Governmet shutdown?!...

[Southflaguy]

What's up with this government shutdown?...Is it all hype or the real deal?...

[FNA209]

It's political theater at its best. The progressives think they can turn it to their advantage. The GOP thinks they can gain something from it. Both sides are advocating their stance. I don't know who the winner will be.

[KapsFB]

It's political theater at its best. The progressives think they can turn it to their advantage. The GOP thinks they can gain something from it. Both sides are advocating their stance. I don't know who the winner will be.

Nobody.

One side wants about 60 billion cuts, the other about 30. Make it 45 billion and call it a day for Godssake!!! Either way the amount is trifling considering the national debt amount. Bunch of idiots.

[Bounce]

in 1995 we went through something similar. what was lacking then was the backdrop of national bankruptcy and economic doom.

in that case there were critical people who came to work for the (month) everything was unbudgeted and the rest stayed home. NO ONE got paid while there wasn't a budget. EVERYONE was on the phone with creditors making arrangements for late payments, etc.

Once the budget was passed, those who had been working got their back pay automatically. Those who hadn't been working finally got paid when congress voted to do so.

This time around they may choose NOT to pay those who were forced to stay home.

[GoldBadge]

This time around they may choose NOT to pay those who were forced to stay home.

I'll bet that this will be the case.

[Bounce]

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

the official word. everyone will be notified by 4/8 if they are to stay home or come in (unpaid either way).

[OneAdam12]

I agree, it's all pollitical theater. I wonder what would happen when government shuts down. Do republicans all join hands and sing We are the world? Do democrats instanly freeze in their tracks because no one is telling them what to do?
Do birds still fly?

[Bearcat357]

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

the official word. everyone will be notified by 4/8 if they are to stay home or come in (unpaid either way).

Yippiee...!!

[needguidance]

It is a bunch of BS! The same thing happend in NY (not a shut down just the children cannot play nice together).

The people who should stay home are the ones in Congress who do not want to negotiate. They should be sent home, no pay and even fined for not coming to an agreement by the deadline!

[EmmaPeel]

I think it's real, and I hope it is (for the record, my checkbook is also affected). As someone who's spent a lot of years practicing the art of negotiation, you have to have the kahones to not blink, no matter how painful the result is, if your long term goal is a worthy one. You also have to be willing to take all the heat that comes with the "win." Our country's financial situation is at a point where someone's got to be willing to do this. In fact, Paul Ryan yesterday finally did IT. He proposed a very painful $6Trillion dollar CUT to the DEBT, not DEFICIT, over 10 years, putting spending back to 20% of GDP where it belongs to keep our financial system, inflation, unemployment, and all those barometers at healthy levels. I completely support him - and his plan will spread a little pain among all of us, such as no more mortgage deductions. I don't agree with every single thing in his proposal but it's EXACTLY what will turn this country's financial problems around. It will send the message to all those "evil" bond holders and rich people who finance our country's largesse that we are still the best place to dump all your money....to therefore prop up all our other financial needs.

[EmmaPeel]

Oh, and loving all the scare tactics being pulled out of the Halloween trunk from 1995, plus some extra ones. Like saying old people won't get their medicare and medicaid or social security. The fact is, Ryan's proposal exempts everyone over 55 in those three areas.

In 1995 Americans were easily scared but 15 years later the public is so much more informed and educated, especially since so many people have engaged in small business activity where they've had to learn basics of finance, and I believe the folks "doing the heavy lifting" will take a lot of blows, but people will be smart enough to credit them this time.

[Rudy8116]

Ehh, lock the leaders of both sides in a room, put guns to their heads, things will get worked out.

[DAL]

My sense is that a shutdown would hurt Republicans more than Democrats.

[EmmaPeel]

My sense is that a shutdown would hurt Republicans more than Democrats.

Probably would. That's my definition of courage and integrity though: doing the right thing even when it hurts. I engage in it all the time and even when I didn't care about the material impact of doing the unpopular thing, I found in the long run I was always rewarded anyway. Materialistically that is. Spiritually, there's nothing more satisfying than to do the right thing, not give a sh** what other people think, and going home and liking what you see in the mirror.

[DAL]

Probably would. That's my definition of courage and integrity though: doing the right thing even when it hurts. I engage in it all the time and even when I didn't care about the material impact of doing the unpopular thing, I found in the long run I was always rewarded anyway. Materialistically that is. Spiritually, there's nothing more satisfying than to do the right thing, not give a sh** what other people think, and going home and liking what you see in the mirror.

It is hardly obvious that the effects of a shutdown would be beneficial.