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Shutting down the Federal government sucks. I've got contracts, for work I've already performed for them, and they owe me over $20,000. They shut down payments about a month ago, and they're not going to pay anything until their budget is approved. They tell me "it'll only be 10 or 12 weeks, and you'll get paid". This is for work I did in August, by the way - and I have to continue working without pay, or I won't get a contract in the future for expert testimony work.

Do you think I can tell my mortgage company and the grocery store "it'll only be 10-12 weeks and I'll pay you"? I'm thinking not. No matter what side you're on, it's irresponsible holding the American people hostage like this. And for me, personally, it really hurts. -B

How much money is wasted everyday on worthless green projects, giving illegal immigrants benefits, arming Syrian rebels... this list goes on and on.... I am sorry your in a tough spot tho...

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^^^^^

Shovelgirl, I am very sorry to read this. I'm sure that like most vendors you were involved in some sort of bidding process & gave them the best possible service for their nickel. The only thing that perplexes me is, why didn't they have the monies allotted & set aside for your contracts? That's normally how it's done before the contract is awarded unless it's funded with non-allotted/private funds such as an employees' club, etc.

Tried to email you but your inbox was full...

^ He took a page out of dubya's book & made it worse.

Btw, shovelgrrl(sp?) I believe that the end of the fiscal year for the Government ends in September (thank goodness I haven't done bookkeeping in decades), soooo there should have been monies put aside for short term contracts awarded. Only exception, that I can think of, are those that are annual and automatically renewed...

Ok, I'll shut up now.
God bless.

That's what government always does, all the way down to the local level. Local governments use typical threats like, 'Don't want us to raise your property taxes again? No problem, then we'll just have to start winding down your fire and police protection, and shut down all the schools as well.'

Works like a charm every time, and at every level of government.

They never have and never will. They are only concerned with "their own".

support and a solution would be nice to give... I hope she doesn't feel we were giving her a hard time... just trying to identify the problem..

Republican/Tea Party Obstructionists bootstrapping one unrelated issue to another. Thank you to the Republican Party.




(Not saying Obamacare shouldn't be looked at, but trying to use this type of leverage hurts the U.S. more than it helps it at this time.)

I'm not one to tout one party over another. But, you may want to get down off the "Bash the Tea Party to Deflect Attention Away from The Democrats" bandwagon.

Blaming the Tea Party for the current fiscal crisis makes as much sense as the notion that Obamacare was modeled after the Romney Massachusetts plan. That's like saying the Lincoln Town Car was modeled after the Model T.

Really, it seems to me that at some point enough is enough.

Currently the accumulated Federal debt is ~$12T with an average rate of 2.4%. The CBO projects that debt will rise to ~$16T by year 2020. Suppose we returned to a more nominal rate of 5.7%, annual debt service in 2020 would reach $930B, or 92% of the $1.1T in income taxes collected by the IRS in 2012. I'm sure we will all be happy knowing that every penny we pay in taxes from January 1st through about November 30th is paying for debt service.

Here's the good part. We can say goodbye to heathcare, military, free phones, etc...

It's no wonder that Obamacare is full of new taxes. We as a nation are headed to the poor house.

"What is our saturation point? Do we become a nation of 50-75% income tax? Have we not learned anything from history? Have we not learned that socialism does not work?

By the way, it's become so cheap to do business here that the shareholders of Smithfield Foods of North Carolina and the world's largest producer of pork (no pun intended) is slated to be sold to the Chinese company of Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd.'s.



EDIT
Should have checked my math.

Would be 83%, not 92%. So I guess we only have to work until about November 5th to pay down the debt each year.

What would happen if we simply stopped paying on the debt? No more servicing the monster. Just stopped and told the banks no mas?
Would this really be the end- another Will Smith or Ahnald movie?

Beat your drums all you want, but everyone already knows we are in a severe financial crises. That is not my point. And, I am not saying the Tea Partiers Republicans are the cause of or cure to the problem. But, instead they are holding the country hostage by bootstrapping one issue with another. Every time we come close to a precipice, our world-wide stability decreases. Sure, we have an enormous problem on our hands. Obamacare needs to be looked at. But holding creditors hostage, watching stocks fall and interest rates rise when we all know something will get passed is just plain idiotic.

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Is defunding Obamacare really the reason beth isn't getting paid... I don't see the connection..

If we did this (and one day we will) 16.7 trillion USD would simply vanish one day. It would vanish from Social Security, transportation tax trust funds, 401Ks, pensions, foreign investors, banks, little Jimmy's savings bond that grandma bought for him. Banks hold US treasuries as "liquid" capital. When this capital vanished overnight, those banks would have to cease all lending and start hording real money to get back within FDIC requirements. 401K accounts with mutual funds invested in bonds would see those bond fund balances go to zero overnight. Because we're told to invest more in bonds (because they're safe) than stocks as we get older, this would hit older people and retirees harder than the young workers. Companies would do work for the US government would now operate on a cash basis. As the government cut spending to work within a balanced budget, some of these companies that are heavily dependent on government work would close shop.

The GNP of the USA is 15.9 trillion dollars per year. The 1213 budget year saw a budget deficit of 900 billion dollars. That means 900 billion out of 15.9 trillion is just government deficit spending and the economy is still relatively flat. If that government spending vanished, the economy would contract by 5.5%. You can assume that at at least 5.5% of the population will become unemployed in addition to the current unemployment level of 7.1%. Now we're at least at 12.6% unemployed. The government can't pay increased unemployment benefits because it is on a cash basis and has no credit.

The government can't raise taxes to make up for the lost deficit spending ability because that would just reduce business and consumer spending by the same amount. It is a zero sum game. The government could just print money but that would destroy the value of the dollar and eliminate all foreign trade and ultimately the entire country.

Foreign creditors would have liens placed on US assets. By law we can eliminate the threat us US creditors and banks doing this but not foreign banks. Air Force 1 could be seized by creditors if it left the country and landed somewhere. US military assets, equipment, and bases would be confiscated by foreign creditors. The US military would already be rusting in place due to spending cuts and the only way to stop foreign confiscation would be to start wars.

After the Federal default and as US assets are seized worldwide, it would become quickly apparent that the US has lost viability and economically stronger states will break away and form new nations. 7 or 8 regional based nations could easily be supported. It is possible that UN and EU peacekeeping forces may be needed during the transition.

All this is inevitable. All empires must come to an end.

The only way to defund obamacare is to shut down the government.
Collateral damage.

^ Chuck Grassley is standing on top of a hill with a year in his eye.

“While the White House operatives may think this attack is clever, it betrays an astonishing elitism: the federal government is perfect and requires no reform. That is why they have no plan to make our government leaner and more efficient. The President had 18 months to develop reforms to improve the government, but instead he announced furloughs of federal workers as a political cudgel. Yet, his golf weekend at the yacht club with Tiger Woods cost taxpayers over a million dollars—enough money to save 341 federal workers from furlough,”

Film at 11....

I didn't mean to hurt you feelings and i forgot about your need to know it all. You really are a delicate little bitter girl.

I'm sorry.

I heard Obama spent it on beer....

true.... true....

prolly gonna have to get a new mailbox and front porch soon...

If true, I think you're my new best friend. Thanks!

Better not be a lie though.

Hope it all works out soon. shovelgirl. Keep us posted.