AT: Conventional wisdom among the media and politician branches of the Democratic Party holds that President Trump and the Republicans will pay a serious price for the very partial (25%) “government shutdown” as it drags on. The passage of a House budget bill with not even one dollar, as Speaker Pelosi averred, is supposed to increase pressure on President Trump in their view. They seem to believe that the public so loves visiting national parks in the middle of the winter – one of the few aspects of the 25% of the federal government that affects ordinary voters – that Republicans will crack under public pressure.
Actually, though, they don’t even get to such a calculation of who is missing what government services during a 25% shutdown. To a Democrat politician, government is so essential, so fundamental to his role as good people serving needy citizens of all stripes, that nobody could possibly endure a shutdown that lasts for months and months. It is literally unthinkable, which is why Democrats have not bothered to think through who is going to start screaming the loudest as time continues its march forward with only 75% of the federal government funded.
They are wrong.
Senator Richard Shelby yesterday warned them:
“I’m thinking we might be in for a long haul here,” Shelby told reporters at the Capitol. “I’m not optimistic now.”
Shelby added, “If we can ever get over this, I think then you’ve got another week. A new week, a new day, and so forth.” But that seems increasingly unlikely, he said. “If we don’t get over this – if this goes on for months and months, and it could, I hope not, then that might be a preview of coming attractions.”
By far the biggest and most powerful political faction within the Democrat camp negatively affected by the shutdown is federal employees, who are forced to live on savings. The loyalty of federal employees as a partisan constituency – as voters and especially as donors – has had many benefits for the Democratic Party, including ongoing obstructionism of President Trump. But President Trump sees the other side of that coin, one that Pelosi, Schumer, and others are blind to.
Most people as well paid as federal bureaucrats (they earn substantially more than the general public they “serve” at all but the top levels) can handle one or two missed paychecks. read more
Mr. President-keep it shut down for as long as you deem necessary to get that wall built. Maybe then some of the dem’s will side with you after their workers start complaining about not having money to live on or pay rent– sort of like Cortez did before she got her cushy job and now laughs at the low life’s like she once was (and still is )
Her stupidity is incredible, I would have said “Nobody is that stupid”.
Intelligence in Congress has nosedived since the election. It is probably in the low 40’s.
I have the utmost confidence that President Trump’s close
familyadvisors will, again, convince him to betray the American people, before the EBT cards run out.I’d give it one more month. In most of the north (above the freeze line) utilities that are on at the start of winter can not be turned off, regardless of how large the bill or how little has been paid. And most also have a mandatory payment plan, that the utilities must agree to if the customer signs the paperwork. So a federal cubicle occupant, on deferred pay vacation, in the “frozen north” of the country, can usually skip the utility bills, all the utility bills, expecting to pay them when their vacay checks sail in. Unless, that is, they are still on deferred pay vacation, when spring arrives. Then, then, it gets real.
This post contains so much truth, it is destined to be blocked by social media.
Give us what we want and you can have your bureaucratic constipation of a government back, for a while.
Until we trim it further.
I guess we should expect a scathing editorial by Mitt in WaPo, blasting Trump’s inhumane government shutdown.
The “politicians” are the ones NOT working, they should be the ones NOT getting paid. One payday for congress would probably pay for the friggin’ wall!
“only 75% of the federal government funded”
A good start, but keep at it.
Like the “Doctors strike” in California a few decades ago;
when the death rate plummeted
downward because the doctors
weren’t able to kill their patients
everyone kinda got to like it.
Regretably the docs shut up fast
and went back to work soon after.
Pay dem .gov workers ta STAY HOME. Less damage dat way.
one thing … the US government is the largest employer in the US. & though most people would agree that getting rid of 25% is a good idea (including me), there are many ‘peripheral’ people that are also getting hurt.
I have a brother-in-law that works as an inspector for a NASA contractor. he has been furloughed until this is over, w/ no guarantee of back-pay. he’s taking vacation pay until it runs out in Feb.
we’re gonna see hundreds of sob-stories in the coming weeks … the side that wins the PR war will win
Hold Fast President Trump!
Welcome to employment-at-will you federal makework parasites.
You are now free to cut grass, clear brush, tar roads in the Texas heat, pick fruit, drive for Amazon, clear fatbergs out of the sewer, etc. Enjoy the new exercise and mental health benefits.
Someone needs to creatively ask pelosi about this, and how it relates to ‘joblock,’