Gov't Shutdown Closes National Wildlife Refuges

[BuzzH]

Called Congressman Daines office today and they picked up the phone.

Called Senator Testor's office and they were not taking calls because of the shutdown.

Called Senator Baucus office and they were shut down as well.

So who's shutting down our Government?

What a dumb comment...

I guess since I saw Senator John Barrasso at the Denver airport on my home from Maryland last Friday, trying to get to Casper for the weekend, I should blame him for the government shutdown???

Instead of heading home for the weekend, he should have been "working" to get the budget done.

Holding up the budget and causing a shutdown over legislation that has already been ruled on by the SC as constitutional is a sure loser.

Its also real smart to furlough a bunch of government workers then back pay them for hunting...

Oh well, win-win-win for me...I get to hunt, get furlough pay, and can save my 500 hours of leave. If this shutdown lasts another couple weeks I can take the rest of the year off.

Go Congress!!!

 

[Sytes]

Its also real smart to furlough a bunch of government workers then back pay them for hunting...

Oh well, win-win-win for me...I get to hunt, get furlough pay, and can save my 500 hours of leave. If this shutdown lasts another couple weeks I can take the rest of the year off.

Go Congress!!!

I believe this is more the Union's insistance then gov't intention? Being a current/former Union Steward or chapter Pres(?), is this correct? That is what our union has advised us.

No hunting for myself. I'm at work currently w/o pay ~ to be paid at a later date with my annual leave stripped from my vacation planned in Jamacia - exempt from furlough status.

I am not fond of the idea of working w/o pay... though what is the point of a furlough if we get paid at a later date? I am more peeved at losing my AL vacation... Figure I'll file a grievance for back pay due to the loss of my AL pay if I am able to be dropped into non exempt status for the duration of my vacation - or if I should ever be as lucky as yourself to be paid for not working while on my vacation. The only way I may take my vacation is IF the management team finds it does not create a scratch of OT my entire trip away and does not create an impact to operations. Not likely...

Unions? Congress? President? Seems a frustrating mess all around.

 

[BuzzH]

Sytes,

Are you a dues paying member of your Union, and are you a BUE?

Just out of curiousity were you handed a furlough letter?

In our case, there is a list of non-essential positions identified. All non-essential postitions (nearly all of them except for LEO's and a few others) are currently not allowed by law to even go to work. We cant drive a GOV, cant even use our government cell phones.

Even if we wanted to go to work, we cant by law, we're shut down.

Those positions identified as essential, they still work, but run the risk of working for no pay.

In 1995 and I believe, 1996, backpay was authorized during the shutdowns. There is nothing that assures anyone on furlough of being back paid.

However, a strong case could...and would...be made based on the "past practice" of how it was handled in 1995/96.

I'd not even comment on your AL situation. I dont know your contract/master agreement so without that knowledge, I'd only be guessing. Your best bet is to contact your local Steward and review your MA. Sounds pretty strange to me...just sayin'.

Personally, I dont give a chit what the intention of Congress is, but I do give a chit how Government Employees, and in particular BUE's, are treated.

The Unions have nothing to do with this shutdown, they're just saddled with dealing with the fallout.

Good times...

 

[Sytes]

I am a dues paying member - NTEU / CBP
This is a snip of the notice I received:

• Because you are engaged in one of the exempt functions as outlined in the Department’s Lapse of Appropriations Plan, you are exempt from furlough during the government shutdown. This means you are required to report for work in the event of a furlough.

• During the furlough, you will not be paid. However, you will be paid when Congress passes and the President signs a new appropriation or Continuing Resolution.

Anyhow, I suppose one way or the other... people will most likely get paid. Gotta love our govt.

 

[Tom]

Remove the shit, not raise the ceiling. I get that.

 

[sweetnectar]

For you guys with the "non essential" government jobs...do you think you should be paid the full amount for the time off you are getting or paid some because you didn't choose your vacation time yet you are on vacation. Where do you stand?

 

[dustinf]

Here's a conversation I had with my wife via sat phone after this happened:

Me: "I'm alive, I'll call again in a couple days. How are the dogs?"
Wife: "They are fine. The Government is shut down, what does that mean?"
Me: "Who cares, this phone call is $1.99/minute. I'll call you Thursday."
Wife: "Ok, bye."

That pretty much sums up my opinion.

 

[BuzzH]

For you guys with the "non essential" government jobs...do you think you should be paid the full amount for the time off you are getting or paid some because you didn't choose your vacation time yet you are on vacation. Where do you stand?

How can it be vacation when I didnt choose to be off?

Last time I checked, annual leave days were days that I want to take off, not days I'm forced to not work.

Yes, Government workers should be paid for their furlough time off. Not one of them asked to be furloughed, why should they be punished with no pay?

If you want to take some pay away from some worthless Gov. employees...take paychecks away from Congress, they're the ones not doing their jobs. Even worse, they arent allowing about 800,000 other Gov. employees to do theirs.

 

[schmalts]

The idea of shutting down the government is because we cannot afford to pay for running it. The concept of back paying workers is stupid. Take vacation pay or go unpaid but either way to pay government workers for not working shows how broken the system is. In 2008 all laid off did not get back pay or jobs back because that is how it works. Those furloughed should feel the pain as the civilian world and in the next election look at who will most likely be for balanced budgets and spending cuts so the tax payers can afford to pay them

 

[1_pointer]

The idea of shutting down the government is because we cannot afford to pay for running it. The concept of back paying workers is stupid. Take vacation pay or go unpaid but either way to pay government workers for not working shows how broken the system is.

Taking accrued vacation time is not allowed during a furlough.

 

[schmalts]

Taking accrued vacation time is not allowed during a furlough.

Oh well.... welcome to the civilian world where they are not immune to the economy.

 

[schmalts]

I am a dues paying member - NTEU / CBP
This is a snip of the notice I received:



Anyhow, I suppose one way or the other... people will most likely get paid. Gotta love our govt.

Can you imagine how long a private industry would last being run like that?

 

[BigRack]

How can it be vacation when I didnt choose to be off?

Last time I checked, annual leave days were days that I want to take off, not days I'm forced to not work.

Yes, Government workers should be paid for their furlough time off. Not one of them asked to be furloughed, why should they be punished with no pay?

If you want to take some pay away from some worthless Gov. employees...take paychecks away from Congress, they're the ones not doing their jobs. Even worse, they arent allowing about 800,000 other Gov. employees to do theirs.

Buzz,

Have you thought about the majority of Americans who will have their health insurance costs rise dramatically because of Obamacare?

 

[Dave N]

All I know is when my employer tells me they are "closing shop" and I have no work and have to stay home, I have to file for unemployment. Don't see things as being any different here. Getting made whole defeats the purpose of "can't afford to pay you". Could have just kept working if that was the case.

 

[sweetnectar]

Buzz, Thanks for your honest opinion on the matter. It can be looked at like your employer has breached a contract and you are owed as a government worker even though you didn't do any work. I'm in the private sector and I remember times when my services were not in demand for a week...didn't get paid but didn't have a promised pay check either...makes it tough with 5 kids and a house payment. I was wondering if any government workers would feel they are getting unjustly compensated for work they didn't do and would rather not collect the full amount but opt to take an amount they feel is fairly owed them.

 

[BuzzH]

Buzz,

Have you thought about the majority of Americans who will have their health insurance costs rise dramatically because of Obamacare?

Have you thought about the fact that Government workers have not received a COLA or raise for over 2 years?

Have you thought about the increases we're paying for retirement and healthcare?

Have you ever given a single thought to the fact that government workers make about 80 cents on the dollar to the private sector for the same work?

Finally, this bullchit congress is pulling right now has nothing to do with saving money and lowering the deficit.

Its about obamacare...and frankly, that ship left the port a long time ago. Its over, the supreme court ruled its constitutional and its the LAW. If congress wanted to kill that legislation, they should have done so. Too fuggin' late to drain the swamp when your up to your arse in alligators.

This latest shutdown is exactly the reason why Congress has approval ratings nearly in single digits, and exactly why the American Public has lost all faith in them.

The Government workers I know want to work, and they should not be punished by the bullchit that congress is currently pulling.

You and Schmalts are blaming the wrong people for this mess...and expecting the Government workers to be saddled with bailing out the United States deficit is a gdamn joke.

What have you done to lower the deficit?

 

[noharleyyet]

...from the esteemed Mr. Lamb's source... Cato Institute;

http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/overpaid-federal-workers

 

[schmalts]

Have you thought about the fact that Government workers have not received a COLA or raise for over 2 years?

Have you thought about the increases we're paying for retirement and healthcare?

QUOTE]
How about a pay cut and a 7 year wage freeze and more health care costs?? Yea I felt no pain recently either
Now your sounding like the non-gov workers and maybe can start to put it together Buzz. In case you did not notice, there is a lot of that to see going on outside of your Union Government Goggle vision. It is the state of our economy and country, welcome to the club. If you think you should be immune to the effects of the economy can you tell me why other than "your union negotiated for it". I don't want to see any government workers go unpaid any more than civilian, but to think that government workers should have some special protection above and beyond of the masses who pay you good luck winning those guys over. As far as what have I done? I sure as hell did not vote for most of the clowns in office right now including the number one clown in the white house that has no concept of cutting back on spending. Trust me, I would rather see you paid instead of the sheep getting Obama-phones but when it comes to making real cuts we all need to suffer until something or someone initiates some real reform. Anyone who thinks we can keep on trucking on to higher debt ceilings and higher spending needs a reality check. We have less people working, and many of those making less money due to cuts is pay and that equals less tax money to pay the government bills. Something has to give and at this point I could care less at what it takes to break this fantasy that we really do not have to be responsible with spending.
You can be pissed off all you want but the last person you should be pissed at is the cash cows who pay you your wages (and the cow isn't the government )
As far as government workers making 80 cent on the dollar, you know the solution to that already

 

[BuzzH]

Schmalts,

Write your congressmen...with your private sector goggle vision on, although that may be challenging with your head in your ass.

They're the ones that have caused this mess, and that includes the huge deficit, the shutdown, paying for a couple wars, etc. etc. etc

Mega-dittos.

 

[A-con]

Did anyone see Ted Cruz on CNN/Candy Crowley ?

Well worth the time to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IpnQJEmSpPk