“Government Shutdown” is quickly becoming the latest phrase that makes me want to gouge out my eardrums with a toothpick. And it’s only day four of what could become a several month long standoff between the Democrat and Republican party’s. Some people are already losing their minds over this crap.
The party’s can’t agree on a spending bill, so in the meantime they have to close national parks and tell government employees to no longer come to work. Unless you were one of the more fortunate ones and got furloughed…and by fortunate I mean screwed. They told their essential employees that they had to continue working even though they wouldn’t get immediately paid for it. In fact, there is a possibility that they may not get paid for their hours worked during the furlough.
Just today there was an announcement that a bill was introduced into congress called the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act that would be voted on over the weekend. Really?? These guys have to vote on this?? It’s a no brainer. Government employees NEED to get paid during the furlough.
Some folks spend $100 a week or more in gasoline just to be able to get to their jobs. If this shutdown continues for long, any money that was put back as savings will quickly be turned into carbon monoxide where it will float up into the sky and be gone forever. What happens then? How do the furloughed employees get to work? When they can’t make it and they are scheduled to be there, they are AWOL and disciplinary action can be taken. (Speaking primarily about the Federal Prison System)
Absolutely disgusting.
When things do get straightened out and the employees are getting their proper pay, if Obamacare passes, the financially struggling individuals will be forced to buy insurance with money that they don’t have, or face the wrath of the US Government by way of fines.
Here’s something else to think about. Obama said that he doesn’t oppose backpay to furloughed folks, but ” he has promised to veto bills helping veterans, cancer research, National Parks, and the District of Columbia.” WTH? Those are some interesting priorities you have there Mr. President.
In the 1995-96 government shutdowns, furloughed workers who missed a total of 27 days of work were given full back pay. I couldn’t find out if they received it all in one lump sum or not. If they did, I hope they didn’t tax the hell out of it like it was one massive overtime check.
I spewed all of that to say this. We as the American public need to take our country back. It’s no longer what the people want, it’s what the elected official wants. Screw the public. I know this won’t happen, hell, there probably won’t be anymore than two people that read this post, but I would like to see us all take a stand. I would like to see us all refuse to work. Private sector, public sector, government employee, non-government employee, every blue blooded American who cares for their country to stop working until the US Government gets their priorities straight.
Remember how powerful the UMWA was back in it’s day? It was only a tiny percentage of the population that stood together when they felt their fellow man was getting screwed.
Imagine how powerful we could be if WE ALL stood together as ONE NATION, UNDER GOD.
