How's the partial federal government shutdown affecting you?

[cabanafrau]

I have, but my representative is all over social media supporting the shutdown and calling for a wall at any price, so I doubt I'll hear back at all. I've got one of those reps who hasn't held a single public event in the district since being elected and acts as a rubber stamp for a certain set of policies regardless of how they impact the people he represents, so I really wasn't expecting anything different.

Who knows, it may well be that if some legislators start feeling a rumbling within their constituencies they may be reminded of their duty to serve. It might not affect yours, it might not affect mine, but I don't think it ever hurts for elected officials to be reminded they serve at the will of the people and perhaps at the very least feel a prickling of conscience when making decisions.

 

[dominiondad]

Federal worker here. Have to work, not getting paid. We were just advised that in 11 days our vision and dental coverage will end. Apparently your health coverage continues, but if payments aren't made for your vision/dental for two pay periods, the coverage ends. Good stuff.

For those of you without direct access to federal employees, I can tell you that at least where I work, moral is tanking rapidy. For the last few years, beating down (figuratively) federal employees seems to have become a hobby for many. This is especially true in law enforcement. Police departments, both local and federal, have seen applications drop up to 80% in many cases. My agency has seen an enormous drop in interest. That means we have less to choose from when we hire. Already in 2019 police officers are being killed at a record rate. Now this. Too many of the best in law enforcement are leaving. One of our leaders quit today - off to the private sector. The people are going to get what they demanded (via voting in the current Congress and White House) - law enforcement made up of less qualified and trained people. I fail to see how making service in the federal government less and less appealing is good for this country, but it seems to be what the people want.

 

[luvsJack]

Federal worker here. Have to work, not getting paid. We were just advised that in 11 days our vision and dental coverage will end. Apparently your health coverage continues, but if payments aren't made for your vision/dental for two pay periods, the coverage ends. Good stuff.

For those of you without direct access to federal employees, I can tell you that at least where I work, moral is tanking rapidy. For the last few years, beating down (figuratively) federal employees seems to have become a hobby for many. This is especially true in law enforcement. Police departments, both local and federal, have seen applications drop up to 80% in many cases. My agency has seen an enormous drop in interest. That means we have less to choose from when we hire. Already in 2019 police officers are being killed at a record rate. Now this. Too many of the best in law enforcement are leaving. One of our leaders quit today - off to the private sector. The people are going to get what they demanded (via voting in the current Congress and White House) - law enforcement made up of less qualified and trained people. I fail to see how making service in the federal government less and less appealing is good for this country, but it seems to be what the people want.

I am with you all the way to "the people are going to get what they demanded. . ." What did the people demand and how is the current WH and Congress supporting a less qualified police force. I thought the current administration was more in support of law enforcement.

 

[dominiondad]

I am with you all the way to "the people are going to get what they demanded. . ." What did the people demand and how is the current WH and Congress supporting a less qualified police force. I thought the current administration was more in support of law enforcement.

I'll start with the last part. I don't speak for all of law enforcement, but from my perspective, I see very little support. Federal raises for the past two years plus this upcoming year total 2.4%. The President has fired or driven out the FBI Director, the Attorney General, and DAG. You can argue Comey should have been fired, but the way it was done came across as an insult to many. You don't have to search far to find other examples of the President being critical of at least one agency. Again, maybe the critisism is valid, but if he doesn't like it, then fix it.

Your other question, what did the people demand - the voters decide who will represent them in Washington. They picked a group of people who can not get along or keep the government running. And the people don't seem to care. If the police shoot somebody who just robbed a store and is trying to steal an officers gun, people protest for weeks. If somebody shoots a cop in cold blood, not a single protest. NFL players protest the police weekly and they continue to get enough support to be paid millions of dollars. Nike features a former player who wore pig socks to protest the police, and their sales went up. The people who dislike the police are very vocal and demand changes. The people who support the police are quiet and just hope everything goes away. The protesters are winning. Apathy is losing.

Finally, I don't think there is any way to not say the WH and Congress supports a less qualified police force. An obvious example is that all training for many federal agencies is currently canceled. LEOs who were scheduled to take classes in advanced tactics, cyber security, white collar crime, etc. have had to cancel their training. How can we possibly recruit the most qualified people if our job decsription reads "Come work as a federal agent for XYZ! Your successes will be classified so nobody celebrates them, your mistakes will all be made public. No training! No vision or dental insurance! If you have a Masters degree, we will pay you 80% of what you could make elsewhere (if we pay you). But that pay will rise (an avarage of 0.7% per year for the last ten years)! The polygraphs and drug tests are free though!"

 

[skyblue17]

We've done a pretty good job of keeping this thread from being political. I think it's useful thread for many, and is also opening the eyes to different perspectives and experiences as this is going on. How about we not continue with this, because it's probably not going to stay apolitical for long if we do?

 

[cabanafrau]

Simply as a point of fact, not a disparagement of federal workers or law enforcement, most people I know who have been in their job or in the same career have been receiving annual raises in the range of 1 to 3% for the past decade-plus, with many not receiving a raise at all several of those ten-plus years.

 

[dominiondad]

skyblue17 - agreed.

cabanafrau and luvsJack - thanks for the back and forth! Valid points!

 

[Christine]

So just watching my local news who have reported that the IRS is recalling (activating) some 30,000 employees and deeming them essential for "tax refund" processing. Seriously? What the heck kind of shutdown is it when you keep making people perform all the functions (that everyone says aren't needed) and then don't pay people for them. I'm sorry but we are in CRAZYTOWN these days.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

So just watching my local news who have reported that the IRS is recalling (activating) some 30,000 employees and deeming them essential for "tax refund" processing. Seriously? What the heck kind of shutdown is it when you keep making people perform all the functions (that everyone says aren't needed) and then don't pay people for them. I'm sorry but we are in CRAZYTOWN these days.

Our news said 46,000. Either way, I agree that it's totally wrong to make people work without pay.

 

[Christine]

Our news said 46,000. Either way, I agree that it's totally wrong to make people work without pay.

It's crazy. Sorry, as many will probably disagree as they want their money, tax refunds do not qualify for national security, health, and safety. If they keep sending people to do the work that isn't supposed to be done/funded, no wonder one thinks the shutdown doesn't effect them.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's crazy. Sorry, as many will probably disagree as they want their money, tax refunds to not qualify for national security, health, and safety. If the keep sending people to do the work that isn't supposed to be done/funded, no wonder one things the shutdown doesn't effect them.

You're totally right they aren't.

On the other side of the coin I'm sure people are relying (right or wrong) on refunds, furloughed workers as well.

 

[AMW86]

You're totally right they aren't.

On the other side of the coin I'm sure people are relying (right or wrong) on refunds, furloughed workers as well.

But will furloughed workers even have a W2 yet if their HR folks are also furloughed?

 

[LSUmiss]

Has anyone seen the letter that is circulating that supposedly comes from a senior administration official that basically describes the shutdown as a permanent means of shrinking the government, rather than a temporary standoff over border funding? It was published on a partisan site that I'm not going to link to, but the gist of it was that there is no interest in resuming/preserving most of the functions that are currently shut down, so it doesn't matter if it goes on forever because, from this perspective, the government is working better now than when it is fully operational.



But objectively speaking, this level of dysfunction is rare. It isn't like teachers worrying about summers without pay, or construction workers coping with weather-related shutdowns, or even autoworkers dealing with every-few-years layoffs based on economic ups and downs. This has now happened twice (shutdowns long enough to impact pay). Twice. In the 60+ year history of the federal government as we understand it today.

So they have no interest in funding TSA, USGS, Homeland security, FDA among others?? Not to mention the economic toll of shutting down something so abruptly. I can’t believe they could really be that dumb.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

But will furloughed workers even have a W2 yet if their HR folks are also furloughed?

From what I understand it will depend on how the paychecks were structured like when your pay period fell and that would depend on where you work and other factors like contracted or not contracted.

 

[kdonnel]

Some of the IRS was already working. The employees that support the mortgage industry were brought back with pay (paid by fees collected much like how the passport offices are open and those employees are being paid) some time ago. Just yesterday I received the PIN I need to file my 2018 taxes so the people who generate those mailings are working. Perhaps they are contract and their contract is not impacted?

 

[lifesavacation]

Some of the IRS was already working. The employees that support the mortgage industry were brought back with pay (paid by fees collected much like how the passport offices are open and those employees are being paid) some time ago. Just yesterday I received the PIN I need to file my 2018 taxes so the people who generate those mailings are working. Perhaps they are contract and their contract is not impacted?

Only 12.5% of the IRS has been working during the shutdown. The contingency plans for a callback of 57%. And, no, those called back won’t be paid.

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/425473-treasury-releases-filing-season-shutdown-plan-for-irs?amp

 

[Planogirl]

I wonder if Social Security is working. I received a bill for Medicare even though I have full coverage through my employer. I've been trying to get rid of SS disability forever and yet they still set me up for Medicare due to disability. I can't afford both! The recording infers that someone will be with me but I've already held over an hour.

 

[WDWDancer]

Federal worker here. Have to work, not getting paid. We were just advised that in 11 days our vision and dental coverage will end. Apparently your health coverage continues, but if payments aren't made for your vision/dental for two pay periods, the coverage ends. Good stuff.

For those of you without direct access to federal employees, I can tell you that at least where I work, moral is tanking rapidy. For the last few years, beating down (figuratively) federal employees seems to have become a hobby for many. This is especially true in law enforcement. Police departments, both local and federal, have seen applications drop up to 80% in many cases. My agency has seen an enormous drop in interest. That means we have less to choose from when we hire. Already in 2019 police officers are being killed at a record rate. Now this. Too many of the best in law enforcement are leaving. One of our leaders quit today - off to the private sector. The people are going to get what they demanded (via voting in the current Congress and White House) - law enforcement made up of less qualified and trained people. I fail to see how making service in the federal government less and less appealing is good for this country, but it seems to be what the people want.

Furloughed Federal Law Enforcement family - same is happening in our office with morale and people leaving. We have 3 young kids 2 with a rare degenerative condition - i'm worried how this will affect our health insurance. One of them just spent a week in the hospital and they have specialist appointments out of state next month.

 

[Colleen27]

GOOD FOR YOUR REP!

You are aware that "rep" is short for "representative", right? That seems to suggest he should be, well, representing the people of his district, not demonstrating his allegiance to his party's leaders.

I don't think anyone supports or encourages keeping the govt shutdown going. That's like saying one group wants dirty air, undrinkable water, etc.

I don't think it is a matter of wanting those things as much as having been convinced, after 40 years of more or less consistent government bashing, that the government isn't actually *doing* anything to make those things happen and that we'd have clean air/water without the EPA, safe food without the USDA, secure airports without the TSA, effective and honestly labelled drugs without the FDA, etc.

Who knows, it may well be that if some legislators start feeling a rumbling within their constituencies they may be reminded of their duty to serve. It might not affect yours, it might not affect mine, but I don't think it ever hurts for elected officials to be reminded they serve at the will of the people and perhaps at the very least feel a prickling of conscience when making decisions.

I hope so. Our rep is a total carpetbagger - not from here and not at all connected with the district, just came here to run because it is a safe seat - and he's proven entirely unresponsive so far even on issues that have an immediate impact on the population here (like the ACA repeal, which he fully supports even though about 13% of the district is covered under its provisions, or the environmental regulations, which he opposes even though his district is home to a cancer cluster centered around one of the country's dirtiest power plants).

So they have no interest in funding TSA, USGS, Homeland security, FDA among others?? Not to mention the economic toll of shutting down something so abruptly. I can’t believe they could really be that dumb.

Like @DopeyDame said, this isn't an honest shutdown. The parts people see on a day-to-day basis are working, albeit partially and often without pay, and the parts that aren't operate "behind the scenes" where they don't get real public acknowledgement. Things like food safety inspections, for example - no one cares until there's an outbreak, but even identifying an outbreak would be a tricky matter without any monitoring authority in place. Individuals simply aren't in a position to distinguish between a single bad-luck encounter with food poisoning and a widespread contamination problem.

 

[gwynne]

Furloughed Federal Law Enforcement family - same is happening in our office with morale and people leaving. We have 3 young kids 2 with a rare degenerative condition - i'm worried how this will affect our health insurance. One of them just spent a week in the hospital and they have specialist appointments out of state next month.

I am very sorry you are dealing with this.
I am so hoping for a resolution soon. There is no reason to put good folks through all this unnecessary stress.