John Anderson lost the government shutdown. It's pissing him off.

[bigtree]

Last edited Thu Oct 17, 2013, 12:11 PM - Edit history (5)

Ezra Klein ‏@ezraklein 17m
The government shutdown wasn’t that bad for the politicians. It was terrible for this guy. http://wapo.st/H39tls


John Anderson lost the government shutdown.

His approval rating didn't fall. No political action committee threatened to primary him. He just lost two weeks' pay, which he'll never get back, and walked right up to the edge of losing his place to live. His story is a reminder that, for all the back-patting Congress is doing today over having finally resolved the debt showdown and re-opened the government, the 16-day closure has already had real, and lasting, human consequences for hundreds of thousands of people.

"I was living week to week" before the shutdown, Anderson told me. "Now I'm living day to day."

He is a line cook at the American Indian Smithsonian Museum on the National Mall. Anderson is not a government employee. He's a contract worker - the government hires his company to make the food for visitors to the museum. When the shutdown closed the museum, Anderson lost his job. He'll now presumably be able to go back to work, but unlike federal workers, he won't get back pay. And he could use that back pay: Anderson is a divorced father of two who usually brings home about $350 a week after taxes and child support. His 16-year-old son lives with him in Washington but commutes by bus and train to high school in Maryland every day.

Anderson has no savings - his wages don't leave much cushion for savings - and struggled through the shutdown to pay his rent, put food on the table and pay for his son to travel back and forth to school. We spoke Wednesday afternoon, as a deal to end the shutdown appeared imminent in Congress. Here's his reaction to that deal, edited for length.

. . . I’m happy that we get to go back. But it’s pissing me off – they used us as pawns in this big ego game. But they didn’t even get what they wanted. It was all for nothing . . .


read the rest: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/17/the-government-shutdown-wasnt-that-bad-for-the-politicians-it-was-terrible-for-this-guy/



Jim Tankersley ‏@jimtankersley 20m
People are wonderful: a dozen readers have emailed to ask how they can help John Anderson stay afloat post-shutdown: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/17/the-government-shutdown-wasnt-that-bad-for-the-politicians-it-was-terrible-for-this-guy/ …


. . . for my hard night of work

[handmade34]

1. "they used us as pawns"

my fantasy is that we, as taxpayers, bring a civil suit against John Boehner for the loss of $24B...

[DonViejo]

2. And the Republican Party. eom

[bigtree]

3. $700 billion lost over his term

. . . as a result of his obstinacy.

[handmade34]

4. the Country's loss of big money

(and jobs) under the Republicans (and Republican policies and ideologies) must be understood by everyone... since money is a big driver for many people, maybe that is something they can understand

[gopiscrap]

6. no bring suit against each lawmaker

that voted for the shutdown

[handmade34]

8. not an overt vote

they just refused to vote for a clean CR

[gopiscrap]

5. yup it's aways the commonm person that gets shafted in this shit

[beachbum bob]

7. no unemployment benefits

In DC?

[bigtree]

9. I've heard they have cake

[niyad]

10. do you have any idea how long the process is, and what the payments are?

[bigtree]

11. not too a bad process (on the surface) - online, by phone, or in person

Benefits are based on an individual's prior earnings. The minimum is $59 per week and the maximum is $359 per week (2009). The amount is calculated based on your wages in the quarter of the base period with the highest wages.

http://dc.about.com/od/jobs/a/unemployment.htm

[jeff47]

13. Might not, for him.

For example, if he was a 1099 pseudo-employee, then he doesn't get unemployment.

[question everything]

12. They don't care. First, he probably is - gasp - a Democrat

Second, he is dependent on a government institution.

Never mind that in contrast to many of the teabaggers constituents, who just collect disability checks and food stamps, this man is actually making a living.

I wish we can publicize this. Last year, or, perhaps, earlier, Bill Maher ran a clip of an Alexandra Pelosi movie, showing these teabaggers in Texas who hate the government but claim their food stamps and disability checks as their right.

I wish we can put these two individuals side by side and ask the voters who they would like to benefit from "government."

[TxDemChem]

14. That is the real tragedy in all of this

Everyday working people took a hit for political posturing. I hope every republican remembers how people were affected during this bullshit shutdown and vote for politicians who are not obstructionists, who will put their country ahead of politics.

Sadly, we might have to wait a few more elections before they truly understand how much damage has been done.

[dsteve01]

15. bummer dude

I mean this guy did nothing wrong to deserve that.

[bigtree]

17. People are wonderful

tweeted by, Jim Tankersley ‏@jimtankersley 20m

People are wonderful: a dozen readers have emailed to ask how they can help John Anderson stay afloat post-shutdown: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/17/the-government-shutdown-wasnt-that-bad-for-the-politicians-it-was-terrible-for-this-guy/ …

[summerschild]

16. And if you listen to Republicans today, you know it was for nothing. They didn't even learn

anything. Cruz isn't the only one that thinks they did good. I heard Orrin Hatch talking to Chuck Todd this morning. Disgusting.

[PatrynXX]

18. tea party had a joke on Bruce Brailey and his towels

that he was forced to wash his towels on his own and they had been laughing oh and he expects to represent Iowa. Now the person persons who wash the towels that joke probably landed in the basement thru the floor.. so seeing this do the people who wash the towels are they Government employees or are they contractors. and besides the point.. Thats 2 weeks of terror.

[bigtree]

19. kick

[bigtree]

20. kick

[bigtree]

21. .

[Cha]

22. Big Kick for John Anderson!

We're Pissed too, John.

thanks bigtree