I'll admit it... I *WANT* a shutdown

[Very_Boring_Name]

Let these whiny "government is the problem" people get a taste of life without it for a few days.

[dkf]

1. I don't remember much about the last shutdown.

I don't think it had any impact on me personally.

[Joe Bacon]

21. It screwed me real good!

I work for Social Security.

The first shutdown was for 4 days. No Pay and No work. I did a lot of walking to get my mind off of Tooty Frooty Newty and his Press Whore friends.

Went back to work, got paid for the 4 days.

Second shutdown went for 5 weeks and it hit right during the holidays. Screwed Christmas up for my family. I couldn't give any Christmas gifts. People asked why and I told them it was the fault of the GinGRINCH! Now this time, I had to work. That's right, I worked for 5 weeks and didn't get paid. People in my office were BEYOND PISSED. People were screaming at us because we couldn't issue Social Security Cards or take new claims. We could only handle existing customers. Many people called screaming about their claims not being taken, or they needed their Social Security card to get a job. We couldn't do anything. Lots of angry people made angry threats. Folks in the office were upset when they told their kids that there was no Christmas for them this year. Folks borrowed on their Mastercards to pay their rent, utilities and gas. Creditors called us screaming for employees to pay their bills.

It left me with a lifelong hatred of asshole Republicans.

It impacted me. And I will never forget.

[trumad]

2. You're obviously getting a weekly paycheck...

[classof56]

3. The last shutdown I was not on Social Security.

Now I am, and much as I hate myself for depending on my SS income to do things like pay for food, electricity, water, gas, garbage service, property taxes, medical expenses, fuel for my 13-year-old car, etc., I am going to be in major trouble if I don't get my check this month. Perhaps it would be a useful exercise, since all those gazillion dollars worth of budget cuts the Rs want to implement include cuts in SS/Medicare and those of us who benefit from our "entitlements" will be thrown to the wind so the wealthy 1% will get their tax cuts. That would mean my taste of life without government will last far beyond a few days. Gosh--wish I hadn't lost money on that Wall Street thing back in '08, pretty well wiping out my "other" source of income. But the Wall Street Gang of Thieves came out just fine, thanks to that bailout I helped fund, so I suppose I should be happy for them.

Okay, rant over. If the govt shuts down, it shuts down. I'd feel better about it if Congress didn't get their big ol' paychecks, but I'm pretty sure that's not gonna happen. In fact, if I had any money, I'd bet on it.

Peace, blessings and solidarity.

[PoliticAverse]

5. Social Security payments won't stop during a "government shutdown".

Essential services continue.

For some perspective see:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110224/ap_on_re_us/us_what_shutdown

[Raine1967]

13. That article is fairly inaccurate.

here are a few results from the last Government shutdown:

Medicare - 400,000 newly eligible participants were delayed in enrolling.

Social Security - claims from 112,000 applicants were not processed. 212,000 new or replacement Social Security cards were not issued. 360,000 office visits were denied. 800,000 toll-free calls for information were not answered.

State Department: 80,000 passport applications delayed. 80,000 visas delayed. The resulting postponement or cancellation of travel hurt US airlines, hotels, and tourist industry.

National Parks: 2 million visitors turned away.

Government-backed Loans: FHA mortgage loans worth more than $800 million to more than 10,000 low-and-moderate-income working families were delayed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_government_shutdown_of_1995

[Exilednight]

17. I hate saying this, but the truth is

we can either experience a little bit of pain now and be better off tomorrow, or we can choose death by a thousand cuts as the GOP slowly slices away entitlement programs.

[Very_Boring_Name]

25. Bingo. Just like a fever, it has to get worse before it can get better

short term pain for long term gain.

[BadgerKid]

4. Those depending on govt funding will get let go.

I didn't ask for that.

[vaberella]

6. Medicaid, medicare, and all on SSI or anything social security will be greatly affected.

This can be good and bad. However, although there are many bad on it. There are far more good people involved and that's what needs to be taken into account.

[Exilednight]

18. Social Security will not be affected, and Medicare and medicaid will still work

in the short term. The only thing that happens to social security during a government shut down is the processing of new applications. The mass majority of doctors will still see people with medicare and medicaid, they just may have to wait a week or two long to get their reimbursement payments from the government.

The mail will still run, police and fire will still be on duty.

It's the little government things that we take for granted that may hurt. Passports, visas, etc etc.

[vaberella]

23. I know what will and won't work.

And uh yeah...SS will definitely be affected especially for those who may depend on checks, there could be a delay. And that affects a great number of people.

[craigmatic]

7. It'll be good for Obama because it'll get seniors disenchanted ith the teabagger congress.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. Don't you understand how people you're wishing to hurt?!?

Federal government employees do not get paid. Well... only members of Congress and their staffs, along with Defense personnel and contractors get paid.

[Very_Boring_Name]

28. Ask those federal employees

if they'd rather not get paid for 2 weeks, or get laid off when republicans eliminate their department.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dionysus]

9. yay for suffering!!11!11!

:woohoo:

[Very_Boring_Name]

26. Short term suffering for long term relief

In the long run, a shutdown would cause less suffering to those most affected than would republicans dismantling government services gradually over time.

[bigwillq]

10. Why would anyone want a shutdown?

:shrug:

[Very_Boring_Name]

27. Because if Republicans destroy benefits one by one, gradually, over a number of years

The vast majority of Americans won't be bothered enough to notice. But if there is a government shutdown, and everything gets cut off at once, people will suddenly realize how important it is to protect these services. It happened in 1995, republican momentum was stopped dead in its tracks when it shut down the government and people realized that "smaller government" isnt all its cracked up to be. Sadly Americans have the attention span of a gnat and have already forgotten that lesson... they need to be reminded.

[onenote]

31. republican momentum was not stopped dead

The republicans actually increased their majority by two seats in 1996, despite Clinton being reelected. And while they lost 9 seats in the House, that was actually a pretty good result for them given that they'd picked up 54 just two years earlier and their pressidential candidate got his butt kicked. It took ten years -- five more election cycles -- before the Democrats recaptured the House (and only four years for the repubs to take it back in a big way).

[On the Road]

11. I Want a Government Shutdown, Too

As far as the catastrophic effects of a brief shutdown -- remember the human toll from 1995? No? I don't either. I don't believe many people do.

During the Clinton shutdown, Gingrich was on a roll. The supposed Contract with America was being bandied about. The Republicans had more momentum than they did from the last elections.

And the shutdown stopped that dead in its tracks. It is worth far more in political capital for the Democratic party than any short-term difficulties it will cause.

[Raine1967]

12. Hope you got your tax return already...

because you won't be getting one for a while if the Government shuts down.

just saying. Watch what you ask for.... I'm not going to be cheering this on. Good people hard working people in the federal government will suffer -- people like Janitors. People like cafeteria workers. People that don't earn a lot of money and work paycheck to paycheck. Believe it or not, there are more of those people than most think.

[lindalou65]

14. Shutdown

The problem is a shutdown would hurt the most those who can least afford it. I, like you, would like to have a shutdown if it would be a "wake up" call but I am not convinced it would be.

[bigwillq]

16. Hello.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Exilednight]

19. See post #18, and welcome to DU.

:bounce:

[Arkana]

15. My Machiavellian, evil, vindictive side wants a shutdown

to give those fucks a taste of what life is like with no government services.

Of course, every other part of me knows that good people would be hurt by a shutdown too.

[MissDeeds]

20. The only problem with that is

many of our fellow citizens - and many of whom are Dems - will be hurt by a shutdown. They rely on a paycheck and cannot easily bear the financial consequences of a shutdown.

[Skittles]

22. generally the checks are forthcoming

the problems arise with new applications, new problems, etc

[backscatter712]

24. Call me a Machiavellian bastard, but part of me wants a shutdown.

The same thing would happen as the last time - people hate paying taxes, and think they buy into the "big evil government" rhetoric, but they love government services. When they get a taste of government services being cut off, they WILL turn on the Republicans in a big way.

Granted, a lot of people will get hurt in the process, so I don't really want a government shutdown, but yeah, part of me is a Machiavellian bastard...

[onenote]

30. But the last shutdown didn't cause people to "turn on the Republicans in a big way"

Yes, it undoubtedly helped Clinton to win reelection, although he might well have done so anyway. But after losing 54 seats in 1994, the Democrats, despite winning the Presidency in 1996, only won back a puny 9 seats in the House and the repub majority in the Senate actually grew by 2 seats.

Do you really think that kind of result would be worth the harm that would result from a shutdown.