10. Vacation all I ever wanted: Need to get away? Well, you can't. At
least not to national parks. Or to national zoos. Or to national
museums. They'd all be closed. That's 368 National Park Service sites
closed, millions of visitors turned away.
Were you thinking more
along the lines of a trip to France? If you don't already have a
passport, you could bid that adieu. It's unlikely you'd get your blue
book in time. The last time the government threw a hissy fit, 200,000
applications for passports went unprocessed. Tourism and airline
revenues reeled.
9. Holiday. Celebrate:
Don't come to work if you're a federal employee. You're on furlough.
(Offer not valid for workers in "critical services," such as air traffic
controllers, hazardous waste handlers and food inspectors.)
Do take some time to
celebrate. In previous shutdowns, everyone who stayed home was paid
retroactively after peace returned to Washington.
8. I won't back down:
The good news (for you) is that the men and women in uniform would
continue to keep you safe. The bad news (for them) is that they'd be
paid in IOUs until the shutdown ended. In January, Sens. Mark Udall,
D-Colorado, and Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, introduced legislation that would
have protected pay for the troops during a shutdown, but it didn't get
anywhere.
Rep. C.W. Young,
chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, told the Air
Force Times, "All military personnel will continue to serve and accrue
pay but will not actually be paid until appropriations are available."
Their mid-October
paycheck would be the first affected. In addition, the congressman told
the paper, changes of station would be delayed, medical offerings would
be scaled back, facility and weapons maintenance would be suspended and
most civilian employees would be furloughed until appropriations are
available.
Scenarios of the shutdown
7. If you drive a car, I'll tax the street:
You may be thinking, "No functioning government, no need to pay taxes."
Think again. The Man would continue to collect taxes. U.S. bonds would
still be issued. And other essential banking functions would go on.
6. Wait a minute, Mr. Postman:
You know that whole "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of
night" thing? Apparently, the U.S. Postal Service works through
shutdowns as well. Sorry, you won't catch a break from the junk mail.
But hey, you may already be a winner!
5. I want a new drug:
Oh, the irony. The Republicans want to defund Obamacare in exchange for
funding the government. But the health care act at the center of this
storm would continue its implementation process during a shutdown.
That's because its funds aren't dependent on the congressional budget
process.
4. Pass the ammunition:
Not so fast. A shutdown would affect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives. Translation: That gun permit you wanted
processed wouldn't happen anytime soon.
3. Money (that's what I want):
Well, if you own a small business and needed a loan from the
government, you'd have to wait. If you were planning to buy a house and
needed a federal loan, you'd have to wait. If you're a veteran, you
might have to make a few trips to the mailbox before that check arrived.
If you're on Social
Security, however, don't worry -- probably. Social Security payments
were sent during the last shutdown. President Obama's expected to keep
workers on the payroll to process checks. But would there be enough
employees to process new benefits for the newly retired?
2. Anything dirty or dingy or dusty:
Oscar the Grouch is a company of one. No one loves trash. But if you
live in Washington, expect it to pile up if there's a shutdown. There
wouldn't be anyone to collect your garbage. Washington's budget has to
be approved by Congress. No budget for the city = no trash collection.
And, according to The Washington Post, D.C. produces about 500 tons of
garbage each week.
1. I'm proud to be an American:
Perhaps the biggest hit would be to the collective psyche. America is
the largest economy in the world and a beacon for how democracy ought to
work. To watch elected lawmakers engage in a high-stakes staring
contest with no one willing to blink is no way to do business. A recent
CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll found that 51% will blame Republicans if
the government closes its doors. The U.S. has operated without a budget
since 2009 and has avoided a government shutdown with last-minute
deals. It's been one stomach-turning sequel after another.
Not only does the
government run out of money on October 1, the nation is set to hit the
debt ceiling and go into default in mid-October. Together, they serve --
in the words of CNN senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta -- as a
dysfunction double whammy.
What won't change.
The criminals in CONgress like Ted Cruz will still get a paycheck!
