Okay if you got past the title of this post, you have been warned. I rarely get political / controversial on my blog. I have my opinions (too many according to my husband) but this blog is supposed to be about Boo, our family and how we live in a world we were not quite expecting.
But then the Government shut down and I got a tad irked. I'm lucky. I live in a State where the local government is shouldering some of the federal government's responsibility. But others are not quite so lucky and this unfairness is what has sparked the coming rant.
Again, you've been warned.
To Whom Ever Is Listening in Washington (DC that is),
I'm confused. I am not sure what the problem is at the Capital. However it appears to be a temper tantrum between two sides who seem to have forgotten their purpose. You see, it doesn't matter if you are a Liberal, Conservative, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or have purple hair. You haven't provided a sound defense for what you are currently putting our nation through.
Quite simply, you are making us look like the dysfunctional family we have become. Which would be okay if you would stop airing dirty laundry and start airing common sense. You shut down National Parks, Monuments and buildings with signs that were at the ready to tell the World that the reason vacations and school trips were canceled were due to a Government shut down.
Exactly how much did those signs cost?
This impasse has affected more than government programs but local businesses. A hotel was shut down in VA for having the nerve to stay open during the shut down. This family-run business located on Federal Land had reservations to uphold and now will lose their hard earned patronage while you squabble.
You left the Supreme Court in session and maintained your staffers yet children will go hungry if their local governments cannot underwrite WIC.
Employees have been furloughed with no promise of retroactive pay. These are not young single people living with their parents but men and women who have served their employer, the US Government, with diligence and now may not be able to pay their mortgage or feed their children.
The NIH has been affected by the shut-down leaving cancer patients without protocols and trials.
Next will it be Social Security? Which, is not an entitlement, but something our seniors have spent their lives paying into and now depend on for little things like food, heat and medications.
Our paychecks continue to be garnished for taxes that are to support Government services and you are not providing them. In truth you are forgetting your purpose to your constituents.
It appears that our own Government is attacking those most likely to be hurt to prove their point. Both sides seem to be so stuck in their position that they are not willing to see the fallout.
In the end the question is why? This is the question that the President, the Senate and Congress has not answered for the American People.
Thank you for your time.
The life and times of Boo. A girl without a diagnosis but with unlimited possibilities!
You said this perfectly Kerri and the president gave a whole speech yesterday where he said not much of anything that could help the common person out. Ridiculous and seriously what is going to take to get their acts together. I just wish I knew and until then this really is just so maddening!
ReplyDeleteThe very first day of the shutdown, I saw one of those signs and I had the same thought. Those are the fanciest "We're closed" signs I've ever seen. In this environment, a simple sign scribbled on a piece of paper would have been the right call. This is the most frustrating situation. What are the chances that voters will remember this when these legislators are up for re-election?
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky enough that the shut down has not effected my family directly just yet. However, should this healthcare act actually pass will cause major damage to us. We were informed yesterday, that should it go through, since both mine and my boyfriend's employers offer coverage we do not qualify for any sort of discounted rates or the Marketplace plan. Instead, we'll be required to keep our current coverages that are literally doubling the premium or seek out private insurance where we lose all employer contribution. I can honestly say that this scares me. After reading the reports, it's the inability to agree on the medical coverage issue that's really shut it all down. The House wants to postpone it a year and form a committee to take a deeper look at what it could potentially do to people and the Senate wants to just pass it an be done. The House is refusing to raise the debt ceiling unless the Senate will postpone Obamacare. Even though I identify as a Democrat, I am actually glad the House is refusing to budge on this issue. I feel horrible for the people who are suffering now because of the shut down, but I will feel worse for all of the families that will really suffer if Obamacare actually goes into effect! You can say goodbye to all small businesses and the people who are already too poor to afford insurance will only end up further in the hole. They will be punished because they don't have the financial means to provide insurance for their families, which is basically punishing the people who are already being punished to start. I hope they do get their act together, but that will require compromise, and it appears that The House has the best interests of all people (not just some) by refusing to walk blindly into a situation that they certainly would not easily be able to undo. Thank you to the House!!!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how crazy this whole shut down is. A couple days ago I read that military families are not receiving death benefits during the shut down. 5 (I think Marines) died over the weekend (I didn't even see that news since everything has been about the shut down). 5 lives lost last weekend and not a blip. And those 5 families will not receive the death benefits to help them with funeral arrangements, and transportation to Dover where the military receives it's deceased upon returning to the states. That is a shame.
ReplyDeleteThey need to get their stuff together and do their job. We pay tax money and expect certain services. Even if they aren't for me, I want to see my money go to something other than a Congressman's pocket while he's not doing his job. I'm so annoyed with them (that's saying it nicely, because I try not to swear).
ReplyDeleteNot to make light of the subject, but my cousin in Afghanistan is unable to watch the Red Sox post-season because of the shut-down (it affected the military TV). That is so not right!
Great post, Kerri! My daughter-in-law is one of the furloughed and my son just decreased his work week to three days and went back to school. It's worrisome for sure. There was rumor that the furloughed would still get paid. Hope so!
ReplyDeleteoh how i love this post! can you please blog next about how states can have laws to make things legal that are not legal on the federal level. i just can't figure out how that works.
ReplyDeletei wonder what would happen if states began to leave the union?
i can weigh in for military families, for the time being. my soldier received his full, regular pay on 1 October and it looks as though he will again on 15 October. the commissary/grocery and lots of other things on base were closed, for about a week, but i read that things have begun to reopen. thank goodness, too. because i don't know what i would do if i had to pay full price for totinos pizza again anytime soon!
DeleteI have had some furloughed federal workers who thought they would get paid that are being denied benefits come into our library. I feel so bad for them! It's not their fault that Congress can't get their act together. It's a very scary time to live in this country...
ReplyDeleteFor me, as a non-US resident, this whole process is completely incomprehensible and makes me wonder how something like this can happen in a nation like the US.
ReplyDelete