Hello fellow forum members,

Happy 2018! Too bad Congress gets to play Chicken with federal budget, and my budget along with my federal coworkers. In addition to the personal budget woes, which my family will weather better than most, I hate to be lumped into a category of “government employee” along with our Congressman and Congresswomen. My pay and rating is production based. I don’t get to blame the other party’s political stubbornness.
Please get the job done, do not wait until the eleventh hour. Shutdowns are not nessary.

Just my “two cents”, as my opinion.

astraightshooter...

I feel for your short-term woes, but haven't all of the government employees who have been caught up in previous shutdowns received all of their back pay after it was over, as in they got a paid vacation?

Frankly, I would not mind the government "shutting down" for a month or 2 with no back pay.

This is not a personal assault on you, but us here in the real world deal with layoffs, downsizing, baseless terminations, etc. every day (at least the risk is there for most of us every day).

When people in the real world have to deal with this, they deal with it (get a new job, tighten the belt, use the unemployement benefits we all pay into, etc.).

Again, best of luck if you are caught up in this, but I won't loose any sleep over it.

Regards,

Wifey is a FedGov civilian employee for the Army. She didn’t appreciate being called a “non-essential employee”, as she takes her job seriously.

I am a civilian working for the Coast Guard as a military pay tech.

It sadden's me so many never work in the private sector. What a shame.

I would venture to say that close to 50% of the SF memberhip are employed in government at some level. Waaaaaaaaaay to many.

Sorry to hear about the OP's personal situation, but I also wouldn't mind seeing the govt shutdown for a couple of months just to see what is really required to operate this country.

I envision, instead of 16 road workers watching while one guy digs a hole, one guy digging a hole. There is too much bureaucracy in this bureaucracy.

Interesting enough, I heard that members of congress and the senate's paychecks are not delayed like other federal employees.

I'm sure it's tough on some employees living paycheck to paycheck. But with the budget being held hostage by the Senate every other year it's pretty common so you should prepare

I see these shutdowns as total ‘theatre’, no real $$ gets saved, seems to end up as a paid vacation for whoever is off a few days.

I’ve seen a good number of learn years in the private sector looking back. I don’t recall much sympathy from Obummer towards the coal industry he would rather bankrupt.

I’m ready either way.

Retired Fed here. Been in every shutdown except the last one. Non-essential so got to stay home and always got paid later.

There should be real and permanent repercussions for those assholes on The Hill not doing their jobs. Like, every member out when term expires.

The way it is now, no one really gives a shit.

If the Government REALLY shut down, there would be chaos and rioting in the streets.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
It sadden's me so many never work in the private sector. What a shame.

I would venture to say that close to 50% of the SF memberhip are employed in government at some level. Waaaaaaaaaay to many.

I have no clues, but 50% sounds like a lot.

Gotta love having to go work the mid tonight and not know if I'm going to get paid for it...

quote:

Originally posted by dlc444:
Sorry to hear about the OP's personal situation, but I also wouldn't mind seeing the govt shutdown for a couple of months just to see what is really required to operate this country.

I envision, instead of 16 road workers watching while one guy digs a hole, one guy digging a hole. There is too much bureaucracy in this bureaucracy.

Sound like union workers to me

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
It sadden's me so many never work in the private sector. What a shame.

I would venture to say that close to 50% of the SF membership are employed in government at some level. Waaaaaaaaaay to many.

I have no clues, but 50% sounds like a lot.

Like many things, it depends on how you define it, "at some level" can cover a lot of ground. I am a sole proprietor/consultant, but my clients are pretty much 100% funded by Govt. contracts/sub-contracts of one sort or another, the reality of economics in the DC Metro area, so "at some level" pretty deep in the swamp, I am "in Govt." and I have lost work in past shutdowns (yes, the Fed. employees that are furloughed all get made whole, but if contractors don't work, they don't get paid).

As far as the shutdown goes, it is political theater, just as all the previous ones have been. If the politicians really understood how they are perceived when this sort of thing happens, it never would.

Who goes home and who stays behind to work are not always equitable decisions.

Wifey had lower seniority and had to work without pay (later paid back once last shutdown was over with) but others with more seniority were told to stay home too but their time was coded as paid vacation time not to be deducted from the alloted vacation time.

IIRC that strike lasted a week and those who stayed home essentially were given another week off for the year but wifey and others similarily situated did not get an additional week off.

These shutdowns and who stays on the job and who goes home aren't always evenly applied.

Not worried about it. Last time there was a shutdown I still went to work and still got paid. Congress is just a bunch monkeys flinging poo and beating on their chest. Shut it down, don’t matter.

I wouldn't be so certain Trump would sign the legislation to authorize back pay for the time off.

For the record... I am for this shutdown. Trump is doing to the dems what the republicans have not been able to. He is using their primary goal of legalizing up to 3 million illegals by holding government employees hostage against them. All of America can see a shutdown will be 100% a dem senate shutdown (in an election year no less).

As long as Trump does not allow the republicans to cave, this is going to hurt the democrats who will have to win in states that Trump won.

I understand this may hurt some folks a little bit and I appreciate them taking one for the team.

Those who work for the government though have been through this in the past and should have contingencies in place (money put aside, plans to file unemployment if they qualify, pick up an odd job during the interim). Again, just like non-government dependent workers.

If this happens, stay strong our government employed members... We will be here for you.

PS = #WINNING

I’ve been a GOV employee since I left college.

Twenty eight years active duty Army, retired last July, and now just finished my second week as an Army civilian employee.

Years ago, we had a snow storm. It was kind of nasty on the roads. As usual, I got there first in the morning and awaited the arrival of those who really wanted a job. A fair number, like half made it in. Then the self centered prick who was our then General Manager called it. He said the roads were too slick, so he wanted us to send home all the nonessential workers. I didn't take that too well. But we told all the folks who struggled to get in that the were non-essential and they again should risk life and limb and take the day off, just like the GM and his buddies.

The net result was those of us who deemed ourselves essential got to stay and work. And he paid everyone for the day. The owner threw a fit. He already knew my opinion. I had to drive to his house and bring him in. At that point I was really essential because I had to drive him back home.

Life isn't fair. I have no objection to them shutting down the government. I may change that opinion in a while. What I do object to is paying them. Its my belief, maybe unfounded, that the majority of the federal workers vote wrong. It would be good for those who supported the hag and voted wrong in the other races to suffer for their sins.

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:

Life isn't fair. I have no objection to them shutting down the government. I may change that opinion in a while. What I do object to is paying them. Its my belief, maybe unfounded, that the majority of the federal workers vote wrong. It would be good for those who supported the hag and voted wrong in the other races to suffer for their sins.

Life isn't fair but if I don't get paid for the work I do, what would you call that? I'm deemed essential and have to work. I grew up learning life wasn't fair (younger brother). I didn't vote for the hag. I didn't vote for any of my reps. For those who didn't vote for the Hag, should we suffer for their sins?