I was going to let dansdigitaldive fade away into the digital background, and then the Government shutdown happened. We’ve been through several shutdowns before, so I wasn’t to worried about my friends who work as members of the US Civil Service. I know they will be taken care of… eventually; but this is bullshit!
I think we should lock our president and the speaker of the house (lower cases used intentionally) into a room with a few others, and not let them out until they come to a resolution. This Furlough shows the intense lack of “give a shit” by out nations’ representatives. They could give two hoots about the 800,000 plus members of the federal government who are either working with out pay, or just plain old not working.
I do not work for the Federal Government directly, as such, I’m not furloughed. I have been laid off several times over the years, with my layoffs costing me anywhere between $10,000 to $50,000 dollars of lost income that I had to supplement using my savings/retirement accounts to keep out of arrears. I wasn’t always successful. My credit score (and one notorious creditor) still suffer as a result of my employment woes last year. The difference is this: as a private employee (in Virginia) I have no expectation of being retained if there is no work, it is a simple transaction: My time, their dime. Government workers on the other hand have elected to receive a smaller dime, in exchange for continuous employment (risk mitigation). That’s why it is so damned hard to fire a government employee.
You may not think this shutdown affects you (or me); but it does. Our national leaders look like a bunch of five year old’s on the play ground fighting over a ball. Visitors to this great land, let alone our own citizens, who spend a great deal of their hard earned income to visit the nations capital, cannot visit the jewel of the area: the Smithsonian museums. Our national parks, all across this great land; which are for, and paid for, by the citizens of this great land, are inaccessible. Have you tried to fly anywhere? TSA employees are calling out sick in greater percentages than ever, even though they are required to work. You know what; I don’t blame them!
I am embarrassed by my government officials. Each of you should be fired!!!
I’ll get off my soapbox.
Charles Rucker
Dans Digital Dive needs to continue. Frustration exists and an explanation of the current events or other recent topics discussed gives us, the reader, an opportunity to agree or disagree on this special format of yours.
Our Federal Leadership, all 435 members of Congress should also be without pay; and as you wrote, 80,000 other Federal employees are without pay due to the lack of any concern of our 435 Congressional lackeys.
Good expression.