It’s a fact that when Uncle Sam gets a cold, everybody in the Washington metro area sneezes. Everybody who works here, no matter what their job, depends on Uncle Sam’s payroll. That’s true whether they drive taxis, fix broken toilets, run a business or work for a think tank working to shrink government (while secretly hoping it fails). So what about your town?

While D.C. is the big enchilada, it is not the federal government. About 14 of every 100 federal workers lives in this area. That’s a lot. But it also means most feds are not here, but out there.

Oklahoma and West Virginia are homes to a variety of federal operations that pump lots of salary dollars — and tax revenue — into the states. They include the FAA, the Postal Service and IRS. Not to mention Tinker Air Force Base. The American Federation of Government Employees is probably the biggest union in Oklahoma and fed-rich North Carolina Maybe South Carolina too.. So what does that tell you? And politicians in those states?

Many relatively small communities — Ogden, Utah; Huntsville, Alabama;  and Fayetteville, North Carolina, for example — are built on federal bedrock. If you don’t work for the IRS, or the Air Force or the Interior Department in Ogden, many of your friends, neighbors and clients do.

Some small towns in a dozen localities would be ghost towns without the presence of an Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps installation. Or a federal prison. Or VA hospital. Or Social Security, IRS or Agriculture Department offices.

So while talk of a possible shutdown — a couple of weeks before Christmas — has resurfaced, the question is, seriously? Are politicians on both sides stupid and pig-headed enough (with apologies to prize porkers) to actually do it.

Earlier this week, we asked if the possibility of a shutdown was cramping people’s Christmas and holiday plans? Here are some answers:

“So, are you putting off or cutting back on Christmas shopping because shutdown fears? Putting off Christmas purchases until Dec 12th (unless we find great deals) and also postponing paying down on our mortgage so we can boost our emergency fund.

“I did purchase 10 pairs of shorts for my son last weekend for $3 each (90 percent off), size 8, 10 and 12. I am not what you call a big spender in our consumer driven economy. With our paychecks shrinking, we have to economize to build wealth and a retirement account. I am sure this does not help our economy but I am not willing to give up my retirement income to drive new cars and always chasing the Joneses.” Fragged In Ag

“We are not restricting our Christmas shopping this year because of the possible shutdown, although that is a consideration. No, we are restricting shopping because we have gotten such slight increases the past several years, if any increase, are no longer getting WIGIs, and we need to save our money for other reasons. Our home is getting older and to that stage where some major upgrades are needed. New Windows, soon a new roof and recently we had to upgrade the heating and cooling, all big ticket items. We have changed in the last year from a more expensive FEHB plan and now are changing Car and Home insurance carriers because they also got too high. Prices are going up, no matter what the CPI says and we see our savings going down, not up.

“Now we are both closing in on retirement. In fact we are both past retirement eligibility requirements and have delayed retiring in order to increase our pensions as we are afraid(sure) Congress will change the rules so we get less in retirement than what is presently offered. Both of us are working in places that are threatening to out-source our jobs and kick us out the door also.

“So you see the shutdown can play into less spending for Christmas, but is not the major factor.” Todd in Metro DC

        Read more: Mike Causey

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Michael O’Connell

Lexie Berry of Sac City, Iowa, exhibited the Grand Champion 4-H Market Hog at the 2015 Iowa State Fair. The hog sold for $48,000, which was a new record price.

Source: Iowa State Fair

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