12:11 am
JudyHall
is it my imagination or have the last 3 puzzles been extremely easy ?
3:07 am
Phil
We aren't seeing much on TV or other media in the way of demonstrations from the US govt workers not being paid or supposedly having to work for no money. If it was France there would be riots, in Aus we would be making a massive thing about it (not that it would happen here, no government would ever be allowed to get into the sort of debt the US govt is in) What's really happening? Are you all putting up with it like you accept zero hour contracts and no maternity or paternity paid leave. Do you still only get 4 weeks holiday and how many public holidays on top? And what about carers leave and sick leave? Do you get paid extra when you're on leave, and hat about long service leave, when does that kick in?
8:47 am
Diane
I'm not a federal em'ee, Phil, but typically after a shutdown, there are bills introduced and passed to provide back-pay to those who were furloughed. But that doesn't help the no-income now problem. Local news is full of federal workers who are going to food banks, etc. It's a huge issue. Actually, I think most don't get 4 weeks holiday.
9:03 am
norinva
Phil I worked for the feds for 36 yrs and now am a Fed contractor. I can tell you that I am working with Feds who are not getting paid to work. Some are resentful that they will get the same back pay as the furloughed people even though they were working. There are some demonstrations, but I think most people are too worried about their bills and their next meal to riot. We get 9 paid holidays/year (not like places like Sweden who take July off) and earn annual and sick leave hours. I think it sucks that the administration and Congress are being so petty with each other while an entirely innocent group of people suffer for it. Where's the justice in that? Is it moving anything forward? I don't think so. This is an adolescent move and I think saying that is being charitable.
9:05 am
Diane
Phil, norinva brings up a good point - there are a lot of federal contractors, and even if there's legislation passed paying furloughed federal workers, those bills do not cover contractors. It's a mess.
10:26 am
MrOoijer
In most European countries labour laws stipulate that the employer has to pay its employees in a timely matter. In the Netherlands that means a periodic salary has to be paid before or on the last day of that period. A "shutdown" is not possible here. Sending employees away on unpaid leave is only possible when the employer has filed for bankrupcy.
3:14 pm
helenkeller
Many more people now believe that we have a puppet as a president. We wait for Mueller. Imagine, if you will: An adversarial foreign power buys the election for the commander-in-chief of their major rival. If you owned another country
3:15 pm
helenkeller
& wanted to bring it down, what would be one of your end goals? Shutting down the government? It's beyond outrageous. It's a script for the Twilight Zone.
7:12 pm
KnightTime
I didn't realize the government was shut down. Congress is still getting paid. The military is still getting paid. Social Security payments are still being made along with other entitlement programs. So I think a better term is "partial shutdown." The fact that our government does not work like those in Europe or Australia may be an interesting academic discussion but the comparison is meaningless.
