If Washington-based politicians are stupid/cruel enough to cause or allow a government shutdown just days before Christmas, there will be lots more losers than winners.

If the 2017 fiasco follows the pattern of ghosts of shutdowns past, hundreds of thousands of workers will be sent home yet get paid. But scores of communities whose economies are based on government or military operations will take a big hit at a critical time of year. Friday’s column talked about the ripple effect of a shutdown and asked feds what it would mean to them. Here’s what we got:

“I read your article about a possible shutdown. As you are most likely aware there are a lot of misconceptions of what a federal employee receives and does not receive while employed within the U.S. government umbrella. I have been a U.S. government employee since Jan. 14, 1987. Prior to this date I was in the U.S. Army with an enlistment date or Jan. 17, 1982. I am currently still an active federal employee working full-time every day serving my country. I would like to say that no matter what the political environment is at the present time the majority of us are not here for any of that. We do not make policy, we just enforce what the politicians enact into law. I have worked through the years with so many dedicated and unselfish hardworking people who try very hard to make a difference every day for the people of this country. I too am one of the many who work very hard to make a difference and sacrifice so much including family to have a belief that we are all doing this for a purpose.

“There are a lot of federal employees who believe in what we are doing is making a difference but this is getting more and more difficult with the political machine tearing apart federal compensation and benefits for years. We all have made so many sacrifices throughout our careers financially to continue what we all believe is worth fighting for which is freedom and justice.

“In your article today, you wrote about the furlough and what possible damage could it cause to all of us. For some reason, mainstream USA do not feel for whatever reason that hardworking federal employees are not human beings with families and responsibilities. Federal employees are bound to maintain public trust and keep your financial matters in check so that you can maintain certain levels of security clearances. When these furloughs occur, there is such a burden placed on all of us when we are furloughed that we all have to continue to pay mortgages, car payments, education, etc. None of this stops because of the political climate. As you are aware and you briefly mention it in your article, members of Congress are keepers of the U.S. Constitution and not federal employees. Anytime a furlough is enacted, the members of Congress continue to receive their pay unless they elect individually or as a collective body not to receive their pay. Many federal employees, including myself, have experienced several furloughs through our careers. We all have to begin the process of rearranging finances and use what we have in savings (if any) to pay for your obligations.

“Federal employees make sacrifices like so many American citizens make every day to care for their families. There is a huge disconnect with the public that there is a belief that federal employees are handed free benefits and are paid so well that we live on easy street. I can tell you as I write this that this is so far from the truth. Yes, there is an group of employees that do make a good salary, but there is also a large group that does not.

“I signed onto federal employment not to become rich but to serve the people and have a job I could be proud of to myself and to my family. I, like many, have served our country proudly and have made sacrifices in the hope that the preservation of the Constitution lives on.

“I have worked and continue to work with a group of people who continue to protect life and limb and make sacrifices every day unselfishly with the risk of never coming home again. The American citizen needs to know that there are many of us serving our country proudly daily and not asking for anything in return. We do this because we love what we do, not because of any other reason. There is nothing we can do if a furlough is enacted, but we will have to work regardless of being paid. Many federal employees make these sacrifices year after year, with pay or without pay does not matter to us.

“The American people need to know that many of us do not live on easy street, as we, like the public, pay for health insurance, taxes, Medicare, SSI, etc. None of this is free to any of us. Why the American public thinks that federal employees receive benefits for free is beyond most of us.

“Furloughs change a lot of financial structure for most federal employees and sacrifice economically until the disputes between parties are agreed upon. The American people sacrifice as well when their benefits are stopped and their money is no longer coming in monthly. Any furlough is never good for the hardworking American of the U.S.

“Teddy Roosevelt once said: ‘Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.'” —Dedicated Servant of the People,

“When federal employees are facing the uncertainty of a potential shutdown at year end, I expect it can have a significant negative impact on contributions to charity via the Combined Federal Campaign.

“Aside from shutdown, there are huge inefficiencies introduced into operations from continuing resolutions. When funding occurs two weeks at a time, all of the processing for financial activities gets doubled — invoices, receipt and acceptance, transaction processing — and none of this extra effort adds any value.” — Geoffrey A Rhine (Geoff)

        Read more: Federal Report

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Michael O’Connell

Dennis the Menace actor Jay North released two albums featuring his singing and spoken word tracks.

Source: MeTV

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