Government shutdown scam

This editorial is being written on the eve of the expected government shutdown Tuesday morning, October 1. It is always risky to write an op/ed so close to an event like this but some things have to be said when they need to be said. Just like shutdowns in the past, this one is a scam on the taxpaying public. It is purely theater, staged by congressional republicans and democrats to fool the public into thinking extraordinary measures are being taken to protect their interests. We have seen this charade acted out before. The 1995-6 shutdown lasted three weeks, yet later with little fanfare Congress voted to back-pay furloughed employees for wages lost. Instead of saving taxpayers money it actually cost them an additional $1.4 billion ($1,400,000,000), more than if all federal employees had been kept on the job. The farce did not hurt the federal government at all, in fact, the laid-off workers gained an extra 3 week paid Christmas time holiday. I could not discover if those employees deemed to be essential who worked during the shutdown got extra compensation in lieu of the free vacation the furloughed workers received, but I can't imagine they lost out. It is all part of the charade.

It is easy to understand why federal employee unions are not heard to be kicking up a fuss about lost wages, because workers look forward to the time off with pay and prefer not to rock the boat. This time around, there are expected to be 800,000 plus employees furloughed out of a total 2.1 million. Those required to stay at their post will be paid. Everybody wins apart from the taxpaying public.

Although some political pundits claim there is no guarantee that this will be the case after the current fiasco, I think most of us understand how Congress works for the government, not the taxpayer and when the dust settles, not only will the public be inconvenienced by the shutdown, they will also be forced to pay extra for the privilege and not even realize they have been duped.

Newcomers to congress who dislike Obamacare believe attaching the program's defunding to a continuation of government funding bill will scuttle the universally unpopular health care reform law,  but even if their plan works they would need a two thirds majority to overturn President Obama's almost guaranteed veto. And by then the paid vacations will already have been enjoyed.

Raising the the nation's $16.7 trillion (16.7 million, million dollars) borrowing limit is also something of a congressional scam on the American public. Like the federal shutdown it is associated with, it is theater aimed at convincing Americans their political leaders are working diligently protecting the public's interest when it is a done deal that the federal government will be allowed  to borrow and spend all the money it wants. Nothing ever changes in the Washington con game.

Things could hardly be worse if the Mafia were running government!!!

There are some honorable and conscientious politicians in Washington, mainly the idealistic newcomers, but they are overwhelmingly outnumbered by the old-timers that feel it is easier for them to go along providing their constituents back home can be duped into thinking they are doing a good job. Below you will see a list of republican legislators that want to go along with the status quo rather than stand for the ordinary American and future generations of the United States. They are not bad people, but they have been actors in the congressional theater for far too long and need to go.

That's what I think.

Sources:-

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/29/questions-and-answers-about-the-shutdown/2888419/

http://m.theweek.com/article.php?id=250058

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/5-ways-government-shutdown-affect-113007959.html

Here Are The 25 Republican Senators Who Voted To Fund Obamacare

Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
John Barrasso (R-WY)
Roy Blunt (R-MO)
John Boozman (R-AR)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Jeff Chiesa (R-NJ)
Dan Coats (R-IN)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Bob Corker (R-TN)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
John Hoeven (R-ND)
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Mike Johanns (R-NE)
Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Mark Kirk (R-IL)
John McCain (R-AZ)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Lisa Murkowksi (R-AK)
John Thune (R-SD) 
Roger Wicker (R-MS)


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