preparations for federal gov't shutdown?

[TheOtherMe]

I called OPM today. Was on hold a long time, so I guess lots of people were doing the same thing. I asked if a shutdown happens and it goes on through the end of May, would we receive our pensions. The answer was yes, those already receiving pensions would still get paid but no new applications will be processed until this is over.

The last time this happened was in 1995. We always got paid for the time we were furloughed. In talked to friends who are retired and friends who are still working, we think in these economic times, that will not happen this time. Hope it's short for everybody's sake.

[Sum Dum Gai]

Yesterday at 3:39pm, Dark Honor wrote:
I'm one of 3 essential people out of our team of 30, so I'll be working.


But will you be getting paid through the shut down?

Got the answer today, and I will be getting paid through the shutdown if there is one. I'm not a government employee though, I'm a contractor on a government project. I work for a private company who will still be giving me a paycheck and billing my time to the agency that I'm currently contracted with.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

I work for the federal government without pay for six months every year. I plan to celebrate and watch the fun...(right after the Master's)

[robbase]

They all interview military wives who keep saying they have to live paycheck to paycheck. They have no other option. My DH is enlisted. We don't live paycheck to paycheck. It just pisses me off how these women go on and on about how they can barely afford to feed their 4 kids.

I can't believe the one military wife complaining that her husband was "just told that he wouldn't receive his next paycheck so they didn't have time to save money".

Trust me this is not just common among military people, MANY civilians (both "Normal" and "government") live paycheck to paycheck as well...just look at how UE had to be extended

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

A temporary government shutdown to avoid a permanent government collapse is something employees of the government should welcome. We don't have the money. Serious cuts will be made. Period.

[midwestlily]

Hearing from people who will be going without pay makes me realize that my situation isn't so bad, although the uncertainty is driving me nuts. I'm a state employee in a job funded by a government agency; we're waiting to find out whether or not we'll get another grant, and that won't be decided until the federal budget is finalized. If we do get the grant, I'll have a job for a couple more years; if not, I'll be looking for something else. I have plenty of savings, I'm not worried about getting by. It's just frustrating to be unable to make plans for the future. Not to mention having the apartment management breathing down my neck about signing a new lease, when I don't even know if I'll be living here in a few months.

[Deleted]

But don't worry folks....Members of Congress and President Obama checks will arrive right on time.

money.cnn.com/2011/04/08/news/economy/shutdown_congress_pay/index.htm

[Phoenix84]

Most people I’ve talked to say they don’t think they will give us back pay while we’re furloughed. I can understand the argument and the concern about the nation’s budget.

Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I think congress will give federal employee’s back pay. If nothing else I think congress will feel they owe it to their staff, and so back pay will be assigned. Also, I think there will be a lot of guilt and backpedaling by congress after the shutdown ends.

[zibazinski]

I'm wondering if the taxpayers will figure out how unnecessary a lot of these gov't jobs really are?

[Phoenix84]

"I'm wondering if the taxpayers will figure out how unnecessary a lot of these gov't jobs really are?"

The designation of "essential" and "non essential" doesn't mean that the jobs are unnecessary. It you were to liken it to a human body, you can still function without arms or legs, but that doesn't mean you're not crippled. The country will function but the various missions of the government won't be accomplished.

In the short term, it wouln't have a big effect on your average taxpayer. As time goes on, the costs pile up and more and more people would be affected.

[zibazinski]

I'd like to see Dept of Education and Bureau of Indian Affairs go bye-bye.

[Phoenix84]

"A temporary government shutdown to avoid a permanent government collapse is something employees of the government should welcome. We don't have the money. Serious cuts will be made. Period."

Yes, but it also costs a great deal of money to shut down the government. We might not end up saving very much.

money.cnn.com/2011/04/07/news/economy/government_shutdown_cost/index.htm

[Sum Dum Gai]

The designation of "essential" and "non essential" doesn't mean that the jobs are unnecessary. It you were to liken it to a human body, you can still function without arms or legs, but that doesn't mean you're not crippled. The country will function but the various missions of the government won't be accomplished.

Bingo. Most of the country has probably never heard of the agency I work for, but we do the background investigations and vetting to approve people for secret and top secret clearance. Last I heard all the active investigations will be put on hold during a shutdown and no new ones would be started. Not a super big deal, since you still have all the people who are already cleared. As they leave though, and people separate from the military everyday, there will be a growing backlog of people waiting to get a clearance so they can backfill for people. During a short shutdown of a week or two most people probably won't even notice. It'll be a few week long delay in a process that already takes a few months anyway. During a longer shutdown though it would cause some fairly serious issues.

Training an intelligence analyst or something does you no good if you can't get him cleared to see the material you want him to analyze. It screws with the DoD, federal law enforcement agencies like the CIA, FBI, ATF, and of course the legions of contractors we have working all throughout the government these days.

Now, one could make the case that security clearances are unnecessary. We could just trust every random schmo who says they're willing to do the job. We'd probably have leaks all over pretty quick, moles for drug cartels working for the FBI, foreign intelligence assets in military intelligence, people with the wrong psychological makeup in charge of hitting the big red button and ending the world if it's necessary. It would save money though.

[cronewitch]

We got notice if the government shuts down they will keep the locks open but short staffed so there will be delays getting through the locks. That can be expensive for the ship owners.

[Apple]

Well, looks like I'm going to work on Monday, and so are all you other "lazy, overpaid" federal workers.

[SVT]

I work for a Federal Agency within the Intelligence Community. The work I do is mission essential. I have to come in even on days designated as code red. Needless to say, even if the Government shutdown was going to happen, I'd be working.

[Apple]

I found out today that I had made the "essential" list without my temp boss "telling" me I was on the list. So, glad the bosses recognized what I do for the crew. However, because I'm in a better financial position than some coworkers (I'm a saver, many of them are not or have several kids and a SAHW) I told the boss to furlough me if he needed to. But I'm glad it's not happening, and super glad I'm one of the "essential" ones. Everyone else will be staying in the dark about and won't know if they made the list or not.

[zibazinski]

Well, I guess all those congress people didn't want to lose their paychecks after all, either. I wish they had to follow the same rules and the rest of us peons. Including lousy health care that they should have to pay for and the same retirement plans that we have to provide for ourselves.

[kadee79]

I just hope that this scare has shown some folks that they need an EF!
One that will hold them for awhile!!!!!!!!!

[TheOtherMe]

Apr 8, 2011 22:42:22 GMT -5 Apple said:

Well, looks like I'm going to work on Monday, and so are all you other "lazy, overpaid" federal workers.

Don't you really dislike that is what people think of federal, state and municipal employees. I worked very hard when I was a federal employee. Definitely gave them more than 40 hours per week.

[Apple]

Apr 9, 2011 12:39:18 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Apr 8, 2011 22:42:22 GMT -5 Apple said:

Well, looks like I'm going to work on Monday, and so are all you other "lazy, overpaid" federal workers.

Don't you really dislike that is what people think of federal, state and municipal employees. I worked very hard when I was a federal employee. Definitely gave them more than 40 hours per week.

Yeah. Just like anywhere you have the people who work their asses off all day and the lazy bums that just work the system. I can say I'm happy that I actually get a break where I can quit working (always had to jump up and away from my lunch if I had a customer in my old job). Sometimes I work through break to get a job done, sometimes I get a make-up break, sometimes not, but that's by choice. I could push the union angle if I wanted, but I don't do that.

[Apple]

Apr 9, 2011 11:44:43 GMT -5 kadee79 said:

I just hope that this scare has shown some folks that they need an EF!
One that will hold them for awhile!!!!!!!!!

Maybe it will scare a few, but many out there will still think they don't need it, that they'd "never allow a government shutdown". I've always been a saver so I wasn't too worried, but I'm glad I can stay on track with building/funding my house.

[TheOtherMe]

Apr 9, 2011 12:44:02 GMT -5 Apple said:

Apr 9, 2011 12:39:18 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Don't you really dislike that is what people think of federal, state and municipal employees. I worked very hard when I was a federal employee. Definitely gave them more than 40 hours per week.

Yeah. Just like anywhere you have the people who work their asses off all day and the lazy bums that just work the system. I can say I'm happy that I actually get a break where I can quit working (always had to jump up and away from my lunch if I had a customer in my old job). Sometimes I work through break to get a job done, sometimes I get a make-up break, sometimes not, but that's by choice. I could push the union angle if I wanted, but I don't do that.

I remember many an evening sitting at home when I was training employees evaluating their work. There wasn't time to do it during the 8 hour day, but it had to get done. Also spent many a Saturday on my own time during those training periods working on evaluations for trainees. They had a deadline and the one on one training they needed and I wanted to give took up my 40 hour work week.

I even worked that way in private industry. My parents had a strong work ethic and really taught it to me.

[raeoflyte]

Re: Government employees--I have definitely known hard working ones. My issue with 'them' is that it seems near impossible to get rid of the really lazy ones and I think that is where the stigma comes from.

One of our dearest friends is a state employee. He's a good guy and would do anything for us. But sometimes he doesn't feel like going to work. He was paid full pay without taking any vacation pay for 11 months (and only showed up maybe once a week?). The next year or so after that, he still only showed up on average of 1 or 2 days a week, but didn't get paid for his days off. FMLA gives you some protection, but he never would have lasted in the private sector. He has told us that it is near impossible to get fired. I can't imagine how anything gets done in that kind of atmosphere? I have a good work ethic, but even that would wear on me if I had to sit next to it.

He seems to be back on track now, and I cross my fingers that he stays that way.

My experience with unions has been similar. My sister didn't show up to her union job for 18 months before she was actually let go...

Again--I'm not saying that all government/union employees are lazy, but adding my perspective on why that attitude gets thrown around.

[Phoenix84]

"I'd like to see Dept of Education and Bureau of Indian Affairs go bye-bye."

I totally agree with you. The Bureau of Indian affairs is the first agency I'd cut. It's a total waste of money and just a form of welfare. I'm not sure why we're still paying out money because the white men feel guilty about things that happened over a hundred years ago.... I'm not sure why Native Americans can't "make it" in main stream society.

I also agree that education should be a state issue.

[zibazinski]

With their casinos and other perks, they are fine. Yes, some of them have dependecy issues thanks to substance abuse and generational welfare because of white man's guilt but that's another issue. Don't need a Bureau to take care of that.