Government Shutdown

[uintafly]

Fun fact - if you are a government worker, you are not a tax payer. You do not "pay taxes". You are paid IN taxes. Money is stolen from private sector workers and given to you. Your paycheck is stolen from my paycheck.

Climb-Utah.com

lol. As a sign of protest you should forego using any government services. Stay off the roads (unless private), don't call a cop or a firefighter or send your kids to a school. Stay out of national parks, forests, BLM lands, etc. You are probably okay using electricity and gas, but find your own drinking water and figure out how to get rid of your own sewer and trash. Stay out of any major airport. I could go on and on. Government workers are fun to mock, but we all use government services all day every day.

[Iceaxe]

^^^Fun Fact - most of the items you listed are state and not Federal. Or powers the feds have forcibly stolen from the state.

[uintafly]

^^^Fun Fact - most of the items you listed are state and not Federal. Or powers the feds have forcibly stolen from the state.

Okay, I know you are trolling but what about food inspectors, air traffic controllers, freeways, national forests and parks, border control and the military?

[rockgremlin]

Employees of the BLM and USFS as well. I mentioned this previously but anyone looking to get a mine permitted are completely hamstrung because the EA process is dependent on Federal review.

There are 3 mines in Utah (that I'm aware of -- could be more) that are dead in the water until the Feds get back to work and continue the permitting process.

[Iceaxe]

Okay, I know you are trolling but what about food inspectors, air traffic controllers, freeways, national forests and parks, border control and the military?

First answer me this.... how did the US manage to survive up until 1913 with no Federal income tax?

[rockgremlin]

First answer me this.... how did the US manage to survive up until 1913 with no Federal income tax?

Really interesting article about that here: https://www.thenewamerican.com/cultu...the-income-tax

[uintafly]

First answer me this.... how did the US manage to survive up until 1913 with no Federal income tax?

We didn't spend so much damn money for the 3 biggies: Military, Social Security and Medicare. A quick google search shows that those 3 account for almost 70% of all federal spending. Holy $hit. Imagine if your mortgage, car loan and groceries accounted for 70% of your monthly spending.

[qedcook]

We didn't spend so much damn money for the 3 biggies: Military, Social Security and Medicare. A quick google search shows that those 3 account for almost 70% of all federal spending. Holy $hit. Imagine if your mortgage, car loan and groceries accounted for 70% of your monthly spending.

Imagine if you actually had to live on a budget and not have $22 trillion dollars of debt!!!

[Iceaxe]

When it's my turn to be President the first two items on my agenda will be a balanced budget Amendment and term limits on all congressional members.

[rockgremlin]

term limits on all congressional members.

This should have been priority numero uno for a "drain-the-swamp" presidency IMO. The stodgy incumbents who are stuck in their ways and never waver from the party line are a huge block to progress in this country.

I'm looking at you Orrin Hatch...

[Iceaxe]

This should have been priority numero uno for a "drain-the-swamp" presidency IMO.

It will never happen unless the people can bypass Congress and vote on it directly as no way congress is going to vote themselves out of a job. The president has little say in the matter.

FWIW - This is why our state legislature hate initiatives as it bypasses them and goes straight to the voters.

[Iceaxe]

Okay, I know you are trolling but what about food inspectors, air traffic controllers, freeways, national forests and parks, border control and the military?

This sums up my thoughts nicely....



Climb-Utah.com

[accadacca]

[accadacca]

The memes are going crazy...

[Sombeech]

Build the McWall

[oldno7]

///...,,

[BasinCruiser]

Who knew that without 'non-essential' employees, the federal government could get MORE done and be more efficient.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog...down_trap.html


Words from an "unidentified senior Trump official": https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/14/s...dUPkoqSzkiiEBk

"Most of my career colleagues actively work against the president's agenda. This means I typically spend about 15 percent of my time on the president's agenda and 85 percent of my time trying to stop sabotage, and we have no power to get rid of them. Until the shutdown."

"Due to the lack of funding, many federal agencies are now operating more effectively from the top down on a fraction of their workforce, with only select essential personnel serving national security tasks. ...President Trump can end this abuse. Senior officials can reprioritize during an extended shutdown, focus on valuable results and weed out the saboteurs. We do not want most employees to return, because we are working better without them. "

[rockgremlin]

Who knew that without 'non-essential' employees, the federal government could get MORE done and be more efficient.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog...down_trap.html


Words from an "unidentified senior Trump official": https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/14/s...dUPkoqSzkiiEBk

"Most of my career colleagues actively work against the president's agenda. This means I typically spend about 15 percent of my time on the president's agenda and 85 percent of my time trying to stop sabotage, and we have no power to get rid of them. Until the shutdown."

"Due to the lack of funding, many federal agencies are now operating more effectively from the top down on a fraction of their workforce, with only select essential personnel serving national security tasks. ...President Trump can end this abuse. Senior officials can reprioritize during an extended shutdown, focus on valuable results and weed out the saboteurs. We do not want most employees to return, because we are working better without them. "

This is interesting.

But why are Trump's officials trying to secretly sabotage him? Weren't they appointed by Trump? Or is there a looser definition of official that applies here?

[rockgremlin]

///Arizona/Mexico border sign...,,

I was a little leery of this sign. It looks a little photoshoppy. But it didn't show up in Snopes, and furthermore I found an alternate photo of the same sign with a cute little granny for scale. I guess it checks out, which is pretty disturbing.

[BasinCruiser]

This is interesting.

But why are Trump's officials trying to secretly sabotage him? Weren't they appointed by Trump? Or is there a looser definition of official that applies here?

I don't believe it's the Trump officials that are referenced as trying to sabatage him, but the beaurocrats his officials have to work with that slow everything down. More from that piece, from a Trump appointee talking about their coworkers:

"On an average day, roughly 15 percent of the employees around me are exceptional patriots serving their country. I wish I could give competitive salaries to them and no one else. But 80 percent feel no pressure to produce results. If they don't feel like doing what they are told, they don't.Why would they? We can't fire them. They avoid attention, plan their weekend, schedule vacation, their second job, their next position – some do this in the same position for more than a decade.
They do nothing that warrants punishment and nothing of external value. That is their workday: errands for the sake of errands – administering, refining, following and collaborating on process. "Process is your friend" is what delusional civil servants tell themselves. Even senior officials must gain approval from every rank across their department, other agencies and work units for basic administrative chores."