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Mr. Arkham and I may both be furloughed starting Monday. We'll be ok for a few days or even a week, but I hate dipping into savings. And worried for those I know who have no savings.
I'm a govt contractor, and the people handing out my work every week are non-essential (library). This morning I just got three weeks work uploaded to my work queue, just in case. So, that's ok for me, I guess. Bad for all the people I work with when I'm in Bethesda.
My FIL is essential, my MIL may be furloughed. Maybe she'll come visit.
I am quasi-government, and am essential, fortunately. To cover eventualities, we are now taking on new people at all levels on fixed-term contracts only.
I am also worried for people and am glad I am not yet one of the furloughed/laid off ones, though with everything that is going on it's hard to imagine it won't happen to just about everyone at some point.
Does anyone have any links about whether or not (certain?) military personnel are considered non-essential? A friend of mine's husband is in the service and she's freaking out that he won't be getting paid. I know he's deployed, possibly overseas, but couldn't tell you exactly what he does.
I also heard that the pay for some employees would be accruing, you just wouldn't get it until after the budget has been finalized. Is this true or is everyone effected getting furloughed?
Article from the Military Times. Active duty military personnel will not be furloughed. They would have their pay accrue during a shutdown and paid when it's over. If a shutdown comes and goes before the next payday (April 15), no problem.
My brother in law is nonessential, but daycare in the building remains open anyway. And what TPS says about military personnel is what happened in the last shut-down.
It's sad and frustrating and I called Congress about it this morning. But then I remember that my friends who are still public defenders go through this almost every year. The way we run the world is seriously fucked up.
I'm non-essential, but my wife is privately-employed, so we'll be OK. Plus, I can pick up some part-time work--it's wedding season. I have savings and my credit cards are empty. There are a lot of folks who aren't so fortunate, though.
not to jump on the inflammatory derail, but I encourage everyone in the US to call their congressmember. I did. Took all of five minutes. We've got one of each type of congressperson and one had a very polite staffer answering the phone and the other had a very polite machine to record my message.
Yeah, I feel for them too. I have had a significant amount of furlough time myself last year and this year, but at least mine is spread out over the months and not all at once and for who knows how long.
During the last shutdown, I was driving from Denver to Topeka and decided to stop in Abilene to visit the Eisenhower Library. Newt Gingrich (house speaker at the time who had engineered the shutdown in a fit of pique after he didn't get a prime seat on the way to Yitzhak Rabin's funeral) had said he wanted USAians to know their history; how better than to learn hands-on? Hypocrite.
I wrote to my Democratic congressman and he sent me a reply which included: "those who live by the sword, die by the sword".
I didn't go until 2000, when I happened to be in Kansas City for the writers' convention.
My wife (wow, I have a wife!!!) works for the VA, and she got an email that said they were funded for the year, so if there was a shutdown, they'd still be working. Last shutdown she got a free week of vacation. Go figure...
Y'all should know that if by some fluke this goes on for a long time, most states would qualify you for unemployment benefits during the furlough. MD residents can apply for unemployment on day one. DC residents have to wait a week: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/08/shutdown-near-federal-workers-face-layoffs-jobless-benefits/
Also, free burgers for DC Feds: http://www.nbcwashington.com/the-scene/events/119468769.html
But yeah, Plan A for me is to run back up that credit card that I paid off for good last Fall. Lucky me, I got some 0% APR courtesy checks in the mail.
Also, my agency is making a big deal about shutting off Blackberries and not checking email and the potential for big time badness if you even try to work for free during the furlough. In other words, they have to threaten us to keep us from working. ("Lazy Feds," my ass.) I'm mostly pissed off for the sake of the beneficiaries of the programs I support.
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