# American federal government shutdown: Will you notice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 7, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580 "2011-04-07T20:42:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/1 "2011-04-07T20:42:46Z")
The American news media is obsessed with the current story that the federal government might have to shutdown, at least as far as “non-essential” personnel are concerned. If it does, do you think that you will notice? If so, how? Please remember, this is IMHO and not GD. Poll coming. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/2 "2011-04-07T20:46:07Z")
If the government shuts down, I may not be working Monday. Or I may have to work and not get paid for it, they haven’t decided yet. So yes, I’ll notice. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/3 "2011-04-07T20:46:23Z")
Yes – one of my closest work colleagues is a federal employee who will be stood down, and she’s a person that I interact with on a daily basis. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/4 "2011-04-07T20:48:34Z")
> [@cuauhtemoc](#): > > If the government shuts down, I may not be working Monday. Or I may have to work and not get paid for it, they haven’t decided yet. So yes, I’ll notice. I’m in precisely the same situation. I expect that I’ll notice. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/5 "2011-04-07T21:30:01Z")
For me, I have permits for some wilderness areas that might be in jeapordy if they close access during the shutdown. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/6 "2011-04-07T21:32:56Z")
I won’t notice. I’m in Canada. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/7 "2011-04-07T21:37:18Z")
I’m a DoD employee, and I will notice. I’m non-essential, therefore, will not receive pay. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/8 "2011-04-07T21:40:26Z")
Doubt it will impact me. Come Monday or Tuesday, if it does, I’ll let you know. As far as I’m concerned, it can stay shut down for a month or two. ---
**Author:** ![MissRancher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@MissRancher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissRancher)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/9 "2011-04-07T22:01:54Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Doubt it will impact me. Come Monday or Tuesday, if it does, I’ll let you know. As far as I’m concerned, it can stay shut down for a month or two. Oh, please, no. Both MrRancher and I will be out of work for as long as it’s shut down. And almost all of my friends will be too. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/10 "2011-04-07T23:01:45Z")
> [@cuauhtemoc](#): > > If the government shuts down, I may not be working Monday. Or I may have to work and not get paid for it, they haven’t decided yet. So yes, I’ll notice. You can’t work and not get paid. You may not get paid when you normally do but you can not go to work and ‘volunteer’ your services. [OPM](http://www.opm.gov/furlough2011/) has a section on it. I’m going to notice since I’m a fed, but in some ways I’m looking forward to not having to work. I need a vacation and I have lots of things I will be doing, painting, family history research, swimming and golf. I’ve also saved enough to last a month with little problem. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/11 "2011-04-07T23:25:00Z")
My wife is a federal worker. We’ll find out on Monday if she is essential or not. We live in DC so until it gets resolved, all non-essential city services are stopped. That means no libraries, no DMV, and no trash pickup. DC is kind of fucked in that even though the city raises it’s money through taxes, our money gets funneled through the Dept of Treasury so that Congress can funnel it out to us. Even though the appropriations have been approved, DC government is shutdown as well. The good news is that there will be no parking enforcement so I can park anywhere I want. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/12 "2011-04-07T23:28:13Z")
My husband works for the Dept. of Health and Human Services, so yeah, we’d definitely notice! But he won’t mind if it happens (at least if it doesn’t last too long). We’ve got enough put aside to last us for a while, so it’s not like we’ll be homeless or hungry or anything. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/13 "2011-04-07T23:32:43Z")
I live in DC and half of everyone I know is a federal employee. Yeah, I’ll notice. This town is going to be a madhouse. I hate to think of what is going to happen to the city economy. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/14 "2011-04-07T23:35:03Z")
I am a fed, so yes I will notice. As will the equal number of contractors that work at our facility. I am also part of a big, multi-agency project that is set to kick off _this_ weekend after a year and a half of planning. A delay of even just a few days could fuck things up enough that the whole thing will have to be postponed to the fall. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/15 "2011-04-08T00:14:02Z")
Reading the above posts, it seems worse than I’d thought. And this is due to political brinksmanship? ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/16 "2011-04-08T00:21:38Z")
Much less severe, but I’m waiting on a passport, so I’ll notice. They took my birth certificate, too. Hope I don’t have to wait 6 months to get it back. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/17 "2011-04-08T00:25:51Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Reading the above posts, it seems worse than I’d thought. And this is due to political brinksmanship? Essentially, yes. The GOP has added a ton of riders (defunding EPA, Planned Parenthood, etc.) for ideological reasons, and Democrats are being told to accept the bill or else. [http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2011/04/07/reid-says-federal-shutdown-is-likely.html](http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2011/04/07/reid-says-federal-shutdown-is-likely.html) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/18 "2011-04-08T00:45:27Z")
I’m a professional contractor (engineer) at an Air Force base. If they shut down, I won’t be able to go to work. Darn. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/19 "2011-04-08T01:14:06Z")
I’m at NIH so it will impact me directly and will make my life very difficult. I just bought a home a few months ago and had to stretch a bit to get it because of the very high cost of living in the DC area, so I don’t have a lot of savings right now. If the shutdown lingers on more than a few weeks, I will definitely be worried about being able to pay my mortgage and other bills. Unfortunately, I expect this disaster to be just a prelude to what happens next month when the Federal debt ceiling is reached again. And then there is the 2012 budget to deal with a few months after that. It is a difficult time to be a Federal employee! ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580/20 "2011-04-08T01:44:13Z")
DC Government IT support here, and somehow I’m non essential so lotsa luck to my fellow constituents when the e-911 system crashes. I hope I’ll be somewhere a phone when they try to reach me for support. And I can’t be called on my mobile because we’re not allowed to touch any government provided tools or resources without an approved budget. Perhaps the worst part will be not knowing how long the shutdown might last. I’d like to be able to go on a short vacation but with my luck the budget will be approved while I’m on the plane to southeast Asia. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-federal-government-shutdown-will-you-notice/577580.md?page=2)