the Republicans were holding it hostage in an attempt to make the Democrats look bad. They offered to pass funding for the military, but only if the Democrats met ridiculous demands they knew they wouldn't accept. As a result, when the Democrats didn't accept it, the Republicans could be all, "Well, we made an offer and they were the ones who said no!" I'm glad the Republicans backed down from that though and both groups came to some kind of an agreement for now.

[Giggle Goose]

In the DC metro area, you either work for government contractors or the federal government or military to have a good-paying job around here. There's no two ways about it. Actually, people look at you in surprise when you say you're working something other than those 3 above jobs.

QFT. It's not the only game in town, but pretty much every business around here touches government in one way or another. It's also not the cheapest area, as I'm sure you know.

I am glad your hubs can make his doc's appointment . My agency has been going through pretty much the same thing he is. Let's pray these boneheads get their shit together for the next round so we won't have to have this discussion again.

[Gravekeeper]

Honestly, it seems like the Republicans were holding it hostage in an attempt to make the Democrats look bad.

That's kind of the entire gameplan the last couple years that I've seen. Say no to absolutely everything, then point the finger at everyone else when everything collapses because of it. But conversely, everyone on the otherside is too spineless to call them out on it or stand their ground.

It'd be hilarious if it wasn't so fucking insipid, childish and utterly selfish. At this point the Republicans are the miserable brat holding their breath in the the backseat to get what they want, while the Democrats are the yuppy soccer mom promising him whatever he wants if he'll just wait till they get home. Americans, on the other hand, are the pedestrian the van plowed over at a crosswalk 6 blocks back because no one's looking outside.

Big business is the one stealing your wallet before the paramedics arrive.

[IDrinkaRum]

Husband said if push came to shove, the President, Democrats, and the Republicans could have just funded the Department of Defense to get the military their pay. No one had to hold anything "hostage".

[Greenday]

And yet the Republicans did it anyway.

[FArchivist]

Husband said if push came to shove, the President, Democrats, and the Republicans could have just funded the Department of Defense to get the military their pay. No one had to hold anything "hostage".

1) While the military have a hard job, I think claiming they should get paid and the rest of the government employees can just go fuck themselves is a pretty, shall we say, unbalanced way of looking at things.

2) In the previous federal shutdowns of 1995-11-14 to 1995-11-19 and 1995-12-16 to 1996-01-06, the military wasn't paid either. I don't know where people got the idea that the military should get paid this time, but we've never passed our budgets piecemeal and I don't think we're about to start now.

3) Funding the military separately could possibly be a violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act of 1950.

[AdminAssistant]

1) While the military have a hard job, I think claiming they should get paid and the rest of the government employees can just go fuck themselves is a pretty, shall we say, unbalanced way of looking at things.

Thank you, FArchivist. I feel pretty much the same way but was honestly afraid to say so. My Facebook feed last night was full of "OMG WTF Military Pay BBQ!!!!!" And I'm like, what about Park Rangers? Shouldn't they be paid? And don't tell me that their job isn't also dangerous because bears.

[Dreamstalker]

Planned Parenthood isn't a stupid thing. It's a vital service that provides health care to both women and men, STD/AIDS testing, birth control, etc.

I was wondering how many (if any) Republicans realize that without the contraception/counseling services that PP provides, there would be more abortions (which they are also against).

[blas87]

Not necessarily more abortions. If you live where I live, where every young woman is pressured to not only birth her baby but to KEEP it as well (out of old fashioned good boy/girl guilt), you end up with more generations of welfare and assistance.

This is why you see so many 16 year olds with strollers instead of cars.

[IDrinkaRum]

I'm not saying the military should have been paid before anyone else. However, in the news around here, it was a major talking point. Both sides were commiserating with the military and their lack of pay. I just meant that if everyone up in DC were really that concerned about it, they could have funded the DoD first before everything else. At least according to my husband, they could technically do that and get away with it. (Hubs works for the DoD).

As for PP, I do not think it's stupid. However, I was frustrated that one little thing was ghe "sticking" point. It could have been anything, and I've called it "stupid".

[Andara Bledin]

It'd be hilarious if it wasn't so fucking insipid, childish and utterly selfish. At this point the Republicans are the miserable brat holding their breath in the the backseat to get what they want, while the Democrats are the yuppy soccer mom promising him whatever he wants if he'll just wait till they get home. Americans, on the other hand, are the pedestrian the van plowed over at a crosswalk 6 blocks back because no one's looking outside.

And yet, people continue to elect the same crooks over and over again. We the people have more than enough power to oust the lot of them, but everybody is so afraid of "the other guy" getting in that they just keep doing the same thing over and over again and then cry about getting screwed by the government.

I was wondering how many (if any) Republicans realize that without the contraception/counseling services that PP provides, there would be more abortions (which they are also against).

They don't want fewer pregnancies - they want more births. The more kids you have, the more you have to spend on necessities and the less you have to spend on other things, like further education. Plus, since poverty is the one thing guaranteed to affect a child's ability to learn, it keeps the unwashed masses unwashed and easier to control.

I'm not saying the military should have been laid before anyone else.

I just had to take a moment to laugh at this typo. It was just too amusing to pass up.

As for PP, I do not think it's stupid. However, I was frustrated that one little thing was ghe "sticking" point. It could have been anything, and I've called it "stupid".

Don't be mad at the item that was the sticking point; be mad at the people who knew it would be a sticking point and put it in there specifically to cause this sort of situation.

Interestingly enough, going after PP over abortions is a Bill of Attainder, which is quite specifically prohibited in the Constitution. So, not only are they screwing over everybody by putting it in there at all, but it's been an invalid procedure from day one.

^-.-^

[Greenday]

1) While the military have a hard job, I think claiming they should get paid and the rest of the government employees can just go fuck themselves is a pretty, shall we say, unbalanced way of looking at things.

2) In the previous federal shutdowns of 1995-11-14 to 1995-11-19 and 1995-12-16 to 1996-01-06, the military wasn't paid either. I don't know where people got the idea that the military should get paid this time, but we've never passed our budgets piecemeal and I don't think we're about to start now.

3) Funding the military separately could possibly be a violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act of 1950.

1) Expecting people to go out on potentially deadly missions and not be able to feed their families is ridiculously messed up. Asking people to sit in their chair in a nice office and miss a paycheck is hardly as terrible.

2) So because they didn't previous times, we shouldn't now? Doesn't make sense to me. The argument "That's the way it's always been" doesn't hold up in any argument.

3) That's why they have to pass new legislature to make it legal.

Thank you, FArchivist. I feel pretty much the same way but was honestly afraid to say so. My Facebook feed last night was full of "OMG WTF Military Pay BBQ!!!!!" And I'm like, what about Park Rangers? Shouldn't they be paid? And don't tell me that their job isn't also dangerous because bears.

Really? You are really going to compare having to maybe run from a bear to dodging IDF, not setting of IEDs, dodging bullets and grenades along with guys with suicide vests? I'm speechless on that one.

[AdminAssistant]

Really? You are really going to compare having to maybe run from a bear to dodging IDF, not setting of IEDs, dodging bullets and grenades along with guys with suicide vests? I'm speechless on that one.

I'm guessing you missed part of the sarcasm I was going for there. But, as FArchivist said, ALL federal employees deserve their paychecks. Not just DoD. Which, by the way, includes many more people than the armed forces currently serving in dangerous areas overseas.