Congress — often with the help of the White House — has made government shutdowns a kind of art form. Ugly, to be sure, but out there for all to see. But other than the general public (as tourists, taxpayers and clients) and shut-down, shut-in federal workers, who are the real losers? How about millions of federal contractors for starters!

Standard Operating Procedure during any shutdown is for partisans (who created the problem) to first convince the media, then the public, that the other side is to blame. For everything.

During a shutdown or furlough, the media focuses on clips and sound bites of people being turned away from national parks around the country. They also feature tourist magnets like the White House, Washington Monument and Smithsonian museums here in D.C. Government workers, in some cases, get sympathy because they are forced to stay home. Even though during the last shutdown feds got paid for their enforced idleness.

The real, and unseen losers, in many cases, are federal contractors. That’s a lot of people. In some agencies, contractors outnumber civil servants 6 to 1.

Although often reviled by many career civil servants, not all contractors are money-grubbing louts living off Uncle Sam’s political largesse. Many are themselves former federal or military personnel. Many are dedicated to the mission and, often, are critical to its success or failure.

Unlike locked out federal workers, contractors who are furloughed don’t get paid. During the furloughs last year, some feds lost 20 percent of their salary for brief periods. So did contractors. During the last shutdown Congress voted to pay civil servants anyhow. But contractors who missed the same amount of time lost up to two weeks of pay in some cases. Some also lost their jobs.

Although the Washington area weathered the recession better than most places, Maryland and especially Virginia, have taken some financial shots. Lots of contractors have been laid off, in part because of the White House-designed sequestration package, partly because of reduced defense program and partly because companies had to downsize to make up for financial losses during the furloughs and shutdowns.

The politicians who caused both — including the most recent last minute scare — make a lot more money than most feds. And they are immune from furloughs and shutdowns since somebody has to keep the lights burning. And who better to solve the problem than the people who created it?

Meantime, have a nice fiscal year!

NEARLY USELESS FACTOID:

Both original member of the Three Stooges Larry Fine and later Stooge Curly-Joe DeRita were born in Philadelphia.

Source: Hidden City Philadelphia

By Michael O’Connell

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