The Shutdown

Trump and the Democrats in Congress are having a pissing contest over the proposed billion dollar boondoggle. Excuse me, I meant to say “border wall.” The argument is “I’m going to build a wall!” versus “Over my dead body!” So as a result, the government is partially shut down. Which begs the question, do we really need a government?

We need a military (though some would question that, too). Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries, who have paid into those two funds their entire lives, need to continue receiving their benefits. Federal retirees need their retirement checks. So what is being closed?

Non-essential programs are being shut down. Non-essential employees are being furloughed. This means the person that cleans the restroom is not coming to work, so try not to make a mess.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will also be shut down, at least to some extent. So if lettuce starts killing people, you might not hear about it. It may be best to avoid salads for a while, although lettuce can kill people even when the government is functioning—if what the government usually does can be called “functioning”.

The truth is, the average person may not notice the government shutdown, unless they are applying for a passport or attempting some other arcane use of government. So don’t worry about the shutdown unless and until it bites you on the ass. (Not that you were going worry about it anyway.) And for you restroom cleaners, know that you will very likely be paid, just a bit later than usual. Enjoy your time off.