BS: The real US Government shutdown

Subject: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 08:36 AM

Its no coincidence the Courts and FBI are hit hard for not being paid during the Trump shut down.
The worst hit employees are those contract gov. workers. Reagan talked about using private workers for gov but it wasn't until W Bush that most low pay positions went to the private contract sector.


Contract workers will NOT be reimbursed.


The legend of job security in public service is now entirely gone.
Local news is 25% devoted to helping furloughed gov workers where to get food. In Europe I would expect a general strike but Americans are kind of blind sided by this epic shutdown and are actually trying to spend their money to go to work.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 09:07 AM

Evictions begin this month. For employees who are budgeting for cancer treatments or eviction, face a difficult choice.

The stand off on funding a silly wall if won by Trump means that gov shut downs will be business as usual for dictators to take over funding duties that used to be the domain of Congress.

It costs a billion dollars a week for this symbolic throwing of paper towels by the President at the fake border emergency. imo

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 09:19 AM

MLK at Berlin Wall:
"For here on either side of the wall are God's children and no man made barrier can obliterate that fact."

Meanwhile Pence is making Trump-MLK friendly comparisons.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 10:08 AM

I asked a current federal employee about those contractors. He seems to think that contractors will get paid - precisely because they have a contract that the federal government is obligated to pay. I'll report back what I hear once this Trump dog and pony show ends.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 10:22 AM

They are not paid to not work. Of course Congress could change the law. Part of my wife's job is to hire private contractors for software and data matters as well as plan for all shutdowns.

Reimbursements are available to most furloughed government workers by law.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 11:17 AM

The Coast Guard is in charge of interdiction, saving lives of the fishing fleet and more. They are currently on unpaid volunteer status which the Coast Guard Admiral says is disgraceful.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 11:39 AM

CNN ongoing shutdown site and Supreme Court news
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/government-shutdown-january-2019/index.html

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 11:45 AM

When is the next paycheck due? Has/will the US government passed/pass legislation to ensure that unpaid workers cannot be pursued for unpaid bills, rent, mortgage payments, etc? Have arrangements been made for interest free credit lines at supermarkets, petrol stations, public transport etc?

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Jack Campin
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 12:12 PM

MLK at Berlin Wall:
"For here on either side of the wall are God's children and no man made barrier can obliterate that fact."

The US-Mexico border crossing has already killed 100 times as many people as the Berlin Wall ever did.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Neil D
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 12:30 PM

Trump thinks history will remember this shutdown as the president making a noble stand in defense of the nation's border. History will actually remember that a president increasingly embattled by investigations into his alleged criminal activity and having just lost his party's sole control of congress, went into a snit and shut down the government out of spite. What it really is is testing the waters to see if it will be possible to do an end run around the balance of powers. If successful it wil be as Donuel said "shut downs will be business as usual for dictators to take over funding duties that used to be the domain of Congress."

I've heard people say "why not just buy the baby a toy so he'll quit throwing his mashed peas at the dog?" Oops, sorry, wrong quote. What I have heard people ask is "Why not just give him the 5 billion so he'll let government get back to work?" After all, it's costing the government nearly as much every day it is shut down. Well, just read the previous paragraph. That is why The House should not, must not and hopefully will not give him the money, and victory. Any film noir fan knows what happens if you pay off the blackmailer, he just comes back for more, over and over again. This country has long had a policy of not negotiating with terrorists, at least back to when Jefferson dealt with the Barabary pirates, and that should be The House policy now, towards the one sitting in the White House.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 12:39 PM

How can he have got this far and not been arrested for treason...???

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 04:29 PM

SPB, the Eagle shits on Fridays-old saying but true.
There are private endeavors to help workers but government help is not possible because of the gov shutdown. A real Federal catch 22.

Jim you know more than I ever will.

Neil you could write for John Oliver.lol

pfr, because we are not at war.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 05:49 PM

The catch 22 comment is only loosely true. Mitch McConnell has and can put a CR on the floor for a vote to open gov. but hasn't.

For every bit of help like one gas station willing to give free gas for shutdown victims there are more scammers preying on workers.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Jan 19 - 07:58 PM

The fate of government contractors and concessionaires, varies. My friend from the IRS says there's a woman who runs a food concession in his now-empty building. She has no income during the shutdown.
When I was a government investigator, my agency was reimbursed by a revolving fund, so we usually worked. Same thing after my job was privatized and I became a contractor.
So, it isn't universal. Some people suffer, and some don't.
That may be worse, because of the random unfairness of it all.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 23 Jan 19 - 10:22 AM

I suggest you watch the latest Rachel Maddow Show and see what has happened to the FBI.
We cannot address crime but we can respond to an outbreak.
It stands to reason there is not total universality in a partial gov shutdown.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jan 19 - 10:29 AM

Last night on NPR a government employee with a divorce settlement in which child support is awarded from each paycheck said he is now in arrears, and that once in arrears in that court system it is a horrible mess to untangle. That times many thousands of employees, people paying all of their usual monthly payments, paying co-pays, all of that is put on hold if the companies they owe will be gracious about it. If not, they're shit out of luck.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 23 Jan 19 - 10:54 AM

I have seen the local eviction letters on TV. Empathy has suffered a major setback back here recently and we are all shit out of luck for two years now. The Trump revenge upon civil servants who were never that fond of the Donald is not nearly complete. The revenge will continue.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Jan 19 - 10:56 AM

Why doesn’t shutting down your government involve shutting down Trump?

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 Jan 19 - 11:56 AM

How can he be allowed to wreak more havoc on the nation,
than any of the real or imagined foreign enemies...

I thought the USA didn't give in to terrorism...

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 24 Jan 19 - 10:47 AM

I think I would temporarily suspend my views on firearms to allow people under threat of eviction or foreclosure to defend themselves against enforcement bailiffs.

Subject: RE: BS: The real Gov. shutdown
From: John P
Date: 24 Jan 19 - 10:58 AM

I thought the USA didn't give in to terrorism...

The problem is that terrorist have control of the Senate. The bigger problem, of course, is the people who keep electing them. 40% of our country support terrorism, while screaming about terrorists from Mexico that don't exist.

Subject: RE: BS: The real US Government shutdown
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jan 19 - 11:08 AM

The mood around the country is increasingly grim as we watch the Orange Ego unable to extricate himself from the walled corner he has painted himself into.

Subject: RE: BS: The real US Government shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 24 Jan 19 - 11:22 AM

No matter how much damage accrues he says
"I will not cave"

mr trump the answer to a thousand walls is one tunnel that will not cave

Subject: RE: BS: The real US Government shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 25 Jan 19 - 06:12 AM

82% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.
This is something billionaires do not understand about the working class golden goose.


This shutdown is a teachable moment for billionaires and is sadly a good thing. It even shows all of America that gov workers have been cut to the bone and are in the same boat.

Subject: RE: BS: The real US Government shutdown
From: Mrrzy
Date: 27 Jan 19 - 10:50 AM

Who gets evicted for missing one rent payment?

Subject: RE: BS: The real US Government shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Jan 19 - 11:03 AM

The first letter is a warning, the second letter states a debt over 1,500 will cause eviction if not paid in full and the third is the boot.

Subject: RE: BS: The real US Government shutdown
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Jan 19 - 11:27 AM

Right. So no one has been evicted.

Subject: RE: BS: The real US Government shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 30 Jan 19 - 11:47 AM

Local news has followed people with special circumstances but have avoided people who were already behind.
Of the money lost from the shut down all but 2 billion will be recovered unless the second threatened shutdown occurs.

Unfortunately Putin favors a second shut down. :^/

Subject: RE: BS: The real US Government shutdown
From: Donuel
Date: 01 Feb 19 - 02:54 PM

"why not give him his toy?"


The POTUS and executive branch does not have the Constitutional right to control the 'power of the purse', only the Congress may approve spending and funds.


Only under extreme circumstances may the President spend taxpayer money as in a 'National Emergency'. We discussed the dictatorial aspect of declaring a National Emergency and how it can be misused.

Trump is about to unconstitutionally assume the separate powers of the Congress and create another constitutional crises that will end up in the Supreme Court, meanwhile he will be off to the races doing an end run round Congress.