How's the partial federal government shutdown affecting you?

[mummabear]

They just ran a story on our local news that the MSP TSA needs to hire 40 workers on an urgent basis. Good luck filling those jobs. Come and work for FREE! Lots of people can afford that, right? Made me LOL. Absurd. You'd be out of your mind to hire into that situation, and frankly, I'd be worried about anyone who'd say "yes!"

I could see some people taking them up on it, if you are new to the job market and don't have expenses (like a college age kid), it could seem like a good time to get in.

 

[JaxDad]

They just ran a story on our local news that the MSP TSA needs to hire 40 workers on an urgent basis. Good luck filling those jobs. Come and work for FREE! Lots of people can afford that, right? Made me LOL. Absurd. You'd be out of your mind to hire into that situation, and frankly, I'd be worried about anyone who'd say "yes!"

Despite shutdown, almost 200 attend TSA Tennessee jobs event
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...0cd4f7926f2_story.html?utm_term=.928d18f039f1

 

[mousefan73]

I know this is often been brought up on the many threads about the shutdown. But I just heard on TV that 40% of Americans don’t even have a $400 safety savings fund. This was CNBC. Mad Money just now. when I work from home I always have my money markets shows on.

 

[Christine]

While I know this thread is about how the shutdown is affecting "you", I just wanted to give a generalized tidbit on how the shutdown is somewhat affecting the economy and others.

I'm a federal worker who is not furloughed. My agency is fully funded (now) but the specific arena that I work in depends on having State Department approvals to do certain things. Those approvals have been suspended since December. This has put a freeze on this particular area of work, which relates to global security, getting processed. Since these approvals can't be done, all the private companies we have contracted with to provide certain equipment and services have had their work frozen. Already, these procurements were dropped from the larger procurements and the "multi-buy" discount was lost. Just in ONE example of this (and there are at least 20 incidents now), the cost has now increased by $2.3M to a procurement that would have been that much cheaper with the approval.

In some cases, the production lines had to stop because of lack of approval so now, some private company has laid off some workers for a time. They will get their jobs back if that part of the government ever reopens. But the increased costs have now cost all the taxpayers more money.

 

[gwynne]

I know this is often been brought up on the many threads about the shutdown. But I just heard on TV that 40% of Americans don’t even have a $400 safety savings fund. This was CNBC. Mad Money just now. when I work from home I always have my money markets shows on.

Often stats like this come from polls targeted toward people who happily answer their land line, and who will chat with a stranger about their money situation.
Not anyone I know.

 

[DopeyDame]

While I know this thread is about how the shutdown is affecting "you", I just wanted to give a generalized tidbit on how the shutdown is somewhat affecting the economy and others.

I'm a federal worker who is not furloughed. My agency is fully funded (now) but the specific arena that I work in depends on having State Department approvals to do certain things. Those approvals have been suspended since December. This has put a freeze on this particular area of work, which relates to global security, getting processed. Since these approvals can't be done, all the private companies we have contracted with to provide certain equipment and services have had their work frozen. Already, these procurements were dropped from the larger procurements and the "multi-buy" discount was lost. Just in ONE example of this (and there are at least 20 incidents now), the cost has now increased by $2.3M to a procurement that would have been that much cheaper with the approval.

In some cases, the production lines had to stop because of lack of approval so now, some private company has laid off some workers for a time. They will get their jobs back if that part of the government ever reopens. But the increased costs have now cost all the taxpayers more money.

Thanks for sharing that. I'm 100% certain there are stories like that happening all around the government. While it's easiest to relate to individual "how it is affecting you" stories, the real impact will be seen in months/years, and may never be explicitly quantifiable.
The procurement you mentioned will now cost several million more. Not that big of a deal in government spending terms, and no one will, in three years, point to cost overruns on some program and be able to pinpoint exactly when/why they happened. But at least some of the overruns will be because of the shutdown.

As another example, right now most of NOAA is furloughed. So the long term weather models aren't being updated consistently. So next hurricane season, the predictions will be a little less accurate than they would have been had the models been updated. But we won't be able to pinpoint it - forecasts are never 100% accurate, and it will be impossible to quantify what "misses" are because of outdated models and what are just because forecasting is always hard. But there WILL be an impact, even if quantifiable.

And most of the NHSTB is furloughed. So Kia is currently managing a recall all on their own, without government oversight. Maybe it will be fine, maybe not. If there's another Kia car problem next year, we won't be able to pinpoint for sure that it was because they didn't have appropriate reviews in place this time. But it's certainly a risk.

And examples like that just go on and on and on....

 

[portocall]

My youngest child has a hole in his shoe. When I told him we are going shoe shopping this weekend he told me that we need to save money until the government shutdown is over because we don't know when we will feel the effects. Now, he is a child so we are going shoe shopping even though he doesn't want to, but it still broke my heart. I don't buy cheap shoes (but not the most expensive either) because experience has showed me that I get what I pay for when it comes to shoes.

I wish my children weren't worried. I can't erase their fears because I don't know what the future is going to hold for us. I try to calm them as much as possible but they are already trying to go without.

 

[kdonnel]

I know this is often been brought up on the many threads about the shutdown. But I just heard on TV that 40% of Americans don’t even have a $400 safety savings fund. This was CNBC. Mad Money just now. when I work from home I always have my money markets shows on.

I have found that the words savings and budget are bad words in this thread.

Even suggesting that folks should have a safety net is to diminish the plight of the furloughed.

Be careful!

 

[gwynne]

I have found that the words savings and budget are bad words in this thread.

Even suggesting that folks should have a safety net is to diminish the plight of the furloughed.

Be careful!

Deliberately stiffing hard working folks out of their paychecks is unconscionable. Period.

 

[dominiondad]

I have found that the words savings and budget are bad words in this thread.

Even suggesting that folks should have a safety net is to diminish the plight of the furloughed.

Be careful!

Sigh. We get it. More fiscal responsibility would minimize the impact on folks. But it kind of feels like going to the cancer ward at the hospital to talk to people about the dangers of smoking. Valid point, but maybe not very compassionate or the right time.

 

[Floridaman999]

Where's that round card person? Not sure what round we're on and I need help.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Where's that round card person? Not sure what round we're on and I need help.

Ding ding ding!!!!

 

[Planogirl]

I keep hearing about small businesses that get most of their income from government workers. Some of them are struggling which is sad.

 

[WebmasterDoc]

Since political comments continue to be made, this thread and topic are closed.