How are Government Employees Going to Pay Their Mortgages and Rent?

[jtown1123]

I'm not entirely sure about every government agency, but I know my friends who work on the Hill won't be paid in the case of a shutdown. They will still go to work and answer phones and write letters.

Some are lucky and have parents that can help them out. Others aren't so lucky. Are banks and landlords going to be understanding? I really don't know.

I just read in Roll Call that they won't be receiving any back pay either. They simply won't get paid for however long this shutdown will last.

These tea fuckers protesting outside the Capitol are such morons.

[DavidDvorkin]

1. A shockingly large number of Americans think this is just ducky

The magnitude, intensity, and utter irrationality of the hatred of the government and of government workers keeps surprising me.

[jtown1123]

5. I feel like we need to put a human face to this.

[DavidDvorkin]

19. Yes, maybe that would help.

[emulatorloo]

2. The teaparty propaganda is that govt workers are useless and lazy

therefore they don't deserve to be paid.

[jtown1123]

3. It just drives me nuts they don't see the ripple effect here. It's not just D.C.

The Federal Government has employees all over the U.S.

[emulatorloo]

7. It is strange to me that they can't recognize the value of government services they receive.

It is a wonderful thing that people will continue to get their Social Security checks. It seems to me that they ought to be able to say, "Oh, yeah that's a government service"

[Biker13]

18. Are You Sure?

I don't know, I heard today on CNN that it was up to the President. The reporter seemed to think Obama would stop SS checks to make the shut down as hard as possible on the Republicans.

I have no idea, and get different answers from different sources.

Biker's Old Lady

[emulatorloo]

21. Did not see that, I was going by what I saw on O'Donnell "The Last Word" last night

[montanacowboy]

4. They won't have to work unless they are

essential personnel

[jtown1123]

6. Right, but, they still won't be paid either way. People need their paychecks to survive

[montanacowboy]

9. Well that goes without saying

will the wonder boys in the House still get paid though??????????????

[ejpoeta]

10. of course. they get paid no matter what. now I wonder about the quandry my sister must be in right

now. she is a republican. she LOVES faux news yet she works for the IRS. she was NOT happy about the pay freeze she got. can't say as I blame her. i wouldn't be happy with that either. but if the government shuts down, does that mean she and my BIL who also works for the IRS.... in collections no less, will end up without a paycheck? they are living right on the edge as it is. they have all kinds of medical bills for their daughter who has had several seizures requiring an ambulance at $300 a pop each time in the past few months alone. not to mention all the other copays they have incurred. I worry how they will fare.

[jtown1123]

13. I'm really worried about all these employees.

[eyesroll]

8. Some may be eligible for unemployment if the shutdown lasts.

http://www.opm.gov/furlough2011/

[MrCoffee]

11. If we do shut down, and it's more than a week, apparently I'm eligible for unemployment

I DON'T FUCKING WANT UNEMPLOYMENT, I WANT TO DO MY JOB!!!

[jtown1123]

15. I hear you.

[Snoutport]

20. If they shut down...will you go out and protest?

I'm wondering how many people will protest if the shut down happens.

[MrCoffee]

12. Tell your friends that going to work during a shutdown could result in their being fired

They have to be very, very careful about that.

[jtown1123]

14. Well, they may not necessarily go into work. but they will be writing letters from home

Rep. Jim Moran said he was still going to have staffers in his office.

[oldhippie]

16. During the last gov't shutdown we were not allowed to work ....

.... even if we were willing to do so. Even though I was an employee of the Dept of the Army, I was not deemed to be "essential" and was furloughed. We were warned NOT to come into work, and there were armed guards at the gate and at the building entrance to make sure we didn't come in anyway. So, my organization's Scientific Advisor and I both spent the week at the pistol range, skeet range, did some kayaking and canoeing around Monterey Bay, and generally had a good time for a week.

When the shutdown ended we went back to work the next week. And of course we really did get paid for the week we were furloughed.

I expect the same thing will happen this time.

[Taverner]

17. How are they going to pay their mortgages and rent when they are "cut"?