Simviation Forums

Library of Congress and FTC will take their sites offline if gov’t shuts down

Political squabbles when you get right down to it are more often than not, childishness.

"It’s not exactly clear why some sites in Washington, DC, would go offline and others would stay online, nor is it clear how shutting down a government website would save any significant amount of money."

"Gayle Osterberg, director of communications for the Library of Congress, explained....
Many of the services offered through our websites, such as reference services and cataloging queries, require staffing,” Osterberg told Ars by e-mail. “Those activities and corresponding expenditures are not allowed in the event of a shutdown.”

So just what is the difference between a holiday and a "shutdown?

This is just petty, childish, bickering. It's no wonder that people have such a low opinion of government (any government for that matter).

If you knew how much money the federal gov't wastes on a daily basis, you'ld scream "recall" on every politician. Shutting down a gov't website is nothing more than a token to appease the masses. Little to they realize that we really aren't appeased, nor are we that naive to think it is anything but what it is. Federal workers haven't had a pay raise or COLA (cost of living) adjustment in nearly three years...a cost savings measure. Federal Hiring was frozen for a while...the answer to that one of course was to hire more contract personnel. I don't know...can it really get much worse?

What I'm getting at is that it's so petty to close websites that will effect absolutely NOTHING.

TWITS!

If the government is desperate enough to cut funding from websites, they should stop paying elected officials.

Just wondering, when the government shuts, employees do not get paid. This brings a few questions:

If you are salaried, and are sent home, obviously not at your own fault, do you receive back pay? (when I say salaried, I mean you have a work contract with a fixed monthly amount rather than a hourly rate)

Are the military personal still paid?

Do the politicians still draw a wage, or are they also going without?

Does this also mean federal bodies such as the NSA, CIA and FBI also go to home?

The last time that this happened, there was no class actions (that I can recall) against the government for with holding wages. After all the money is there, it just has to be agreed how it will be spent?



Matt

In the event of a shut-down, all non-essential employees are sent home, subject to being recalled when needed. For the most part, this is without pay...and it is not made up at a later date, although the time can be converted to vacation/LOA/Comp time and collected at a later time that way. All essential people are kept on, and paid of course. All employees working for "Fund Generator" Departments, ie Citizenship and Immigration Services, will usually keep working as will many of the contract workers and those they call "gun toters" (FBI, CIA, NSA, FPS etc will be kept on and working, and of course, paid. Congress and Senate retain their pay, as do essential Military personnel. Guard members may be subject to temporary sequester but full time military are ok. The reality of gov't shut down isn't the employees, but the federal programs like head start, welfare, medicaid and others that take the brunt of the action. In other words, it isn't the government employees that take it during a shut down, it is the citizens who bear the brunt of the actions.

Politicians will always consider themselves "essential personnel".


We always think that "our" politicians are ok, whoever and whatever side they may be on. We usually think that it's the ones we don't know well, or those on the other side, that are the "bad" ones.

In truth, though, the vast majority are like dead fish. The longer they hang around, the more they stink.

I do believe you're right. But, in the name of Democracy, while we all complain, myself included, are there really any better answers?

YES!

When I am King of the World things will be a lot better!

OldAirmail wrote:YES!

When I am King of the World things will be a lot better!

Maybe Congress and the Senate should have the same rules as the president. Two terms and then you are out. At least you would get some fresh blood every now and then and not the same old faces with the same old arguments......

Matt

expat wrote:

OldAirmail wrote:YES!

When I am King of the World things will be a lot better!

One of my stepsons said that alot when he was a teenager. He's on medication now! Ha-Ha!!!!

Maybe Congress and the Senate should have the same rules as the president. Two terms and then you are out. At least you would get some fresh blood every now and then and not the same old faces with the same old arguments......

Matt

I agree with you Matt, two terms is enough damage for any politician. I also like the idea of a unicameral congress. Why have petty bickering, pork barrel and scandals in two chambers? I think three divisions of government which hold each other in check ( sometimes ) is quite enough.

This is getting ridiculous.

Navy-Air Force game may fall victim to federal shutdown

The government shutdown might affect college football this weekend and is already having an impact on other sports.

A decision will be made by noon ET Thursday on whether to postpone Saturday's sold-out game in Annapolis, Md., between the Naval Academy and Air Force, according to a release from Navy. The game also is planned for national TV coverage on CBS (11:30 a.m. ET).

According to the release, the Department of Defense has suspended all intercollegiate athletics competitions at all three academies, including West Point. For example, Tuesday night's Navy-Howard soccer game has been canceled.

The suspensions of athletics will last through the government shutdown. If the shutdown is going to extend through the weekend, then the Navy-Air Force game would be postponed ...

If the government is really shut down shouldn't the schools be closed?

I wonder...
If all government employees are sent home without pay for a day, or however long for that matter, do I still pay taxes for that day? just some thought-provoking stuff. Why am I paying for federal employees to do nothing? I shouldn't pay taxes today, if nothing that money does was done today.

I was reading an article today about the shut down. It said that 800,000 people have sent home thus shutting the government down. Mainly park workers and office workers. There was then a link to the Census Bureau of the USA...........There are in fact 11 million government employees in the USA How can sending 800,000 home and having 10,200,000 still working actually be classed as shutting the government down??

Matt

1,350,000 'Essential' Federal Government Employees Continue to Work

The federal government is shutdown. That means only federal government employees that are deemed "essential" are going in to work.

We're led to believe it's a bare bones operation (Michelle Obama won't be tweeting, the National Park Service website is down, etc.). But in reality it appears the number of folks working is higher than half the federal employees. Or, in raw numbers, about 1,350,000 "essential" federal government employees are still working. And that does not include the 589,000 postal employees, who are working, too.

That's 63 percent of the federal work force ...

At that rate just keep it shut down.