What the government shut down will do

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The Top Nine Ways a Government Shutdown Affects Real Americans

1. 800,000 federal employees will go without pay -- and it's unclear if they'll receive back pay for time missed.

2. 3.6 million veterans may not receive benefits if the shutdown lasts over two weeks.

3. The Centers for Disease Control will have to stop its flu prevention program, just as flu season begins.

4. Food safety inspections will scale back their work, exposing millions to risk.

5. About nine million moms and pregnant women will no longer receive nutritional assistance from the Department of Agriculture's Women, Infants, and Children program.

6. The Small Business Administration will be unable to process new loans, potentially slowing new small business growth.

7. National parks and museums will close across the country, damaging our travel and tourism industries by millions for each day the government remains shut down. (Yes, that means the Statue of Liberty is closed for business...)

8. Head Start programs across the country will start closing, ending educational and health benefits for low-income children.

9. Disability benefits could be interrupted, leaving vulnerable Americans without the support they rely on.

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Type: Question • Score: 11 • Views: 2,340 • Replies: 32

[+3] - Ragman - 10/01/2013I've been advised today by a VA friend, VA operations will continue as normal ...just as they did in the 'shutdown' in 1996. I've got my appointments at local VA hospital as well.

@plainoldme,

Quote:

Dear 5 Boro Participant,

Thank you for registering for the REI 5 Boro Cleanup at Jamaica Bay Wild Life Refuge (Gateway Nat’l Recreation Center) in Queens this Saturday, October 5th.

Unfortunately, due to the government shutdown, which affects Gateway National Recreation Center, we will not be able to hold the 5 Boro Cleanup at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on October 5th.

We are doing everything we can at the moment to arrange a new location in Queens for this 5 Boro Cleanup. Please stay tuned, we will let you know by the end of the day tomorrow (10/2) what the revised plan is for the Cleanup on Oct. 5th.

Thank you for your commitment to this stewardship event.

I received this email this afternoon. So the shutdown kind of effecting my weekend plans.

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@tsarstepan,

Gee, I've got a VA appointment at the end of the month. I hope they're still there.

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@roger,

I've been advised today by a VA friend, VA operations will continue as normal ...just as they did in the 'shutdown' in 1996. I've got my appointments at local VA hospital as well.

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There was a 3.5 earthquake in Oklahoma today. Went to the USGS website to look at a shake and location map and got this message:

Due to a lapse in Federal funding, the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program has suspended most of its operations. While the USGS will continue to monitor and report on earthquake activity, the accuracy or timeliness of some earthquake information products, as well as the availability or functionality of some web pages, could be affected by our reduced level of operation.

Went to the NOAA site to get an estimated first freeze forecast for Albuquerque and got this message:

Due to the Federal government shutdown,
NOAA.gov and most associated web sites
are unavailable.

Only web sites necessary to protect lives
and property will be maintained.

See Weather.gov for critical weather
information or contact USA.gov for more
information about the shutdown.

These are on the doors of all federal wildfire fighter offices:

http://wildfiretoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Shut-down-notice.jpg

1 Reply

@plainoldme,

1. 800,000 federal employees will go without pay -- and it's unclear if they'll receive back pay for time missed.

In 1996 when there was a shut down - all these workers got back pay - they did not go to work (as in the current shut down), but yet they still got paid - basically a free holiday. I'm not worried about them - most of these tactics are to make us all panic rather than face the reality.

I do not know the details of most of the other items you list, however, I feel confident anything that is really needed such as medical care for VA will be provided - now granted we may need to close the national parks for a little while, but is anyone really going to suffer hugely by these parks being closed?

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@Linkat,

A Yank Big Wig was on Newsnight last night saying the heavy stuff comes up in 16 days.

I think he meant to say that the shutdown is like that phase in a prize fight when the boxers get into the ring, jig about a bit throwing shadow punches at the corner and being introduced prior to the bell for the first round.

He gave that impression to me. One of President Bush's senior aides I think they said.

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@roger,

roger wrote:

Gee, I've got a VA appointment at the end of the month. I hope they're still there.

I also have an appointment at the VA next week. Here's hoping that Ragman is correct in his VA assessment. ((fingers' crossed)

1 Reply

@Butrflynet,

They could have suspended earthquakes a long time ago, as far as I'm concerned.

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@tsarstepan,

I just received a va notice yesterday. If we're eligible for va medical, we are exempt from penalties under afordable care act. At least it begins to look more afordable - whether va is still there or not.

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@tsarstepan,

That it is

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http://www.buzzfeed.com/jerrysoda/the-government-shutdown-as-explained-by-a-lonely-astronaut

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Isn't this what the tea party wanted? Less govt.

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Why do the elected officials continue to be paid while the little people do not?

Oh, wait, the elected officials just voted to give them back the pay they missed.

So what is the point of this ?

1 Reply

@woiyo,

I have already explained wolyo. Viewers on the edge of their seats riddled with anxiety being pointed at the ads in a receptive state of mind.

1 Reply

@spendius,

"The medium is the message". Do you not remember when you majored in an 'ology?

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@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

I do not know the details of most of the other items you list, however, I feel confident anything that is really needed such as medical care for VA will be provided - now granted we may need to close the national parks for a little while, but is anyone really going to suffer hugely by these parks being closed?

It is costing the Hawaii tourism industry millions of dollars daily to have Volcanoes National Park closed. (1)Tourism is the number one economic activity in the state; and (2) the volcanoes are about the only reason that large masses of tourists visit the Big Island of Hawaii. For other activities most of them stay on the island of Oahu and frolic at Waikiki beach.

The way the local papers are handling the government shutdown story you'd think it's only the Park Service that got furloughed. The editors and readers aren't too concerned about anything else. The shutdown of National Parks is potentiallu huge in many states that rely on tourism.

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@Lustig Andrei,

That's one big plus Merry.

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Ohio Clock in the US Senate stops running after 196 years

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/capitols-famous-clock-falls-victim-shutdown

1 Reply

@oralloy,

One might expect that. A shutdown is like a hibernation. It is partial as a matter of course.

1 Reply

What the government shut down will do

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