Update on the Shutdown (doesn't look good)

[brooklynite]

Just had a meeting with a US Senator cancelled for Monday because their view is that the shutdown is going to happen.

[Drale]

1. So wait they are going to stop doing their jobs

because the government is shut down? They should all still have to work every day without pay until this is settled. I think I might send a letter to Senator Durbin to suggest a bill like that, because this is 2 time in 20 years that the republicans have shut down the government. There needs to be consequences to acts like this.

[jtown1123]

2. They will still work.

[Drale]

3. Do they still get payed?

[aquart]

5. They get paid. The military, however, does not.

Military families are screaming.

[Renew Deal]

6. It's not just senators.

Are their staff paid? Are the buildings open to the public? etc.

[brooklynite]

8. The buildings are closed.

The staff CANNOT work (even for free) and have been told to turn off their Blackberries.

[Renew Deal]

11. If I was a staff member I would show up for work...

And you'd have to pry the Blackberry from my cold dead hands.

[brooklynite]

13. Proceed at your own risk

from CNN:

Agencies are taking different steps to address the problem, but none of them are foolproof. The Department of Housing and Urban Development, for instance, is allowing all 9,700 non-essential employees to keep their government-issued BlackBerries and laptops, but they are prohibited from using them. However, some "excepted" employees may be allowed to carry out "essential functions."

The agency is determining who qualifies as an "excepted" employee. Those staffers may continue to work on a BlackBerry only for essential reasons, according to Melanie Roussell, spokeswoman for HUD. For example, public affairs officers at HUD might be allowed to use their BlackBerries -- but only to answer media questions about furloughs.

Checking and responding to other e-mails would be against the agency's rules. Of course, knowing what e-mails are essential requires reading them.

Other parts of government are dealing with the problem by taking away the devices. The House sent a memo to staffers saying furloughed employees may be required to turn in their BlackBerries, laptops, and even cell phones, instructing them to turn on "out of office" messages.

[tabatha]

4. I think the GOP have screwed this up.

Usually Yahoo boards are full of yahoos - but look at this

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110408/ts_yblog_theticket/abortion-becomes-flashpoint-in-shutdown-battle



The Hyde Amendment outlaws the use of federal fund for abortions. It has been on the books for years (1976)...but they won't tell you that. They need to keep you riled up.

honestly I think there acting like a bunch of children and need to grow up a bit. How hard is it to sit down and make a decision?

a huge mistake to not pay the military!

Making a mockery of democracy.

Notice that decisions about women issues are being decided by a bunch of old white men on both sides. Men need to shut the hell up and let the women work out this issue. Please, one man step forward and tell me what it is like to have an abortion. I have no idea and I do not want to know. I believe in the Consistent Life Ethic, but I will never pretend to know what any woman has to go through.

I've read story after story about social opinions on Planned Parenthood funding, but nobody ever reports the dollar value of defunding the program. Would someone please remind congress that we are trying to balance a budget here, not render moral judgement on any person or program. Pencils, erasers and calculators only, please.

This is not a political issue it is a personal and moral issue. Do your jobs, serve the people that elected you instead of whoever payed you off (or has pictures) and stop politicizing everything. Your tactics are despicable, devisive and pushing the envelope of common civility. Shut down the country over Abortion - how about shutting it down over 2 illegal wars, corporate rape and pillage, political and moral corruption, economic terrorism (Fraud St version). You are a disgusting and despicable lot.

Laughing stock of the world. Our leaders are a joke.


And the thumbs-ups are way way higher than the thumbs-down.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. They know damn well that federal funds aren't used for abortions.

They are simply trying to find a reason to shut government down. And they'll continue to move the yardstick from $32b to $34b to $40b to $60b and now to $78b in order to get the most of what they want!!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

7. Please, you have to be 100% certain about this because we federal employees are waiting

with baited breath. It's so weird around here today. It's also very dreary outside and chilly.

We're going crazy around here for an update. Anything.

Do you think you can confirm this information?

[brooklynite]

10. I suspect nobody will "know" until 11:59:59...

My meeting was scrubbed, I assume, based on what people assume will happen given current developements.

[Dappleganger]

12. I think the shutdown will happen and they'll settle it on Monday.