You guys. Do you think it's possible that shutdown will just

[iamali]

fade away into the news and people will just not care anymore and it'll go on for weeks and weeks?

Because I'm scared.

[speckledfrog]

I think it'll stay big news.

[Deleted]

I think people are REALLY pissed. Hopefully the republicans will realize their grand scheme has backfired (people are actually signing up for obamacare) and will back off.

[Deleted]

My dad emailed me a picture of the protest signs he and his coworkers made. I wish I could PIP( has their faces). My dad is as republican as they come and he is piiiisssssssed. He is considering a party change

[ECB]

I pray it doesn't just fade away. If it does, that means people aren't pissed. We need to be pissed. This is insane.

[stephm0188]

No, I don't. I know too many people affected by it.

[toepick]

I just can't figure out how this ends. I don't think Boehner has the balls to defy the tea party crazies and the crazies are all from such safe districts that they see it is an advantage to keep the government closed.

[Deleted]

I hope it's going to remain a big deal until it's resolved.

But I'm with you, kind of scared about it.

[karinothing]

Oct 1, 2013 19:31:35 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

Not when 800,000 people are missing their paychecks.

But I worry because I feel like the 800K people are mainly in the DC metro area and the rest of the world seems to not care about us. Plus, the general public hates federal employees apparently.

I am not optimistic.

[kristie]

Isn't there a legitimate concern that active duty military won't get their next paycheck if this continues even though they will be required to continue working? Yeah, I don't see this fading into the background.

[livinitup]

What, like the Meals on Wheels folks and the families who used to get Head Start?

No, these Federal employee folks matter. And vote.

[gretchenindisguise]

800,000 people without paychecks.

National Parks closed

VA running out of funds soon.

NIH not accepting new patients for research and no new grants getting funded.

This won't last for months and months.

Eta: if democrats and Obama hold strong and don't allow a piecemeal resolution.

[mssue]

Oct 1, 2013 19:47:37 GMT -5 karinothing said:

But I worry because I feel like the 800K people are mainly in the DC metro area and the rest of the world seems to not care about us. Plus, the general public hates federal employees apparently.

I am not optimistic.

Trust me. I'm one of over 20,000 Border Patrol agents employed living in southern California who is currently under furlough because I'm on maternity leave. You guys in D.C. are not alone. It may only be a small percentage, but we are out there

[karinothing]

Oct 1, 2013 19:54:42 GMT -5 mssue said:

Oct 1, 2013 19:47:37 GMT -5 karinothing said:

But I worry because I feel like the 800K people are mainly in the DC metro area and the rest of the world seems to not care about us. Plus, the general public hates federal employees apparently.

I am not optimistic.

Trust me. I'm one of over 20,000 Border Patrol agents employed living in southern California who is currently under furlough because I'm on maternity leave. You guys in D.C. are not alone. It may only be a small percentage, but we are out there

I am sorry you are on furlough too It is just so frustrating. I just have this feeling it will last a while. Or at least until the debt ceiling.

[gretchenindisguise]

Oh and I'm in CA and furloughed.

DC is not alone.

[hymen]

I think between this and raising the debt ceiling it will stick around for a while (it'd better).

Although I do feel like this is what happened with sequestration. It just kind of faded away.

[bab]

It can't just fade away. Too many people work for the government. A friend of mine works for the IRS and already filed for unemployment today. this is just crazy!

[flex]

I think if you piss off the American people enough, they will get up off their complacent rear-ends and take some action. Some real action--not just talking about it.

P. S. I'm not saying that anyone here on this forum is complacent. It's just in general people are willing to stick their heads in the sand and hope for the best. This time around, I think some Republicans have gone too far and have awoken a sleeping giant.

[muffin0]

I think like all things in the media it's only a big deal until the next big deal.

I honestly kind of hate everyone on both extremes right now about the whole thing, I want to delete my internet and stop listening to all the whining/trash talking from everyone.

[jr009j]

Oct 1, 2013 19:57:10 GMT -5 toledo said:

Furthermore, everyone should be bombarding their Congresspeople with complaints on the regular.

Our local paper is reporting that no one will be answering the phones or email in our Congressman's office because he furloughed all his employees but his chief of staff. 

[aussiecrush]

DC and those who are furloughed aren't alone. We are in CA and while exempt from furlough H doesn't get paid. He worked today for an IOU.

[iamali]

I'm in CA too and there is a large amount of federal workers here b/c of the military bases.

It does seem to me like not THAT many people care. I mean, they care that they can't see the panda cam, but apparently the fact that so many people won't get pay checks doesn't bother them.

[TC]

I know what you mean. I'm trying to have more faith in our country than that but I know what you mean. I don't honestly believe it will fade into the background though. We're in Washington state and it's been a huge deal here today and will only become a bigger deal as time goes on. Do you happen to have a lot of non-federal friends? I do, and it sure seems like they don't really "get" it, but then I pop over to my H's work facebook page and I am reassured.

[EllieArroway]

I have had two separate FB friends (who don't know each other) say they are happy about the shutdown. One said "The mail will still run, the military will still get paid, and social security checks are still going out. The rest was wasteful spending anyway. People can learn to live without their Obama phones." Because apparently that's all the federal government does in her mind. The other said its shameful that we have 800,000 "non-essential" federal employees and that none of them should be brought back.

I've also seen countless posters bragging about how they don't follow politics, or saying that there's no reason to care what Washington is doing, Jesus will save you. So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised at all if this "story" fades away locally. I'm surrounded by idiots.

[mrsjuleshs]

I hope it doesn't fade away. I feel do bad for the 800,000 people without paychecks and it trickles into other industries. I work for a head hunter firm and can't verify i9s and background checks are now delayed which means that our clients have pretty much stopped being able to hire people they need. Dh is in the oil industry and no permits for drilling and all that means that down the line, he could be laid off because they can't drill. I'm do beyond pissed for our entire country that these assholes are pulling this stunt.

[sushi]

Just one base locally has furloughed enough contractors to add up to one million lost income per day. The impact that will have on not just those workers but the while local economy (military is second only to tourism here) will be astounding if they keep throwing a tantrum. I'm guessing 10 days. Aka the day the military benefits run out.

[okla]

Oct 1, 2013 19:47:37 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Oct 1, 2013 19:31:35 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

Not when 800,000 people are missing their paychecks.

But I worry because I feel like the 800K people are mainly in the DC metro area and the rest of the world seems to not care about us. Plus, the general public hates federal employees apparently.

I am not optimistic.

I read somewhere today (sorry, it was a whirlwind, don't have a link) that OKC was the number 8 city in terms of federal employees affected. Our AFB, Tinker, is huge and a major employer in the area. A very close friend is majorly affected, plus others I know and others in different cities. I most certainly won't forget.

[Deleted]

Oct 1, 2013 23:20:09 GMT -5 loonylunalovegood said:

It's not just the DC area though. I live in a big military town and 40% of my company is government contract work. Our employees were forced out of their building today. There's no way this is going to fade away and be forgotten, but I would not be surprised if it takes longer to work out than a week.

Yea we literally live in Military City USA. We have 4 active bases and one deactivated one full of DoD. We have one of the largest military hospitals in the US so we are feeling the hurt too.

[VeryViolet]

Oct 1, 2013 23:20:09 GMT -5 loonylunalovegood said:

It's not just the DC area though. I live in a big military town and 40% of my company is government contract work. Our employees were forced out of their building today. There's no way this is going to fade away and be forgotten, but I would not be surprised if it takes longer to work out than a week.

I may be biased because I am in the DC area but I cannot imagine it will go away. In addition to the 800k Feds there are so many contractors (anywhere there is a heavy fed or military presence) also furloughed. I am lucky that I am not but at my company there are a ton of employees who are sitting at home using their vacation or on unpaid leave until the government reopens.

That also doesn't take into account all of the residual effects of the government shutting down. DH doesn't really have much fed involvement at his job but there is a small piece that does that is currently shutdown. He can't deliver a lot of his product with this piece closed. If it doesn't get delivered he doesn't get commission.

[Deleted]

Oct 1, 2013 23:08:34 GMT -5 EllieArroway said:

I have had two separate FB friends (who don't know each other) say they are happy about the shutdown. One said "The mail will still run, the military will still get paid, and social security checks are still going out. The rest was wasteful spending anyway. People can learn to live without their Obama phones." Because apparently that's all the federal government does in her mind. The other said its shameful that we have 800,000 "non-essential" federal employees and that none of them should be brought back.

I've also seen countless posters bragging about how they don't follow politics, or saying that there's no reason to care what Washington is doing, Jesus will save you. So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised at all if this "story" fades away locally. I'm surrounded by idiots.

I've had this on my feed, too. It blew my mind.