So it seems that there have been some tensions lately at United States National Monuments. On one hand you have the government closing down monuments that are outdoors, like the World War II Memorial in Washington DC. At the same time many rangers who worked those sites have been furloughed along with other government employees. HOWEVER, at the same time they are using rangers at these monuments to put up barricades and block the public from accessing the sites.
I can understand the need to protect the monuments from vandalism, however how many rangers beyond those already there to prevent access are needed to allow visitors in even on a limited basis?
I’ve been asking myself the same question. None of this makes any sense to me. All I understand is that you made a great cartoon covering this topic, though.
Well you should talk to me so you don’t have to look like a fool asking yourself questions
But you don’t answer me as fast as I do myself.
Been wondering that myself, Bearman.
And what have you come up with?
I work for the Federal Government so here it is in a non-partisan way: Essential employees (those required to protect life and property and those who support them) are working, although not going to get paid until congress passes a budget. Being on minimal staffing, agencies cannot provide their usual range of services, hence, they can’t provide full security to an open park, cleaning services, guides, maintenance, etcetera. The few rangers that they have working are barely enough to keep the area secure (and are not getting paid right now, so there is no money moving).
If operating a park and safeguarding it while non-operational demanded the same amount of resources, then it would not make sense to close them, but the truth is that many resources go into operating our National Parks, so they are kept close.
In my agency, we are working at half staffing, cannot get equipment or supplies (including gasoline for our vehicles, which we filled on September 30) If the shutdown extended past a certain time, we would run out of things like paper, toner, gas, toilet paper, and things of that nature, in addition to our employees not being paid.
Sorry for the long post, and now, back to more fun stuff!
Nef I get it though I read an article about many federal employees looking at this as a deferred paid holiday. What about all the private sector jobs that have been affected where they won’t see a dime?
Regarding national military monuments, I guarantee if the government said they can stay open with the limited rangers and a continuous planned source of veterans who will volunteer to provide security, pick up trash etc, they would have more than enough to keep it open at least several hours each day.
Good thing it’s fall, Nef. Leaves can be used as toilet paper. Just stay away from poison ivy!
Personally, I don’t want to see our government get any bigger than it already is. It has to stop somewhere, how long can people expect a minority of the people to support the majority? Maybe I’m wrong, that’s just my opinion.
Personally I don’t mind a wealthy minority supporting a poorer majority. HOWEVER, I can’t stand wastefullness. The tax burden wouldn’t be so large if pet projects were removed from the budget. There is so much that shouldn’t be government run.
This seems like a bunch of rich buttheads who would rather stick strongly to some theories and principles than help the people who they represent. I find it really sad that they have to use such drastic measures to bully others into getting their way.
I kinda think we should take a mulligan and reelect everyone.
Instead we have battered wife syndrome and still go back to the same ones.
Good one Bearman! I was wondering how much those people were being paid to put up the barriers.
Definitely a skeleton crew but truly how many people are needed to operate rock?
Government politics has always been beyond me. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that all parties have conspired to shut the gov’t down so they can earn more interest for the gov’t bank account. I’m assuming the gov’t HAS a bank account.
Love the ranger guy! Dunno who the other guy is. :`)
An old veteran is who the other guy is
If millions of American businesses would just say, “Okay…The government is closed so I won’t send them any taxes this Month”. It might get their attention.
There are some great Civil Servants who will be hurt by this short term but I am still concerned that the Governement even has 800,000 non-essential employees.
Anyone can say what they want to but the Political Bozos are playing games with the American people.
Yes…seemingly they still take taxes out of my check. Who are they sending it to? haha
The illegals are having a rally today in the national mall and it’s closed too. Funny how the veterans couldn’t go to the war memorial, but the illegals have the run of the place. Oh wait, it’s the democrats voter base. Politics makes me very sick.
Have a terrific day. 🙂
Exactly…Dems voter base. Wonder how many other schedule rallies will be able to go forward.
I put an extra e in government but I guess that is okay. I have raised the vowel ceiling on words I want to spell.
That’s a check you can’t afford to pay
Dropping death benefits to the families was one of the worst.
which families? military?
Yes, but it looks like they are saying they will reimburse the charities who covered the funerals of the four killed in Afghanistan when the shut down is over. And since there is so much outrage, they are trying to restore those benefits. I guess they weren’t expecting anyone to be killed during the shutdown.
Yes…please terrorists and enemies do not shoot our soldiers during this time that our government is shut down.
SNAFU.
Bless you
Why can’t these politicians act like the adults they supposedly are (instead of 2 yr. olds)?
Then they wouldn’t be politicians.
Then we would have to call them sages!
I prefer to call them assholes 🙂 lol
Another good choice
Governments make no sense. We pay, they take, and we’d better like it, or else.
Which is odd. How can so many people elect so many people who do the opposite of what the majority want?
Government logic?
exactly
Those politicians are all from the same breed… Breeding Hopeless 🙂
You just described most government logic!
Which even I don’t understand
Your government sucks 🙂 Fortunately our government has privatized everything so we get double screwed 🙂
Yes our damn city is privatizing the parking meters. One area that I think DOES NOT need privatization. The purpose of meters is to keep people from hogging parking spaces in a business district, not to be a huge money maker.
I would rephrase Loon’s comment to “Your government sucks & so does ours”
But at least we are rid of Julia!!!
For now, politicians always seem to pop back up.
True. She may come back again as the Zombie Prime Minister. She who never dies or gives in on the carbon tax issue
Ugh..still waiting for the carbon tax issue to heat up here
Carbon tax ….egads!!! What our government failed to tell the public was the money raised through taxes is/was being sent to some overseas organisation that distributes the money to third world countries. In other words, into the pockets of dictators and criminals. Enormous SCAM!!!! If the government were serious about carbon emmissions they should have given coal/electricity companies 10 years to clean up their methods or be closed down, Hello, we have an abundance of natural gas. It should also be complusory for modern homes to have solar panels and excess to be placed back in the grid to lower costs. Sheez!!!!
hahah she said “we have an abundance of natural gas” WE KNOW!!!
Ahhhh Democrats…gotta love them. They’ll find a way to spend money needlessly even during a so-called guv’ment shutdown.
I give both sides the blame on this.
Seems crazy to me. But when Governments are involved anything no matter how crazy can happen.
true true
Democracy = Government of the people, by the people, for the people.
That’s what they taught me at school. We grow up to realise that Teachers are Liars.
Wow that spread that same line in Taz too?
Yep, there’s no escaping the Capitalist propaganda
You tell him, old soldier!
haha thank you for realizing it was an old soldier. I think there was some confusion
I thought they were working for free. Seriously.
They call that volunteering then haha
All I know is that our Dollar stinks. Today it is $1.35 for every 1 Euro. My income has to be converted each month and that extra .35 cents per Dollar hurts.
I wish our government would get their crap together and fix our economy.
In the past I’ve have voted for both parties but I’ve given up on them.
The problem is there isn’t enough people voting for both parties. So they stay away from the moderates and go to the extreme
Even not spending money is expensive these days.
🙂
That’s cuz you will starve
I think none of the congressmen should get paid until they figure this out.
I think none of them should get paid AFTER either
Wow – lots of good discussion. But back to the cartoon……….good point!
Thanks Gruhn
Love this one.
Thanks Tom