Anyone's livelihood affected by the shutdown

[Lbox88]

What we really need is a no party system. Too much of of whats happening is because everyone chose sides and are competing to win whatever battles they think they need to win and not whats better for the whole. The president has created some serious hostility between parties and nothing can get done. It would be funny if people had to actually know what they were voting for and couldn't just vote a party line because they are Dem or Rep.

Hey fellow Michigander, what area you from?

[n8ball2013]

I tsakked to a friend ststioned at a reserve ang bSe. Sje said the security forces are staffed. They have one fireman on site. All flightd sre grounded and 95 percent of the staff is furloughed. They also cancelled drill weekend. I work for an insurance company. You should hesr some of the things the underwriters and stuff have to say about the policies of obamacare.

[Marcus Kuenzer]

Marcus in affect you are somewhat correct. But any party has to have a name, such as the Tea party. Anyways the main problem is we have a president who seems to have a power trip. And refuses as he stated, not to negotiate with the Republicans. His words not mine, also calling them (rep) terrorist. Yet the republicans agrred to everything he and the Dems wanted except Obama Care aka-the affordable care act. Ans yes the military will continued to get paid. And of course the Pres will continue to draw his salary. And why would anyone agree to Obama care when congress is exempt and gets a 72 percent reduction. And he has hand chosen some Big buisness to be exempt also. If his care act was so good, then why on day one didn't he sign his self and family up. So it is the Republicans sticking up for the little guy, who will now pay double or triple their previous premiums. I have never considered myself affiliated with any party. But on this issue the republics are the ones truly fighting for the common man. And as for Harry Reid, well i dont think much needs to be said. He and Jay Carney are very good at making asses out of themselves without any help from the press.

Yeah I never could think of a good way to do elections without a party system. The stupid thing is all these politicians only care about their careers, the best solution would be to not allow any politician to make more than the national average income, then they would be a little more concerned with making the country run a lil better/smoother/efficient.

[Marcus Kuenzer]

What we really need is a no party system. Too much of of whats happening is because everyone chose sides and are competing to win whatever battles they think they need to win and not whats better for the whole. The president has created some serious hostility between parties and nothing can get done. It would be funny if people had to actually know what they were voting for and couldn't just vote a party line because they are Dem or Rep.

Hey fellow Michigander, what area you from?

Hudsonville, just outside GR

[n8ball2013]

Oh they care about the money more than a career.

[Airborne]

looks like my disability pay may be delayed. It's only funded through this month. Congress and the Senate pretend to love folks like me but won't do a fucking thing to actually pay me back for the shit I went through. NO MORE RE-ELECTIONS! These assholes get comfortable and will do ANYTHING to get re-elected.

First priority of a politician is to be re-elected. All the rest is lip service...

[Airborne]

What if Democrats threatened to shut down the government unless Republicans

1. Agreed to strict gun laws?

2. Agreed to repeal the Monsanto Protection Act?

3. Agreed to more liberal abortion laws?

4. Agreed to bomb Syria?

5. Agreed that "citizens united" was a bastardization of the First Amendment?

[Colin - STAPUFT]

I know this is in the Political area of the forum, but I could give two squirts of piss if it is THE democrats or THE republicans. It is both of them. It is all of them. Piss on the whole thing and actually piss on anyone that thinks voting party lines makes ANY difference.

We don't need more laws with term limits and "Amendment 28" and bla bla bla... we need LESS. And that would cause people to actually feel the pain of REALITY. If people had to take individual accountability, then maybe they would think more and simply vote out the idiots that participate in this mess. It is simple really- anyone that is an Incumbent, don't vote for them. Unfortunately- just like many government workers (including my close family) are right now. The part that pisses people off is that so many of the people who make those choices to furlough other people still get paid. If you want to get political, ask if Obama is still getting paid. Ask if Camp David, his vacation home, is still open to him. And really ask yourself- does Obama have nothing to do with this Government Shutdown. Really? Nothing at all???

But you know the funny thing- we in the private sector have been dealing with this for years. Most of us who have kept jobs over the last 6 years have seen our pay stagnate and work load double, triple, or in my case quadruple. I'm sorry for people who are frightened right now- really I am. But I have a real hard time empathizing completely when my wife and I have made it in this economy. Personally I have made it through 4 sets of cut backs and then a company buy out. Out of 300 people, I am one of 9 that made it this long. Accident? No- I am productive and I generate business and money. That could all go south tomorrow and I pray it doesn't, but we will worry about that if it gets here, and make preparations for it.

Like I said earlier, I have family that works different Government jobs and I work for a company that has MANY Government contracts (though we do as much or more in the private sector as well). I know the type of people that can work in government jobs via stories from my family. My brother has to do the yearly budget. IF they don't spend all of the budgeted $$$, they will get less next year. How does that make sense? Because of that, he told me that they have 3 machines sitting in the corner that are over a Quarter Million Dollars each. Sitting there collecting dust- why? Because the more they spend, the more they get. In my job- I would be one of the people downsized or let go. In my work at many of our Government contracts, I have personally seen people go on their break at 10:15 am and not get off break until lunch at noon. Then they go to lunch and come back at 2:00. Then they take a break at 2:30 and don't get off break until 4:30 and leave early!!! And this is multiple people- EVERY DAY.

I'm sorry. Like I said, I feel sorry for the individuals who are scared, but I don't empathize very much. My wife and I have no debt and emergency savings even through what we've been through as little as we make. Government workers can too.

I apologize for the rant, I know this is about how the shut down has affected people's work and has no bearing on political parties.

/rant

[sayhuh?]

What if Democrats threatened to shut down the government unless Republicans

1. Agreed to strict gun laws?

2. Agreed to repeal the Monsanto Protection Act?

3. Agreed to more liberal abortion laws?

4. Agreed to bomb Syria?

5. Agreed that "citizens united" was a bastardization of the First Amendment?

People really need to get past the whole It's the Dems or Reps faults. It is both. Nothing else, just both.

These are the same assholes who wait until the last week to figure out something they knew was coming for a whole year..for the past few years, repeatedly. If they had started this process back in January, they may have come to an agreement by now, possibly even made a budget for once in the past 5 years, and figured out the debt ceiling...aka did their jobs. But nooo...they did what they always do. Wait.

For this country to still point fingers at one side or the other means we as people are still completely lost.

[Airborne]

I wasn't pointing fingers I was curious how everyone would react. Would they blindly vote for their party or would they actually gather FACTS and base their decision on what the people who voted for them want and not just the extreme nut fuckers...