Shutdown May Look Not-So-Bad, However....
[Dallas News] Many North Texans haven't had to feel the effects of the federal government shutdown ‐ they can still catch flights, get Social Security checks, receive Medicare and Medicaid benefits and keep track of the recent storms through the National Weather Service.
So why should I read further?
But since the partial shutdown began Dec. 22, some mortgages aren't closing, tax questions to the Internal Revenue Service are going unanswered, national parks' operations are threadbare and thousands of federal employees in the state are furloughed or are working without pay.
Ooooooohhhhhhhhhhh...... I see! But don't those not getting paid get back pay? Usually?
Here’s a look at some of the people affected by the shutdown ‐ the result of a showdown between President Donald Trump and the Pelosi-controlled Congress over border wall funding ‐ as it ripples through the Dallas area and the state.
And ripples through the rest of the spider-verse.
More than 400,000 federal employees nationwide have been compelled to work without pay amid the shutdown. Among them are about 600 air traffic controllers who work in North Texas.
Sad story about children offering to give up stuff to save money at link.
[air traffic controller] Daniels said the shutdown also disrupted the installation of new technology meant to improve communications between the controllers and pilots.
The FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, which provides training for hundreds of new air traffic controllers, was also closed by the shutdown. With a "chronic understaffing" of controllers, a disruption in the hiring and training of new controllers is a serious problem.
Bad Orange Man. Bad!
Mortgage lenders often require an official transcript from the Internal Revenue Service of a borrower’s latest tax return to validate their income. The IRS is among the agencies affected by the shutdown, leaving those official transcripts unsent.
Five years ago, in Texas, I didn't need an official transcript, just a copy of two years' 1040 form.
Self-employed people ‐ whose income comes primarily from sales commissions, bonuses or tips ‐ are among those most affected, Anderson said.
National parks could remain open but with limited staff and curtailed services. Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas remains open for now. The park is open, [a visitor reports] but campgrounds and visitor centers aren't. And camping there is illegal without a permit, which visitors can't obtain because of the shutdown.
Who will ticket you for camping without a permit, I wonder?
That has left privately run lodges near the park booked up or nearly full, LeBlanc said.
Izzat a bad thing? And ... another budget-buster:
Those who are furloughed or working without a paycheck may qualify for unemployment insurance benefits, said a spokeswoman for the Texas Workforce Commission.
Posted by: Bobby 2019-01-04 |