How's the partial federal government shutdown affecting you?

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

FDA is stopping routine food inspections.

That’s not good.

 

[LSUmiss]

Yep, so if you eat, this shutdown affects you.

I prepared for this & you should have too. I grow my own veggies & fruit & hunt my own meat. Lol!

 

[Floridaman999]

I knew my canned food filled bunker was gonna come in handy one day. Good thing I had the foresight to build and stock it.

 

[slpeters]

The condo association tried to say there was no good reason for me to raise a cow and three pigs in my living room. Clearly, they just don't have the foresight that I do...

 

[RangerPooh]

A friend of mine posted on Facebook today that she owns a rental property that takes Section 8 and she found out yesterday that she isn't going to get the rent money this month. That was something I wouldn't have even thought about.

And this is probably one of those things that the average person isn't thinking about.

 

[bcla]

I prepared for this & you should have too. I grow my own veggies & fruit & hunt my own meat. Lol!

I heard that the FWS has ordered the "emergency" funding of wildlife refuges for hunting season.

https://www.apnews.com/d4e444381057439d98b112f419348e5e
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is directing dozens of wildlife refuges to return staffers to work to make sure hunters and others have access despite the government shutdown, according to an email obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.​

 

[bcla]

And this is probably one of those things that the average person isn't thinking about.

Hope it's not too bad for you.

 

[bcla]

A friend of mine posted on Facebook today that she owns a rental property that takes Section 8 and she found out yesterday that she isn't going to get the rent money this month. That was something I wouldn't have even thought about.

I got out renting to a recipient a few years ago because there was some issue with reduced federal funding. I never missed getting a rent payment, but the local agency instituted a rent freeze. I was charging well below market rent at the time. I didn't necessarily even want to increase it to market rents, but I couldn't even increase it a $150 a month. The only way to get out of that was to evict. I didn't feel good about it, but I found out my tenant eventually found a place. I also went above and beyond, including giving an extension and then releasing my tenant early after the mutually agreed end of the extension. My tenant claimed that it was needed to get a new place since the terms couldn't overlap. I later found out that I wasn't obligated to do that from the agency; it was really so that my tenant wouldn't have to pay for the overlap. I also had to partially pay back the rent.

I don't think I would ever do it again. My tenant was OK and took good care of the home, but I didn't like dealing with the bureaucracy. I hardly had to do anything before that. I didn't even need a business license in this particular city to rent less than 4 units.

 

[barkley]

And this is probably one of those things that the average person isn't thinking about.

if this thing continues into february and longer then the average person with school aged kids will sure think about it if their school cafeterias shutdown. the way i understand it is the schools are reimbursed a portion of the cost for meals (larger portion for free/reduced program) and the repayment is AFTER the fact, normally taking weeks-months. with the fed shutdown the reimbursements submitted and not processed prior to shut down are still sitting there unprocessed. more months, more reimbursements unprocessed...-what happens when the schools run out of reserve funds? will they shut down cafeterias, raise student prices to fair market value (even if paying full price for a school lunch it's still subsidized to a degree)?

 

[kdonnel]

I prepared for this & you should have too. I grow my own veggies & fruit & hunt my own meat. Lol!

Many do. I guess they are fools.

 

[PollyannaMom]

FDA is stopping routine food inspections.

Yikes!

I read where the last shutdown cost the US economy $6.5 billion per day. That number is surely higher today. So, that’s probably at least $1 billion per day in lost federal tax revenue.

SMH

Sad

 

[mnrose]

And this is probably one of those things that the average person isn't thinking about.

That apartment owner should have been stockpiling money against this eventuality. Once again, very poor planning on their part. (Sarcasm dripping.....) Or maybe she could agree to accept some painting and carpentry from the tenants instead of money? Wasn't that the suggestion for federal workers? Beg the landlord to accept "in kind" transactions rather than actual money?

 

[cmwade77]

Well, we just had and admittedly very short lived scare here in California, due to some red tape nonsense, it almost turned out that all Californians would need a passport after Jan 22 to fly. For most not a big deal, except our return flight from Disney World is on Jan 31. Luckily, California just was granted and extension until April 1, 2019. But the whole reason the came about was because the extension wasn't being granted due to the government shutdown.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, we just had and admittedly very short lived scare here in California, due to some red tape nonsense, it almost turned out that all Californians would need a passport after Jan 22 to fly. For most not a big deal, except our return flight from Disney World is on Jan 31. Luckily, California just was granted and extension until April 1, 2019. But the whole reason the came about was because the extension wasn't being granted due to the government shutdown.

I'll be glad when the REAL ID mess is a thing of the past. It's been a pain for certain states for several years now.

Even my state, that has been compliant for 12 years! (well at least since sometime in 2007 don't know the exact date so at least 11 years and some months) has a newer update DL when the REAL ID was readjusted. In 2020 I'll have to get the newer DLs (which is outside of my renewal time period) or use my passport (which I do have).

 

[bcla]

Well, we just had and admittedly very short lived scare here in California, due to some red tape nonsense, it almost turned out that all Californians would need a passport after Jan 22 to fly. For most not a big deal, except our return flight from Disney World is on Jan 31. Luckily, California just was granted and extension until April 1, 2019. But the whole reason the came about was because the extension wasn't being granted due to the government shutdown.

I believe it's more complicated than that. It's compliance for Real ID compliant documents when obtaining a driver license or state ID. The big mixup was with the documentation needed to issue Real ID compliant identification. They got the extension until April to certify the documentation requirements. It was supposedly that they didn't have two documents (like a utility bill) indicating a physical address. Something about only asking for one, where the receipt of the ID at the address was considered secondary verification of that physical address. If they don't certify the residency documents by that time, they will lose the authority to issue Real ID compliant driver licenses and IDs.

A lot of the reporting is incorrect. All California driver licenses and state IDs are still valid for federal/TSA purposes until October 2020. I still have an older California driver license that expires this year. I can still use at airports or federal buildings until it expires.

https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-spot-real-id-20190106-story.html
The 9/11 Commission issued recommendations to make identification more secure, which became law in 2005. You’ll need a Real ID — a federally compliant driver’s license — or another acceptable form of ID — to present to airport security to board an airplane beginning Oct. 1, 2020. It is a big deal, because if you show up on Oct. 1, 2020, expecting to use your noncompliant driver’s license to board a domestic flight, you won’t be getting on.​

 

[Turksmom]

Well, we just had and admittedly very short lived scare here in California, due to some red tape nonsense, it almost turned out that all Californians would need a passport after Jan 22 to fly. For most not a big deal, except our return flight from Disney World is on Jan 31. Luckily, California just was granted and extension until April 1, 2019. But the whole reason the came about was because the extension wasn't being granted due to the government shutdown.

That's how I knew the answer to the passport question. I'm in PA- land of perpetual extensions. It became easier to just get the passport.

 

[MrsPete]

And who will determine who is "responsible"?

Easy: Congress. This is about budget, and that is Congress' responsibility.

Better yet, let's just make all federal politicians ineligible for reelection. Single-term limits for all!

I'd say two terms, but that's just detail; we're clearly thinking along the same wave length. And if they're only eligible for two terms, no one will be a "career politician" and we could drop Congress' super-cushy pension /insurance for life.

I wonder why it is we have to keep sending our tax dollars to Washington?

That's a very good question.

How can returns be prepared if the schedules aren't finalized?

People can start their taxes on January 1. How can the schedule not be prepared months in advance? That's a pretty basic task.

I feel most sorry for those essential people who are overworked, not getting paid, and working in the middle of this ****storm.

Definitely.

The entire Congress needs to go home regardless of party ... No person who has served in Congress in the last 10 years should be reelected because they clearly don't care about their constituents. Its not a partisan thing-its a Congressional Thing...

Agree.

if this thing continues into february and longer then the average person with school aged kids will sure think about it if their school cafeterias shutdown.

So many things I wouldn't have considered. And, yes, for schools like mine with more than 50% Free and Reduced Lunch students, this will hurt the people who can least afford it.

 

[cmwade77]

I believe it's more complicated than that. It's compliance for Real ID compliant documents when obtaining a driver license or state ID. The big mixup was with the documentation needed to issue Real ID compliant identification. They got the extension until April to certify the documentation requirements. It was supposedly that they didn't have two documents (like a utility bill) indicating a physical address. Something about only asking for one, where the receipt of the ID at the address was considered secondary verification of that physical address. If they don't certify the residency documents by that time, they will lose the authority to issue Real ID compliant driver licenses and IDs.

A lot of the reporting is incorrect. All California driver licenses and state IDs are still valid for federal/TSA purposes until October 2020. I still have an older California driver license that expires this year. I can still use at airports or federal buildings until it expires.

https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-spot-real-id-20190106-story.html
The 9/11 Commission issued recommendations to make identification more secure, which became law in 2005. You’ll need a Real ID — a federally compliant driver’s license — or another acceptable form of ID — to present to airport security to board an airplane beginning Oct. 1, 2020. It is a big deal, because if you show up on Oct. 1, 2020, expecting to use your noncompliant driver’s license to board a domestic flight, you won’t be getting on.​

Yes, it is a complicated mess, I was giving the Cliff Notes version of it, once we get back from our trip, I will be renewing my passport just to be safe, not to mention it will be easier when I need to renew my Driver's License to use my passport than my birth certificate for various legal reasons that are a mess in and of themselves, none my fault or anything, just a mess and complicated to sort out with the state due to different names and how name changes worked when I changed my last name vs. how they work now.

 

[soccerdad72]

People can start their taxes on January 1. How can the schedule not be prepared months in advance? That's a pretty basic task.

The 'schedule' being mentioned is either a W2, 1099 or K1 form - those can't be prepared months in advance because they're year-end statements. You can't create a year end statement until, you know, the year is completed.

 

[dominiondad]

Are there any accountants out there who can explain how this might work for federal employees? I am working but not getting paid. How can I get a W2 if my employeer (federal government) hasn't finished paying me yet for 2018? This of course assumes the W2 people havent been sent home. Will I get a partial W2 for what I have received and then file an ammended return once they get around to paying me? Im hoping this isnt a case of "federal employees cant file their taxes".