February 21, 2011
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Government Shut Down?
I think it was in 1995 when the government shut down. I was working for the Federal Prison. I didn’t get a paycheck during the shut down. I remember my representative Tim Johnson (D) called me and talked to me. He didn’t know I wasn’t getting paid. I was really surprised that he didn’t know. It wasn’t too big a deal to me at the time because we didn’t live pay day to pay day and I believed in the reason why it was shut down. I was just bothered that my representative was in the dark about it. March 4, 2011 is another D day for government shut down. Many people believe we have to stop spending money and even the liberal media has criticized Obama’s present budget. Congress is taking time off soon and will convene with only days left before the shut down. I really believe that we have to stop spending money. Here in Yankton there is 20 million allotted to put sand in the Missouri river for a bird habitat. The sand already washed down stream once and it will do it again this spring because of flooding. It’s this kind of spending that is destroying America.
Should the government shut down if the budget can’t be decided upon? How would the world view America?
Since I’m not feeling the best today, I’m glad I don’t have a cornucopia of things to do.
Word of the Day – cornucopia
Comments (59)
Ouch…. I had no idea this was happening.
No the government should not be shut down just because the budget can’t be decided upon.
The company who sold the sand to the government made a bundle. And the owners are most definitely well connected to the Democrat Party.
@QuirkyThings - Yup
@kaplowboom - The congress and house wouldn’t be affected. They would get their pay on time. It would be the other areas of government that would be affected. The cruicial areas would stay working – prisons, etc.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - You are so right.
@Randy7777 - Does that include all the small jobs thoughout the country too? Like, everybody?
a very interesting point and one Europe will have to face at some point, Portugal is on the rocks and needs a ten billion rescue package, Ireland is very close to the mark too. In answer to your question, if the government shuts down then so does everything else and that leads to all sorts of problems.
I’m afraid that we are getting what we deserve…
Our representatives should have stayed in DC until they completed the work. This stuff about going home during this time to find out what their costituants want is crazy. They know what we want. Let’s start by making them give up something. Like earning what we are paying them for.
In CA, we are supposed to have a budget, balanced and in place, by July 1 each year. This has not happened for several years — last year it was the end of December before there was a budget in place. In the meantime, they furlough state employees one day a week, close offices one day every two weeks, and pay all State employees with vouchers (IOU’s). This has been going on for at least 25 years — when I worked for the State, some banks would accept the vouchers, and redeem them when the budget was adopted — but there was always uncertainty!
Will we ever learn to live within our means? Disasterous days ahead if we don’t. I think the federal government of today would not please our founding fathers. Would they ever imagined it sueing a state as it is AZ for tying to protect its citizens?
I don’t think it is a good idea for the government to shut down. Hurting people and our fragile recovery is not governing, it is grandstanding and stubbornness. Those that govern need to be coming up with creative solutions and compromises if they expect my continued support.
Sure, everyone wants spending to be cut; but obviously we don’t agree on who/what gets to bear the brunt of the cuts, and therein “lies the rub”. Many seniors are concerned about cuts that affect us at a time when we are vulnerable. I have found out that it’s long been a practice to “borrow” from SS for other gov’t needs. What’s up with that? Supposedly, this laon is to be repaid. Uh, when? How is it fair then to ask seniors to accept more cuts to social security and to cut Medicare benefits? I have written letters to my senators, congressman and Obama to communicate why I oppose some of the “solutions” the budget committee has proposed that would affect seniors. I agree with Kowpatty that Congress should not dismiss or do anything else except deal with these issues and get them worked out as fairly as possible. Kowpatty is right about this too. They don’t have to go home to find out what their constituants want. There has been talk about cutting “pork”, but it goes nowhere because no one likes for his/her “ox to be gored.” Shutting down government should not be an option. I agree with C_L_O_G on that. Obviously, these are tough times with no easy answers or quick fixes. I think Christians need to pray earnestly for our leaders just as Paul admonished those in the early church to do for leaders back then. ~~Blessings ‘n Cheers
@DonnaLou -
@C_L_O_G -
@slmret -
@Kowpatty -
When people realize that they can’t outsource their Christian duty to earn a living and take care of the underprivileged to an organized crime syndicate (aka the government)they wise up and simply not stand for theses kinds of things anymore.
Since the people elect their leaders we are getting the government we deserve.
If the Republican House shuts down the government like Newt Gingrich and Co. did in 1995, it might cause Obama’s popularity to soar just like Bill Clinton’s did. And, as we know, Clinton destroyed Bob Dole in the 1996 election.
The public doesn’t like government shut downs. We’ll see if the Republicans have learned.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - Yep! We elected them and that is why we have the right to hold their feet to the fire and to insist they do their jobs.
@manilajones - For that very reason it is the Democrats who are seeking to shut down the government.
It is a beautiful automatic chronograph stainless steel toywatch replica . Automatic means that it is not a quartz, but winds by your hand movement or by a special winder that can be purchased. Swiss watchmaking at its finest is represented by the Breitling name.I remember when my wife first bought it for me. I was totally shocked when I unwrapped it as a Christmas gift.
@DonnaLou - As demonstrated by Obama and the Democrats with ObamaCare, the only thing to do is get them out of office. Democrats don’t care about the will of the people or our welfare. Wisconsin demonstrates that clearly
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace -
How so? The Republicans control the House. They can pass whatever legislation they want to. If they shut down the government, it will be at their will.
@manilajones - That’s just it. The Republicans only control the House. That’s not enough and the Republicans have no interest in shutting down the government. Paul Ryan has had budget plans for a long time that are sensible. And remember, it was the Democrats under Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid who refused to pass a budget last year when Democrats owned the entire government.
The Democrats have been planning this shut down for a long time too. And it is their intention to blame the Republicans.
It’s time all good people started seeing what’s going on.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace -
The Democrats control the Senate and the Presidency, which is two-thirds of what is needed to pass a budget. It will be the House’s fault if the government shuts down.
@manilajones - You keep wanting to blame the Republicans for government shut down when such a thing is being designed and implemented by the Democrats. The Democrats could have passed a budget last summer. It was their duty to do so. But they chose not to because they knew they were going to get, to use Obama’s word, a “shellacking”.
How can the Republicans be blamed for something they have nothing to do with causing in the first place?
OH NOES! The government can’t shut down! That is a breach of our social contract. We must protest! ARRGGHHHH.
In the end, there is very little we can do, but hope.
@kaplowboom - Just includes any Federal government employee.
I’m down with it being dissolved.
@andreasiscrazy - They make sure all the important areas stay open – prisons, etc.
@Evangelist_Guy - Could be so true
@Kowpatty - Absolutely – Something has to change and change now.
@slmret - If a company operated like that it wouldn’t exsist.
@Dominie - I’m really bothered how this administration is going against states. – AZ & WI. It looks like a civil war brewing. AZ is desperate.
@C_L_O_G - I agree but both parties are miles away from agreement – one wants to spend it’s way out of debt the other cut back it’s way out of debt. Answer sounds simple enough to me.
@DonnaLou - Yankton is right by the Missiouri river. Millions of dollars have been spent on sand for a habitate for birds. The sand has washed down stream because of the floods. Now the Federal government is planning on spending 20 million more dollars to bring in more sand. It’s very difficult seeing that when we should be investing in our seniors, kids and those that can’t help themselves. What I hear that wants to be cut is: Enviromental Protection, Planned Parenthood, Public TV - There is plans to try and reform medicade and medicare – not to be mistaken as cuts. There is so much corruption in both those programs.
Hmm… since I am non american I think I better seal my lips.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - I really believe that if the government backed off these social programs the church would fill in the gap.
@manilajones - You may be right. The democrates have shut down the government in WI and that doesn’t seem to be hurting them. The republicans are in a difficult place here. Compromise or else. It’s hard to say, because what is different this time around is the liberal media is critizing Obama’s budget.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - You are so right. It’s all about political postioning and America is sick of it.
@WondersCafe - Something has to be done before China shuts us down.
@MedicMark - I hope you’re joking.
@RestlessButterfly - Being a non American you can give us an outside looking in view – we value that.
Did you know the main holder of U.S. treasury bonds is the Federal Reserve? Isn’t that shocking? The Fed surpassed China around last monthish. Financial Times is my source. Just an interesting fact.
@Randy7777 -
Some people from our side of the world are not really fond of American leadership especially the previous one(Bush). But we can’t please everyone, right. That is why we always need to keep in mind that every choice and every decision.
Anyway, on a personal note; I’m proud to be a Malaysian, but I am not fond of Malaysian leadership coz they wasting $$$ on silly useless ‘stuff’.
@Randy7777 -
Short answer:
No. Not joking. =)
Semi-Long Unimportant Answer:
You said it yourself, didn’t you: They are destroying America and by inference are harming 300 million people. Nothing ever really changes but the sad fact is so many are deluded about it and are emotionally involved. Government shutdown? Big deal… they’ll be back to the shenanigans immediately thereafter. And besides, they’ve already doomed themselves. They’ll never recover from this mess. In my opinion, which doesn’t matter a bit, I’d be okay with dissolution. I’m just gonna sit here and ignore it all. Nothing I can do about it anyway.
@RestlessButterfly - Thanks – Bush was not liked very much outside of America - It looks like Obama is trying to change that but has made Americans angry while trying to do it. Can’t win -lol
@MedicMark - The way it’s going America could see revolution again. If the economy continues to fall and people begin to get hungry – we saw what happened in Egypt when people got hungry.
@Randy7777 -
I’m gonna ride it all out in Alberta… I’ll be fishing and hunting.
@Randy7777 -
I believe what the Democrats are doing is much more than mere political posturing.
What the Democrats are trying to accomplish is the overthrow of democratically elected governments where they are not in complete control. That is exactly what Wisconsin is. The Democrat senators fled in order to cripple the government. The labor unions are funneling money into illegitimate protests in order to cripple the functioning of schools and other unionized government services.
This is typical Bolshevik insurgent communism which has always sought the overthrow and destruction of American liberty.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace -
I’m sorry, but I don’t see why it was the last Congress’s “duty” to pass a new budget. Why was it their responsibility? By that same line of reasoning, why was it not the Congress before that? Or even the one before that? Historically, Congress passes extensions to the existing budget. It is sensible that it is the responsibility of the Congress in which the budget is set to expire.
You keep insisting that I am “blaming” the Republicans. I’m not blaming anyone for something that has not even happened. But, at this point, it is up to them if the government will shut down. That’s not opinion; it’s fact. I would say the same of the Democrats if they were put in the same position.
@Randy7777 -
I don’t think the media is “liberal”, but a lot of liberals are criticizing Obama’s budget. A lot of the cuts in his budget are straight out of the Republican playbook.
@manilajones - It’s their duty because that is what the Constitution says is the duty of the Congress.
The Constitution puts the responsibility for government finances with the legislative branch. It is the law that Congress produce a budget every year.
As we have seen, the Democrats couldn’t care less about the law. The new Republican House will produce a budget, but the Democrats will do everything in their power to keep it from becoming law. The Democrats do not believe in any government that they do not totally control. That’s why, whether in Washington or Wisconsin, their purpose is to cripple the government now that they are no longer in control.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace -
Yes, I’m aware of what the Constitution says. I just don’t see why you say the Democrats couldn’t care less about the law. The President has a budget and the Senate will approve it. It seems like it is the Republican House that will stall any progress.
If we look at Wisconsin, it seems like the Democrats have a lot of support for stalling government. Maybe the Republicans in Congress should do the same. At the very least, they would be acting on their campaign promises and standing up for what they believe in.
@MedicMark - lol – enjoy
@manilajones - I think the media is making it look slanted to the dems but it appears there is equal support for the Govenor.
As usual the people suffer while the politicians play god.
I am confused.. what now..
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - I agree the democrates are attempting to destoy democracy.
@tymedancer - so true – they play god because they don’t know God.
@manilajones - The Democrats refused to pass a budget last year when they were lawfully obligated to do so. They did it on purpose to create havoc when the March deadline for increasing the debt limit comes due.
The debt limit is an outrageous 14.2 TRILLION dollars!
Obama and his Democrats have amassed more debt in 4 years than America did in the previous 230. And everyone knows that Obama’s budget is a joke. Over 90% his cuts just happen to take effect after 2012. He’s just using his budget to appear fiscally responsible.
The Left couldn’t care less about deficits and fiscal responsibility or the law. Judging by the profound losses the Democrats incurred last November people are becoming very away of that.