Sunday, October 6, 2013

Are we just stupid? Gullible? Not because of what we're doing, but because of what we're not doing.

This government shutdown, caused by those evil republicans and a few evil democrats in the US House of Representative, has certainly rankled POTUS and the US Senate majority,

The House Members, to cut to the chase, voted to fund everything requested save for Obama Care. They wanted to postpone it's implementation for a year. The US Senate voted against that proposal, saying they would rather see the entire government shut down than to continue operating normally while both houses worked to make sure that the Affordable Care plan would actually work. A growing number of citizens, a majority by most polls, showed that Americans oppose the forced health care mandate.

The president went on record stating he would oppose the House plan, even if the Senate approved it. The democrats in the Senate didn't want to irritate the president. That's why they would not agree with the People's Congress.

Ok, so it now stands that all non-essential federal employees are furloughed. That means they aren't working, that the work they do is not necessary. And, they're not getting paid. That's got to be tough for the workers. No paycheck. And, unless they have been saving for a rainy day, it could get pretty rough.

Of course, that's pretty much the same challenge that every non-federal worker faces when non-federal companies lay people off, or shut their doors.

But, Congress has voted to pay all of those furloughed federal employees their lost pay once the shutdown is over. What? Let me get this straight. Furloughed employees, those deemed non-essential, are not working, but will get paid anyway. It will be a little late coming, but they WILL get paid. Meantime, they're not working, and non-essential services have been stopped.

How does that make other federal workers feel? Those who's jobs are essential, the guys who are working, getting paid for the work they're doing. I think, given a choice, that I would rather get paid, even if it's a little late coming, and not work. Great opportunity to go fishing, catch up on household chores, read a little, or just nap.

Is there something wrong with our legislators? How does any of this make sense?

Please don't get me wrong, and let me be perfectly clear.

  • I totally support the effort to defund Obamacare.
  • I don't understand why the Republicans in the House are being blamed for the shutdown, when they voted to pass the budget, but excluded funds for Obamacare.
  • I blame the Senate and president who said they would rather shut down the entire government than defund Obamacare.
  • I feel bad for the furloughed federal workers. Unfortunately, as it is in private business, those things can happen. There is no lifetime security in any job any longer.
  • I feel awful for the citizens in this nation who enjoy fishing along the Outer Banks because the National Park accesses have been closed. I resent the fact that the president and his henchmen have picked areas to close that will impact the pleasures of so many Americans. What a disgusting way to make a point. At our expense.
  • I believe that if the House and Senate cannot come to a resolution, then the legislators should be furloughed. Apparently, federal law requires that our legislators get paid. Why don't they vote to change that law?
  • I believe that Air Force One, the president's helicopter service (HMX-1), presidential vacations, and other POTUS perks should be defunded. The number of secret service agents could be reduced during the furlough, because the president won't be needing as much security if he stays in lockdown.
  • I think that furloughed government employees should be eligible for unemployment benefits, just like any other employee who loses his job because of short term shutdowns, plant closings, and the like.
  • I think that enough is enough, and that if our elected leaders can't do the jobs we hired them to do, then they should be replaced. And, we should not have to wait for the next election. If, in the real world, an employee fails to show up for work, then the employer declares that the employee has abandoned his job, and he moves on with a replacement. I think that our leaders have abandoned their jobs due to a lack of RESULTS. It's time for us to move on.