On Shutting Down The Federal Govt

[Ben]

Many here (myself included) talk about what a good idea it would be to simply shut the govt down for a while when DC can't come up with a budget (due 01OCT). What better way to show the public how govt has more money than it needs, right?

The below article brought back memories about maybe why it's not that great of a strategy. I was never exposed to people being mad about govt employees not being available, but when you have voters whose big complaint is "we were on vacation and couldn't get into the Smithsonian" I can see the point about the strategy backfiring. At least until the majority of voters start to care about more than themselves.

http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/09/29/breakdancing-around-nitroglycerin

[Tallpine]

NICS ...? 

[TommyGunn]

He he.  Buy your guns BEFORE the government shuts down!


People will complain when the employees aren't there, so it's best to let the government spend to the point where the economy collapses so then the people will be too busy surviving to complain...... 

 

[Tallpine]

Shutting down the ATF, FBI, DEA, etc too ...? 

[Ben]

SOP as far as I know in any potential furlough, is to either keep critical agencies either running as usual, or else to rotate furloughs so that it's more like a RIF for them.

[RevDisk]

NICS ...?  

Annnnnd that's exactly why Pennsylvania runs its own.  Feds could shut down NICS permanently, we'd just shrug and keep selling as normal.

Shutting down the ATF, FBI, DEA, etc too ...? 

A good start..?

[lupinus]

While on a runaway train, it doesn't do you much good to suddenly come across a concrete wall blocking the track. Even more destructive then the runaway train you're on.

Much better that you gradually slow it down to an appropriate speed.

This is assuming, of course, you can manage slow it down before running out of track and go flying over a cliff. At which point you're pretty much SOL&JWF.

[HankB]

When Clinton shut down the Federal government (and it WAS Clinton - he's the one who cast the veto that did it.) it really didn't affect me, or anyone I know . . . the only folks who really seemed to be hurt were the ones on vacation who wanted to visit some Federally-owned attraction, and found it closed. Most folks wouldn't have even been aware of it had the media not trumpeted it to the skies.

Some years before, most government (unionized, at least) employees in MN went on strike. Again, most people never noticed, aside from students that had longer lines to stand in during registration at U of MN.

Makes one wonder how much government we don't really need . . .

[makattak]

Makes one wonder how much government we don't really need . . .

To quote an awesomely terrible movie:

 

My first thought would be... a lot.

[taurusowner]

Shutting down the ATF, FBI, DEA, etc too ...?  

That's the only one I want to see keep running.  The the two can close shop permanently as far as I'm concerned.  The FBI goes after real criminals who commit real crimes like murder, kidnapping, robbery, terrorism, etc.  The ATF and DEA only go after criminals who were made criminals by federal order.  The legit anti-drug operations or stolen explosives investigations can be rolled into the FBI while the other two agencies are disbanded.

[Tallpine]

The FBI goes after real criminals who commit real crimes like murder, kinknapping, robbery, terrorism, etc.

Yeah, except for the ones they don't go after - like the ones reported by several flight schools before 9-11-01 



BTW, do you want to define "kinknapping"  ...?   

[taurusowner]

Yeah, except for the ones they don't go after - like the ones reported by several flight schools before 9-11-01  rolleyes

Yes, let's certainly turn this into a conspiracy theory thread.

[Angel Eyes]

Yes, let's certainly turn this into a conspiracy theory thread.

Actually,  I interpreted it as a comment on the FBI's efficiency (or lack thereof).

Still waiting to hear more about the kinknapping ...

[Tallpine]

Yes, let's certainly turn this into a conspiracy theory thread.

How about we turn it into a "we can't or won't do anything with blatantly suspicious information provided to us by private citizens so let's create a whole new bureacracy and restrictions on individual freedom so we can not do anything about the next major terror attack" thread ? 

[taurusowner]

How about we turn it into a "we can't or won't do anything with blatantly suspicious information provided to us by private citizens so let's create a whole new bureacracy and restrictions on individual freedom so we can not do anything about the next major terror attack" thread ? 

Care to lose the snark and explain wtf you're talking about?

Wait, allow me to clarify.  Care to lose the snark and explain wtf you're talking about without claiming that the FBI somehow intentionally let 9/11 happen, which is pure Grade A shack-in-the-woods nutjob BS.

[Monkeyleg]

Okay, if this is going to be "Conspiracy Theory", who plays Alice Sutton?

[Regolith]

Wait, allow me to clarify.  Care to lose the snark and explain wtf you're talking about without claiming that the FBI somehow intentionally let 9/11 happen, which is pure Grade A shack-in-the-woods nutjob BS.

I don't see where he's saying that the FBI intentionally let 9/11 happen. It seems he is simply saying that the FBI failed to follow up on some tips that might have prevented it from happening, which AFAIK is true.  Failure doesn't imply malice; more like incompetence.

[taurusowner]

Well he did clearly say "or won't do anything with blatantly suspicious information" which directly implies he thinks it's possible they intentionally allowed 9/11 to occur.

[Tallpine]

Well he did clearly say "or won't do anything with blatantly suspicious information" which directly implies he thinks it's possible they intentionally allowed 9/11 to occur.

IIRC, an FBI field officer wanted to investigate the tip, but somebody from HQ in DC shut them down. 

You are the one that brought up conspiracy... 

[makattak]

Well he did clearly say "or won't do anything with blatantly suspicious information" which directly implies he thinks it's possible they intentionally allowed 9/11 to occur.

Because someone has chosen not to do something doesn't imply conspiracy.

It might imply foolish RoE or procedures. I seriously doubt if anyone here is a "truther".

[Ben]

From a non-copyrighted gov employee newsletter I get in the emails. Interesting perspectives from the two sides of the political aisle:

Workforce Caps: Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., have proposed limiting federal workforce growth by capping staff size. Hatch's legislation (S. 3747 { Link:  http://cpb.govexec-media.com/portal/wts/cemcfOa8rUiba-rQueqEE9a9sx-B4b } ) would require federal agencies to reduce personnel through attrition to February 2009 levels, with exceptions for the White House, CIA, FBI and Secret Service. Lummis' bill (H.R. 5348 { Link:  http://cpb.govexec-media.com/portal/wts/cemcfOa8rUiba-rQueqEE-a9sx-B4b } ) would allow the government to hire only one employee for every two workers who leave, exempting the Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs departments. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Federal Workforce Subcommittee, respectively, are considering the bills.
GOP lawmakers also have proposed several measures affecting federal workers through the YouCut program, an initiative to control government spending. The public each week votes on proposals, and the winning idea goes to the House floor.
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., in May proposed eliminating the 1.4 percent federal pay hike President Obama requested for 2011, a measure she said would save $30 billion over 10  years, but House lawmakers rejected { Link:  http://cpb.govexec-media.com/portal/wts/cemcfOa8rUiba-rQueqEEAa9sx-B4b }  the legislation. Chaffetz's delinquent tax bill and Lummis' workforce cap provision also were included in the program.
Union leaders and Democratic lawmakers have strongly opposed proposals affecting government employees. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said furloughing federal workers destroys morale and productivity and demeans agency missions, while Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, called a hiring freeze "arbitrary."

[roo_ster]

Kinknapping: A narcoleptic into S&M.

Y'all are welcome.