Non-Essential Federal Employees

[bornright]

With the shut down of the government nearing I am curious who you would consider as Non-essential federal employees. My major hope is that IRS agents would be in that lenghty list.

 

[California Girl]

It doesn't matter what anyone 'thinks' is non-essential, it matters only what IS actually non-essential.

 

[Skull Pilot]

There should be no such thing as a nonessential employee.

So when the government tells those nonessential people to stay home, they should stay home permanently.

 

[B. Kidd]

In my mind, most of Congress falls under the 'Non-essential Federal Employee' category. Eric Holder and his staff too!

 

[California Girl]

The IRS will not audit, it will expect tax returns to be completed on time, refunds will be delayed.

Unaffected: armed services, police and fire, utilities, air traffic management and prisons. Seems reasonable.

 

[Claudette]

Shit. Half the Govt employees could fall off the map and who would notice??

 

[blastoff]

Seems somewhat logical to me that non-essential should be non-paid.

 

[Avatar4321]

Considering how irrelevant Congress has been making themselves, I wouldnt be surprised if they thought they could stay home.

 

[gekaap]

It doesn't matter what anyone 'thinks' is non-essential, it matters only what IS actually non-essential.

I guess you're the Supreme Arbiter of that question?

 

[gekaap]

There should be no such thing as a nonessential employee.

So when the government tells those nonessential people to stay home, they should stay home permanently.

Okay, so never again shall there be a tour of the White House or Capitol building.

 

[gekaap]

The IRS will not audit, it will expect tax returns to be completed on time, refunds will be delayed.

Unaffected: armed services, police and fire, utilities, air traffic management and prisons. Seems reasonable.

Actually, according to what Fox news was reporting last night, the military will stop being paid if the government shuts down. They will continue to accrue pay, which will be paid out later on after a budget has been passed. But they won't see it until that point. This puts a whole new perspective on the issue for me. We have tens of thousands of service members in combat zones right now. I find it utterly dishonorable that we may force many of their families to suddenly not have the money to pay bills and buy groceries.

 

[boedicca]

There should be no such thing as a nonessential employee.

So when the government tells those nonessential people to stay home, they should stay home permanently.

Okay, so never again shall there be a tour of the White House or Capitol building.

That type of function is performed by volunteer docents at museums all over the country.

 

[Avatar4321]

It doesn't matter what anyone 'thinks' is non-essential, it matters only what IS actually non-essential.

I guess you're the Supreme Arbiter of that question?

No. The Constitution is.

I would have thought that was obvious.

 

[boedicca]

The IRS will not audit, it will expect tax returns to be completed on time, refunds will be delayed.

Unaffected: armed services, police and fire, utilities, air traffic management and prisons. Seems reasonable.

Actually, according to what Fox news was reporting last night, the military will stop being paid if the government shuts down. They will continue to accrue pay, which will be paid out later on after a budget has been passed. But they won't see it until that point. This puts a whole new perspective on the issue for me. We have tens of thousands of service members in combat zones right now. I find it utterly dishonorable that we may force many of their families to suddenly not have the money to pay bills and buy groceries.

And Secretary Gates told the troops that they would get paid. Being a historian, he noted that throughout history, governments found it to be a good idea to make sure that the guys with guns were paid on time.

 

[gekaap]

It doesn't matter what anyone 'thinks' is non-essential, it matters only what IS actually non-essential.

I guess you're the Supreme Arbiter of that question?

No. The Constitution is.

I would have thought that was obvious.

Since when did the constitution address the issue of "essential" government employees?

 

[Si modo]

The IRS will not audit, it will expect tax returns to be completed on time, refunds will be delayed.

Unaffected: armed services, police and fire, utilities, air traffic management and prisons. Seems reasonable.

Actually, according to what Fox news was reporting last night, the military will stop being paid if the government shuts down. They will continue to accrue pay, which will be paid out later on after a budget has been passed. But they won't see it until that point. This puts a whole new perspective on the issue for me. We have tens of thousands of service members in combat zones right now. I find it utterly dishonorable that we may force many of their families to suddenly not have the money to pay bills and buy groceries.

Then send a complaint letter to Pelosi about her negligence while on the job last year.

 

[Avatar4321]

And Secretary Gates told the troops that they would get paid. Being a historian, he noted that throughout history, governments found it to be a good idea to make sure that the guys with guns were paid on time.

Since when has the Obama administration looked to history to show them what works?

 

[Avatar4321]

Then send a complaint letter to Pelosi about her negligence while on the job last year.

You mean put the blame on the people actually responsible for the mess? Why would they do that when they could find an excuse to blame Republicans for their mistakes?

 

[boedicca]

And Secretary Gates told the troops that they would get paid. Being a historian, he noted that throughout history, governments found it to be a good idea to make sure that the guys with guns were paid on time.

Since when has the Obama administration looked to history to show them what works?

All I'm doing is citing Gates promise to the military.

Here's a report from ABC News:

Speaking to a group of 200 soldiers in Baghdad, Defense Secretary Gates drew Army cheers of “Hooah” from the crowd when he eased their concerns about the government shutdown and said “first of all, let me say you will be paid.”

Gates’s comment came during a question and answer session when one of the soldiers about how the government shutdown might affect them. He then joked, “as a historian it always occurred to me the smart thing for government was always to pay the guys with guns first.”

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalp...hdad-during-what-is-likely-his-last-visi.html

 

[Flopper]

Furloughed workers will most probably be paid just as they were in the Clinton shutdown. Contractors will be paid even if the government is shutdown. The bottom line is this shutdown will add to the deficit. The only ones to benefit will be government workers and contractors who will get a paid vacation, a rather strange way to save money.