CNN’s 10 Ways a Government Shutdown Would (Not) Affect You
CNN has an article about all the ways a government shutdown would affect you, the average American taxpayer. Wow, 10 ways! Already that sounds scary! Except when you read the article, many of them are about how citizens will not be affected.
Without quoting every bullet point, it appears mail will still be delivered; taxes will still be collected; passports will still be processed; soldiers will still defend the country; air traffic controllers will continue to keep the skies safe; food inspectors will continue to inspect your meat; and workers in other “critical services” will continue to work.
9. Holiday. Celebrate: Don’t come to work if you’re a federal employee. You’re on furlough. (Offer not valid for workers in “critical services,” such as air traffic controllers, hazardous waste handlers and food inspectors.)
Do take some time to celebrate. In previous shutdowns, everyone who stayed home was paid retroactively after peace returned to Washington.
Query why we want to have workers in “non critical” services, but there I go again. At least we’ll pay them all eventually for their vacation!
Not mentioned in the article, but also true: Social Security and Medicare payments would continue to be made as well.
I guess “10 ways a government shutdown would not affect your daily life” wasn’t the title they wanted to go with . . .
I wonder if obamacare would have been passed if there was a threat to the social security checks
EPWJ (016f5f) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:08 amThe saddest part, Patterico? I can promise you many people will read the title and not the article…but walk away with a strong opinion on how much a shutdown will hurt Americans.
Simon Jester (da358a) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:14 amSequester II … but less important.
Rodney King's Spirit (5afc40) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:21 amI’m concerned about the food stamps if the food stamps go away we lose all the multiplier effects
happyfeet (8ce051) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:27 amThe New York newspapers (at least the New York Post and the Daily News) seem to have alittle bit more about Obamacare (the exchanges) than the government shutdown, but there is lots of otehr things in them.
I think all 3 major New York newspapers have run editorials in the past few days endorsing Daniel Squadron over Letitia James.
The main effect would be I guess, some parks and museums closed to the public, and people being unable to file new Social Security claims. NASA will be almost completely shut down. I saw something but can’t find it.
Sammy Finkelman (514375) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:33 amComment by Simon Jester (da358a) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:14 am
I can promise you many people will read the title and not the article…but walk away with a strong opinion on how much a shutdown will hurt Americans.
Pople like that, probably don’t vote, and in any case they’ll know if they were affected or not.
Sammy Finkelman (514375) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:34 am#4 Ah yes, the money multiplier theory in effect.
Ah, those halcyon days filled with economics at the U.
The politicians never remember the effect is only temporal until expectations adjust, then it is inflationary.
Which is why our Government always does inflation with food and energy …. because so few of us actually use any of the above.
Yet they deflate by claiming comparable Computers today are like $1 versus $1,000,000 30 years ago.
But you can’t eat a Computer, (they are working on that too).
Rodney King's Spirit (5afc40) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:34 am#6 Sammy, Obama has tons of supporters who can’t read beyond 140 characters. WTF are you talking about they don’t vote?
Rodney King's Spirit (5afc40) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:35 amNBC:
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/29/20745618-a-government-shutdown-what-could-it-look-like
Sammy Finkelman (514375) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:37 amThey don’t rely on what they read in the news to tell them whom to vote for. There are voters, but it is not because of this.
I should have said, any person who just relies on this headline, is not going to have permanent thoughts about this.
Sammy Finkelman (514375) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:50 amI hadn’t seen the endorsements, Sammy. I voted for Squadron in the first round so I’m predisposed to voting for him in the runoff … but, still, can you summarize their arguments for me?
aphrael (f55c78) — 9/30/2013 @ 8:56 amLooks like Dog’s gonna bark, howl and carry on.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-30/john-boehners-secret-signal-that-a-shutdown-is-imminent
gary gulrud (dd7d4e) — 9/30/2013 @ 9:06 am11. Sorry, it was the Wall Street Journal that endorsd him this weekend, not the New York Times:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303342104579101351724637532.html
Here are the otehrs (both today)
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/shut-open-case-article-1.1470170
http://nypost.com/2013/09/29/the-post-endorses-daniel-squadron-for-public-advocate/
The New York Times endorsed him earlier, way back on August 24, before the first primary, but they apparently did not re-endorse him:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/opinion/new-york-city-election-choices.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/10/opinion/new-york-city-primary-choices.html
The New York Times had some factual articles recently.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/nyregion/high-cost-runoff-for-public-advocates-post-prompts-calls-for-reform.html?_r=0
It places the cost of the runoff at $13 million, not $20 million as the New York Post earlier had.
Sammy Finkelman (514375) — 9/30/2013 @ 9:18 amThe government shutdown would affect people, but only in an “unbelievably small” way.
Elephant Stone (6a6f37) — 9/30/2013 @ 9:29 ami love it when they shut it down
happyfeet (c60db2) — 9/30/2013 @ 9:30 amFood stamps are the high water mark of civilization. Kind of like free health care. No doctors, but the services the doctors who don’t exist to provide are free!
In Africa they don’t have food stamps. So nobody can eat without growing their own food. Heathens!
By some measurements they have achieved equality with us. They, too, can’t drive their SUVs or air condition their homes to 72 degrees year round and if you build a coal-fired electric plant it’ll bankrupt you.
But still they haven’t achieved the same economic success that allows us to afford stupid.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 9:51 amThe time the gub’mint shut down in 90s I was still in the Nav. Which isn’t to brag about anything; getting a gub’mint check is nothing to brag about.
Point is I was getting a gub’mint check and I didn’t think the shutdown was a big deal. Some operations, if I recall correctly, were effected. But the whole thing was enormously forgettable. Had it disrupted my life I would remember, but it didn’t so I don’t.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 9:59 amBUILD THAT DANGED SHUTDOWN!
nk (dbc370) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:02 amThe problem is that we can no longer afford the governmental waste of stupid.
Why is the House and Senate doing a continuing resolution? Isn’t the Senate by law supposed to create a budget every year? If we had an actual budget then we wouldn’t need a continuing resolution. When was the last time the Senate passed a budget?
If the government shuts down, I say it’s the Democrat controlled Senate that is responsible because they haven’t done their job.
Tanny O'Haley (ffc3bf) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:04 amI want to know if they’ll still offer mind-cleaning services, cuz I want my mind clean and pink and full of love for Big Bro before I take the bullet to the back of my head.
Colonel Haiku (8e79c6) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:05 amI do remember the time the dollar dropped from 120 yen to one to 85 yen to one. And fewer people could afford to go off base. So the DoD in it’s infinite wisdom figured that if nobody was spending their money out in the Japanese economy, they could cut our COLA.
The way it worked was if the dollar was strong and you could buy lots of yen with it you didn’t need a large Cost Of Living Allowance. On the other hand, if the dollar was weak and you couldn’t afford to buy yen, well then since you weren’t buying yen you didn’t even need a Cost Of Living Allowance. There was never a bad time for the gub’mint to cut your COLA.
That I remember in detail. The gub’mint shutdown not so much. I enjoyed it, actually, because the people who worked full time on ways to cut my COLA weren’t considered essential personnel.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:07 amObamatons don’t know that. Unlike my other comments on this thread this morning I’m entirely serious about that.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:09 amIf the government shuts down, does that mean there won’t be any White House tours ?
Elephant Stone (6a6f37) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:20 amMaybe Obama won’t go on any $100,000,000.00 tours of Africa or play golf.
Tanny O'Haley (ffc3bf) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:29 amI know you’re kidding. Despite the “draconian” nature of the sequester Tiger Beat found 300 mil to waste on Detroit.
He’ll put every plane in the Air Force into the boneyard at Davis Montham and every ship in the Navy into the mothball fleet at Suisun Bay before he cuts a dollar from his vacation/travel budget.
I have no idea where the Army sends old armor to die, else I would have mentioned it.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:46 am*30. Maybe…*
What the hell was my optical mouse thinking?
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:47 amTo the Marines.
Pons Asinorum (8ce71a) — 9/30/2013 @ 10:58 amI thought it was maybe the Philippines. That’s who have our hand-me-down M1s and M14s. But I wasn’t sure.
Not like I kick a hand-me-down M14 out of bed.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 11:05 am*Not like I would kick …*
This highlight and delete crap my laptop’s optical mouse is pulling on me has got to stop.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 11:07 amNow, me, if I don’t work I don’t get paid. I guess that just makes me and all the other taxpayers schmucks.
Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 9/30/2013 @ 11:26 amIs the Vice President a critical employee? Why? Can’t he check the morning’s obits on his own time?
Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 9/30/2013 @ 11:30 amCan we vote to shut down Obama’s mouth ?
Elephant Stone (6a6f37) — 9/30/2013 @ 11:34 amTelling Navy yard shooters to buy shotguns as well as other people to casually discharge them through closed doors or off their balconies in the general direction of shcools, neighbors, and roads is a “must fill” billet.
Prosecutors need to eat, too, you know.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 11:40 amThat’s what I meant to copy and paste. I can’t blame this on my optical mouse, which is really out to get me.
I just killed the koala. I have no excuses.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 11:42 amCan we vote to shut down Obama’s mouth ?
Comment by Elephant Stone (6a6f37) — 9/30/2013 @ 11:34 am
— Only if the TOTUS is a victim of the shutdown.
Icy (5ef62d) — 9/30/2013 @ 11:56 amDo you have an optical mouse or a wireless optical mouse? Plain optical is OK.
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 9/30/2013 @ 12:16 pmWell, we’d lose Pandacam. That would be a TRAGEDY.
Matt S. (232347) — 9/30/2013 @ 12:25 pm5. 11. My reply keeps on disappearing. I only see when I am NOT logged in.
anyway the the link to the Daily News editorial is alink toi an editorial about closing schools (Letitia james and also zDiBlasio have adopted this slogan fix schools don’t close them.
The Newe York Daily News editorial reendorsing Dan Sqaudron is at:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/squadron-advocate-article-1.1470168
As I said, it was the Wall Street Journal, not the New York Times, that endorsed Daniel Squadron this weekend. The New York times endorsed him, way back on August 24, but it didn’t run a re-endorsement. It also ran some plain stories aboput the election. One of them gioves the cost of the runoff as $13 million (not $20 million as the Post had it some tiome ago)
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 9/30/2013 @ 12:31 pmNow number 13 is back again.
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 9/30/2013 @ 12:32 pmIf you read the Daily News editorial on the Publioc Advocate’s runoff race there is a small mention that Letitia James released only one year’s worth of tax returns. That’s actually a much bigger issue and the Daily News had an separate editorial about it the other day. They didn’t say any more now because they are not sure what her income tax return means.
She had declined for a long time to release her income tax returns, and finally after the last debate she releaseed her 2012 return. A reporter or editor for the Daily News found something very interesting there..
You see, the members of the New York City Council -and this is also true for the state legislature -can collect extra salary for holding various kinds of leadership or chair positions. These are actually assigned by the speaker and may amount to no show jobs. This is one of the ways the Speaker (both places) keeps control.
(Nothing like this exists at the federal level)
So, back in 2010 the Daily news asked members of the City Council what their position was on these lulus (they are called “lulus” because they are “in lieu of” expenses, or at least originally were. They are taxed as salary – I don’t know if they always were.)
They wanted them to say either they wouldn’t take them, or they would doinate their value to charity.
Letitia James was a put on the Daily News honor roll, or whatever they called it because she signed on. And they reprinted and updated the (updated) list from time to time.
Now they get her 2012 return and lo and behold, she declares income from a lulu – and there’s no charitable tax deduction on that scale!! $10,000 we’re talking about.
Which means, either she did this only one year – that is she stopped, or she donated it to something that is not tax deductible, or she did not take a large tax deduction she was entitled to.
Or she lied.
Now they want to see her 2010 and 2011 tax returns to see if she did it at first but stopped or simply didn’t follow through.
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 9/30/2013 @ 12:43 pmHere’s the editiorial about leLetitia james’ tax lulu:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/james-tax-lulu-article-1.1468904 In part:
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 9/30/2013 @ 12:47 pmSammy,
What does the New York Public Advocate race have to do with the government shutdown?
Tanny O'Haley (ffc3bf) — 9/30/2013 @ 12:52 pm41. Comment by Tanny O’Haley (ffc3bf) — 9/30/2013 @ 12:52 pm
Sammy,
What does the New York Public Advocate race have to do with the government shutdown?
It’s something the newspapers were writing about today.
I said (#5) that the New York city newspapers seem to have a little bit more about Obamacare (the exchanges) than the government shutdown, but there is lots of other things in them, and 3 papers had run editorials about this race (I thought one was the New York Times, but it actually the Wall Street Journal)
Then I got a question. (#11)
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 9/30/2013 @ 1:23 pmMorning Jolt from National Review had a list of bad effects of the shitdown.
These are apparently the worst things they could think of:
Because here are some of the things that happen in a government shutdown:
•Death benefits to military families won’t get mailed out.
•About 1.4 million active-duty military personnel remain on the job but won’t get paid until a new deal is signed into law — or unless the Senate passes and the president signs a separate military pay bill the House passed 423-0. Active National Guard units also must continue to work. About half the Pentagon’s civilian workforce (roughly 400,000 workers) are furloughed — temporary unpaid leave until further notice.
•All Smithsonian Museums and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo close to the public. All National Parks close.
•Most workers at the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs are furloughed as “nonessential” and won’t be around to process visa and passport applications. If you don’t have a passport, you won’t be getting a passport.
•Regarding illegal immigration, “Citizens and U.S. businesses will not be able to access E-Verify.
•No official has discussed how a shutdown would impact the intelligence community, but they are impacted, and back in 2011 there was some general discussion: (they would furloughh some people.
Workers assigned to cases examining long-term threats, or broad strategic problems, might face involuntary furloughs, while officials assigned to track down urgent threats would stay on the job.)
If you’re applying to get Social Security benefits, you’re in trouble, because the workers won’t be there to process the request.
The U.S. Postal Service will be unaffected. The shutdown will interrupt IRS audits.
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 9/30/2013 @ 1:26 pmObviously, there is a lot of difference if this goes on for a day (it’s equal then to the 4th of July or Christmas) or a week, or a month.
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 9/30/2013 @ 1:28 pmI am listening to the POTUS on C-span. He, of course mentions “reproductive services”. Oh, no! Children will be born!
Sigh, why does it have to be this way?
felipe (6100bc) — 9/30/2013 @ 2:11 pmThe prez takes zero questions – whataguy
felipe (6100bc) — 9/30/2013 @ 2:13 pmfelipe, I noted the same thing here.
https://patterico.com/2013/09/27/senator-obama-calls-president-obama-a-failed-leader/comment-page-9/#comment-1306557
I don’t think you and I will be the only ones.
Steve57 (52f0df) — 9/30/2013 @ 2:16 pmBecause there’s a lot of services we’ve collected decided we want government to provide. But you know that of course.
Tlaloc (d061fc) — 9/30/2013 @ 2:44 pmTlalalala hearts non-essential government services.
JD (b4bff3) — 9/30/2013 @ 2:45 pmwell, yes. I appreciate a lot of government services. Why shouldn’t I?
Tlaloc (d061fc) — 9/30/2013 @ 2:55 pmTanny, at 41: to be fair, i’m responsible for the thread drift, in that Sammy was answering a question from me.
aphrael (f55c78) — 9/30/2013 @ 2:56 pmWow, mail delivery.
askeptic (b8ab92) — 9/30/2013 @ 3:33 pmSince it doesn’t seem to arrive until after 6pm half the time, how would I notice if it was delayed?
askeptic, I sent a certified mail with return receipt letter to an address that was 2 1/4 miles from my office. The return receipt arrived at my office six weeks after the actual delivery.
That was without a “shutdown”.
SPQR (768505) — 9/30/2013 @ 4:08 pmI never buy “return receipt” any longer.
askeptic (b8ab92) — 9/30/2013 @ 4:21 pmIf I want to confirm something, I always send it by Priority Mail, and then just log on to USPS.com and check the tracking #, and “Print”.
51. Comment by askeptic (b8ab92) — 9/30/2013 @ 3:33 pm
mail delivery.
Since it doesn’t seem to arrive until after 6pm half the time, how would I notice if it was delayed?
If you got no mail at all one day. Although that can sometimes happen for loggostical reasons. (something went wrong)
Sammy Finkelman (c8f489) — 9/30/2013 @ 6:06 pmIt wasn”t on the radio last night but today in the newspaper I saw that….
Letitia James had gotten about 60% of the vote!
I was hoping Sqaudroon could win. After all, she’d gotten just about 36% in the first primary.But she had an organization working for her, and in more of the cuity than not, she’d be a reflexive choice.
I was surprised at the turnout here. In my election district the result was 29-9 in favor of Squadron. There were some pro-Squadron votes probably. But only his family background gave anyone a reason to vote for him. Letitia James in her literature maybe gave people a few reasons to vote fro Squadron
I just got this:
We made history. A second time. Wed, Oct 2, 2013 at 7:14 PM
(from) Tish James
…..
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 10/2/2013 @ 4:31 pmI’m on a lot of mailing lists – well maybe not that many.
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 10/2/2013 @ 4:32 pm