Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913

My Life With the Government Shutdown

“The safety net is going to be having a strong border because we are going to be safe....... I really believe that these people, many of the people we are talking about, many of the people you’re discussing, I really believe they are agreeing with what we are doing.” This was said by President Trump in a Jan. 4 media conference in response to a reporter’s question of “Do you have a safety net for federal workers, for those who need their checks?”

In response to a reporter’s question on Jan. 7 of “Can you relate to the pain of federal workers who can’t pay their bills?” President Trump responded with, “...People understand exactly what’s going on, many of those people that won’t be receiving a paycheck, many of those people agree 100 percent with what I’m doing.”

President Trump, I do not agree with what you are doing. I do not agree with holding my husband’s pay ransom, as well as other federal workers throughout the state and throughout the country, so you can have leverage to obtain money for a border wall. I do not agree with shutting down our National Parks, shutting down museums and attractions and placing many people throughout the country out of work. I do not agree with your tactics and antics in order to get what you want.

There are National Weather Service employees in Glasgow who have to show up to work during their scheduled shift, however not get a scheduled check. There are employees at the USDA Farm Agency in Glasgow currently out of work. Farmers and ranchers of the area will be, if not already, missing subsidy checks they were expecting. These are real people, people who live in our community, who work in our community, who have made our community home. Real people and their livelihoods are pawns in this political game.

As of press time, the government has been shutdown since Dec. 22, exactly 17 days, with no resolution in sight. President Trump has made comments threatening he is willing to continue to keep the government shutdown “for a very long period of time – months or even years.” At the same time, stories are being told by federal workers out of work relying on credit cards and loans in order to make ends-meet. If the shutdown continues “for a very long period of time,” other consequences beyond loss of pay for employees will occur including cuts to food stamps.

The long-term effects of this shutdown, no matter how much longer it will go on, will be felt in our small community. Families and individuals will have to prioritize how they spend their money. They won’t be able to go out to eat, which will affect local restaurants. They won’t be able to spend as much money on groceries or household items, which will affect local grocery stores. They won’t be able to shop for the things they want as essential items will be priority, affecting local businesses.

This government shutdown affects more than just the individual worker and their families. It affects everyone and if this continues “for a very long time,” the entire community of Glasgow, the surrounding communities, the state, and even across the country, everyone will be affected in one way or another. I only wish President Trump and Congress could work together as a team, show solidarity, make compromises and see the affects of their lack of action.

 

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