Government Shutdown

[ross61]

Government shutdown nears - CNN.com

Federal workers nervously eyed the clock and an American public sharply divided along partisan lines watched from the sidelines Friday as Democrats and Republicans sniped at one another in a budget battle that could shut down the government and idle more than 800,000 people.
Negotiators have until midnight Friday to reach an agreement, or the government's massive gears will begin grinding to a halt.
Should the government shut down, operations from national parks to veterans' clinics would close. The White House visitor center would go dark. Even some government websites would blink out, replaced by virtual closed signs.
But not everything would close.
Essential services such as defense, air traffic control and law enforcement would continue largely unabated, as would Social Security enrollments and payments. The Social Security Administration said a backlog of applications would be crippling.
Medicare payments would also continue, as would health benefits for government employees. Electronically filed tax returns would be processed. And although paper returns wouldn't be reviewed, a shutdown wouldn't equal a tax holiday -- returns would still be due April 18.
The government estimates that 800,000 federal government employees would be sent home to anxiously await an agreement in what could become a lengthy, and unpaid, vacation. Even those who are asked to work wouldn't get paid until after the shutdown ends, and that could include U.S. troops fighting overseas.
But the president and members of Congress will continue to get paid, although Boehner, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and some others have said lawmakers should return their salaries should it come to that.

 

[YoshiAngemon]

Well, this might lead to a SECOND Great Depression. Maybe the end of the financial world. I just hope that this doesn't really open a door for terrorists to attack the White House, and kill off the president, effectively making all of us slaves, worked to death on making weapons for the Libyans.

 

[Hero]

Not to sound stupid, but what exactly is a shutdown? It seems stupid that the Republicans would let something like this happen.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Well, this might lead to a SECOND Great Depression. Maybe the end of the financial world. I just hope that this doesn't really open a door for terrorists to attack the White House, and kill off the president, effectively making all of us slaves, worked to death on making weapons for the Libyans.

This isn't the first time the government has shut down. It happened some years ago...I think during the Clinton Administration in 1995 and 1996, and some times before that...Nothing happened.

And major operations are still running. Defense will still be active so it isn't like we won't be protected.

 

[Ophan]

though it hasn't happened during a recession....

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

That's true. ):

I can't see how this would generate cash flow when some of the services shut down would have brought in revenue (like tours of landmarks and historical buildings...unless that stuff was free...then never mind, but I don't think it was.)

Darn people and not reaching a budget agreement. Republicans want to cut entitlement funds, Democrats have no idea what they want but whatever the Republicans want they don't want it. -_- Stop being children.

 

[Mr. Crowley]

My parents both work at the VA, a veteren's hospital ran by the gov. What does this mean for them?

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

My parents both work at the VA, a veteren's hospital ran by the gov. What does this mean for them?

It will stay open. It is a hospital, so it has to stay open and in 100% activity.

 

[Mr. Crowley]

It will stay open. It is a hospital, so it has to stay open and in 100% activity.

Well that's a relief.

 

[Fire's fan]

My Dad, won't be working if it happens, he's a government worker
But good news is if we lose all the money we have saved he has a friend he can work for.

 

[Bukkake Sensei]

Not to sound stupid, but what exactly is a shutdown? It seems stupid that the Republicans would let something like this happen.

I'm no fan of the Republican party, but this time I really don't think it's fair to put all of the blame on them.

 

[Mr. Crowley]

Wait, does this mean my parents won't get paid at work?

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Wait, does this mean my parents won't get paid at work?

No, they will. Only workers that aren't working the day(or days) of the shutdown won't get paid.

what really pisses me off is that congress will still get paid while the other federal workers get laid off. that's so retarded.
they do not deserve to be entitled to their paycheck since everybody else is forced to leave work IMO

I don't know if you know but government workers are always forced on unpaid furlough days every year. It isn't fair, but they will be used to it and they can complain all they want but it won't change anything.

And they aren't being laid off. They just won't work for a set amount of days until regular government operations restart.

And Congress hardly deserves what they get paid, but it is a part of the constitution.

 

[Phoenix]

I'm no fan of the Republican party, but this time I really don't think it's fair to put all of the blame on them.

Yet the only reason they're not compromising is because of the stupid Planned Parenthood crap, which doesn't put a dent on the budget either way.

 

[Professor Ven]

I think the fact that the Republicans and Democrats shouldn't need to be paid to run the country, seeing as how they had the wealth to get into office. Better to pay the 800,000 employees who might be laid off indefinitely than pay the people who can't ever get anything done due to opposing opinions and "party lines."

 

[gelandporn]

What I love about this is the fact that Ponzi schemers can now just do what they please on the stock market, since there is no oversight from the SEC due to the shutdown.

 

[Klom89]

Yet the only reason they're not compromising is because of the stupid Planned Parenthood crap, which doesn't put a dent on the budget either way.

It's A LOT more than that. For the government, Small organizations are trifles compared to their ultimate issues: Money and Power. Both poitical parties want to do things their way and not compromise. We're just victims caught in the middle of another of their arguments.

The way I see it, like Ethnic Woman said, the government's shut down before and nothing's happened. Even if we are in a recession, the American people have always been forced to fend for themselves due to Congress being made up of idiots with the minds of two-year-old children.

I doubt it'll impact America at all save for the Government Workers. (With whom my regrets lie)

But for us Average Joes, it'll be just another day.

I think the fact that the Republicans and Democrats shouldn't need to be paid to run the country, seeing as how they had the wealth to get into office. Better to pay the 800,000 employees who might be laid off indefinitely than pay the people who can't ever get anything done due to opposing opinions and "party lines."

Hear, hear. If they had enough money to get into office, they have enough to sustain themselves. The people need the money more than they do. Forrest Gump put it best : "There's only so much money a man needs. The rest is just for showin' off."

And that's all the government is nowadays....One giant show-off.

 

[Revolution]

Honestly, the entire House and Senate is at fault. It's not "Reid or Bohner", it's both parties. They are incapable of even trying to work together for the good of the people.

And the American citizens are just at as much fault for re-voting these people back in again and again...

 

[Tenyas]

Just as an FYI, most all military personnel will be working during this period unpaid. Meaning, if it is to last for a lengthy amount of time, that they shall be forced to pay bills they have no money for, especially if they haven't saved a Nest Egg for such a circumstance. Although most civilian Government workers will not be forced to work, there are those who ARE and are not being paid as well. The jist of it is that there shall be IOU's until the shutdown is over but, there will still be incoming bills during this time from utilities and other basic things.

So, it's rather frightening for me. And absolutely unfair that Congress and the Senate still have money coming in during the state of Shutdown. I find it incredibly stupid on BOTH parties. One is too frightened to try and make actual large and noticable changes while the other is all too willing to chop off of everything.

The more I get older, the more I realize that politics is a gigantic facade and a farce. Hell, the U.S.A. hasn't had anything backing the dollar for a while now, meaning we've been using the IDEA of money to pay for things [at least, going by what my parents and family tell me, I'll need to double check when this happened], and we're still printing it. This means that the very paper of the U.S. dollar bill has more substance to it than the dollar has. That's ludicrous.

 

[Solar]

No offense Americans, but you guys seem to be screwed for the next little decade <=/

And having friends and family who I know can't move anywhere else this is depressing. That coupled with what a part it plays in the global market...yeah.

Maybe I'm over-reacting but I'm pretty upset at what's going on there.