Blake Smith
Financial Position causes government shutdown
AP Government teacher Jeff Moore and other students express their distaste for the behavior of government officials
For the first time in 17 years, the government has shut down. On Sept. 30, the Legislative Branch was supposed to vote on a new financial plan. As conversations led into getting rid of the Affordable Care Act and taxing the rich, the politicians were unable to compromise and create a plan. Due to this disagreement, the government officially shutdown at midnight Sept. 30.
The government shutting down means the government is unable to pay their employees. Any government employee seen as non-essential will be furloughed (given leave of absence) without pay. This means that thousands of government workers throughout the country are being sent back home.
One of the areas affected by this shutdown includes all national parks. This results in the government losing money on tourist attractions as well. Another area affected is defense agencies like Honeywell, which has a building in Kansas City. The WIC, a food agency that provides for pregnant women or new mothers will not be given federal funding. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also be cut down on funding, which means they will no longer be able to track disease or even influenza outbreaks. All Smithsonian Museums and the National Zoo will be closed to tourists as well. NASA will furlough nearly all of its employees, although it will continue to keep workers at Mission Control in Houston. Overall, about 800,000 federal workers will be furloughed.
However, the US Postal Service will remain intact, along with Medicare and Social Security benefits. The military will still receive money and stay operational. Food lunches and food stamps will also remain funded. The National Weather Service will continue to forecast weather and the National Hurricane Center will stay running. The Supreme Court and Judiciary System will operate as usual for about 10 business days. After that, they will also begin to furlough non-essential employees. As far as the District of Columbia goes, the entire city has been deemed “essential”.
Jeff Moore, Government teacher, is fed up with the shutdown.
“We are paying people [politicians] 170,000 dollars a year to make decisions for the betterment of society, and they can’t do it,” Moore said.
Even at Ray-Pec, students are being affected by the government shutdown when their parents are furloughed.
“My mom works for Probation and Parole and she is being considered non-essential,” said sophomore John Kampe.
Another thing Americans are thinking about is how foreign countries will feel about the government’s inability to make decisions.
“We’re supposed to be this awesome country that supports freedom and we can’t even keep our own government running,” said Kampe.
Although the National Parks are closed, a crowd of World War II veterans forced their way past the barriers at the memorial in Mississippi, as a sort of protest against national parks being shut down. The Unions are protesting about being furloughed, along with thousands of other Americans across the country.
“I think it’s sad the government is supposed to set an example for America, and they are acting like a bunch of sniveling five-year-old kindergarteners,” said Moore.
Moore also thinks that the government shutdown will not last long after politicians see what America thinks.
“I think that the shutdown will end in about a week when the politicians see the public opinion polls and see that they are losing. If one side is blamed more than the other, then I think they will just give up,” said Moore.
Now that the government shutdown is in it’s ninth day, more and more Americans are being sent home, and with the debt ceiling coming up next week, there will undoubtedly be more disagreements among politicians on the government’s financial plan. 800,000 Americans are standing by, waiting for the government to allow them to go back to work.
Financial Position causes government shutdown
AP Government teacher Jeff Moore and other students express their distaste for the behavior of government officials
For the first time in 17 years, the government has shut down. On Sept. 30, the Legislative Branch was supposed to vote on a new financial plan. As conversations led into getting rid of the Affordable Care Act and taxing the rich, the politicians were unable to compromise and create a plan. Due to this disagreement, the government officially shutdown at midnight Sept. 30.
The government shutting down means the government is unable to pay their employees. Any government employee seen as non-essential will be furloughed (given leave of absence) without pay. This means that thousands of government workers throughout the country are being sent back home.
One of the areas affected by this shutdown includes all national parks. This results in the government losing money on tourist attractions as well. Another area affected is defense agencies like Honeywell, which has a building in Kansas City. The WIC, a food agency that provides for pregnant women or new mothers will not be given federal funding. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also be cut down on funding, which means they will no longer be able to track disease or even influenza outbreaks. All Smithsonian Museums and the National Zoo will be closed to tourists as well. NASA will furlough nearly all of its employees, although it will continue to keep workers at Mission Control in Houston. Overall, about 800,000 federal workers will be furloughed.
However, the US Postal Service will remain intact, along with Medicare and Social Security benefits. The military will still receive money and stay operational. Food lunches and food stamps will also remain funded. The National Weather Service will continue to forecast weather and the National Hurricane Center will stay running. The Supreme Court and Judiciary System will operate as usual for about 10 business days. After that, they will also begin to furlough non-essential employees. As far as the District of Columbia goes, the entire city has been deemed “essential”.
Jeff Moore, Government teacher, is fed up with the shutdown.
“We are paying people [politicians] 170,000 dollars a year to make decisions for the betterment of society, and they can’t do it,” Moore said.
Even at Ray-Pec, students are being affected by the government shutdown when their parents are furloughed.
“My mom works for Probation and Parole and she is being considered non-essential,” said sophomore John Kampe.
Another thing Americans are thinking about is how foreign countries will feel about the government’s inability to make decisions.
“We’re supposed to be this awesome country that supports freedom and we can’t even keep our own government running,” said Kampe.
Although the National Parks are closed, a crowd of World War II veterans forced their way past the barriers at the memorial in Mississippi, as a sort of protest against national parks being shut down. The Unions are protesting about being furloughed, along with thousands of other Americans across the country.
“I think it’s sad the government is supposed to set an example for America, and they are acting like a bunch of sniveling five-year-old kindergarteners,” said Moore.
Moore also thinks that the government shutdown will not last long after politicians see what America thinks.
“I think that the shutdown will end in about a week when the politicians see the public opinion polls and see that they are losing. If one side is blamed more than the other, then I think they will just give up,” said Moore.
Now that the government shutdown is in it’s ninth day, more and more Americans are being sent home, and with the debt ceiling coming up next week, there will undoubtedly be more disagreements among politicians on the government’s financial plan. 800,000 Americans are standing by, waiting for the government to allow them to go back to work.