From WBAL in Baltimore:
With the government shutdown in its 36th day on Wednesday, businesses around government facilities are feeling the effects. Businesses near Woodlawn's Social Security Administration are seeing a decline in customers since the shutdown as some federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay.Pioneer Pit Beef usually sees a line out the door. Not during the shutdown, though.
"This is why you see today we have no line here," said Jesus Cruz, the restaurant's owner. "Normally this time, lunchtime, we have a lot of people waiting in line. We have about 15 to 20 people waiting in the line before we even open.”Cruz said his business has decreased by as much as 40% due to the absence of its main customers: federal workers at the Social Security Administration.”Only a few of them come here," Cruz said. "Maybe one or two a week, and they let us know that the rest of the people are off from the department." ...
By the way, let me say how much I appreciate the sacrifices of those working without pay as well as those furloughed. You deserve better. The nation deserves better.
21 comments:
Charles, this doesn't tell the whole story. Some have had no break and worked the entire time. Others have had some time off. And yet others have not worked a day since the shutdown. Yet the pay will be the same no matter what. Congress and Frank should offer a special monetary award for those who had to work during this shutdown.
Charles, are you getting a paycheck? Your appreciation doesn’t pay our bills.
How are federal employees going to go out and eat without getting paid? One doesn’t need to be Einstein to figure out local eating establishments will suffer. This is a lesson learned of the importance of a rainy day fund. My guess is many TSP loans or withdrawals are taking place in record numbers and retirement will have to be pushed back for many.
You should deeply appreciate their sacrifice when they’re working and being paid, too. Civil servants have some of the most difficult jobs in the world, and most aren’t even paid a middle-class salary anymore. On top of that, new hires often pay more for their pensions than they‘ll end up receiving in retirement, and unlike most corporate employers, the government only pays a fraction of their health insurance premiums. The days of the federal government being a model employer and reliable path to a middle class existence ended well over a decade ago.
While I understand the frustration, Charles is not to blame. No need to alienate allies in these tumultuous times.
What a prick.
Sad and true. I fear the Federal government IS no longer a favored place to work due to negative political rhetoric and policies. If true, it will make hiring a challenge. Look no further than the state run DDSs. States like TX and KS are perpetually understaffed and rely on Federal employees to process most of the States' disability workloads. The same fate could easily be in store for the Federal government. But who would bail put its backlogs?
Federal employees don’t have the House Republican work requirement where they are “teleworking” and getting paid.
Good to know…👍
From MAGA Mike
"To every hardworking American, in any place, whose missed a paycheck … you have a home
in the Republican Party."
I‘m not even sure what you were trying to say because of how incredibly poorly written it was, but please recall ghat telework ended when your lard-assed king took power back in January
I totally understand the anger, but Charles has nothing to do with the shutdown. He relays info to us. Anyone that uses social security for any reason, from replacing their card to receiving benefits thanks you for your work during the shutdown. No need to take this out on Charles.
Smaller grocery stores throughout the nation are suffering too. There are a lot of everyday businesses that are seeing a huge drop in customers. For the first time in a long time, the grocery store shelves are actually full where I am, and that isn't usually the case. I live on an island. So when it's gone, it's gone for a while. The shelves are now full, meaning not many people are even spending money on food (SNAP aside) and other household goods, everyone is tightening their belts. Even Walmart has seen a drop in consumer spending.
🤮
What an uneccesary comment.
I’m sure all SSA representatives are telling their claimants that SSA federal employees are in a touch predicament and we should be patient with processing times.
Congratulations to the 🤡 administration! It is number one in government shutdown history! Surpassing the prior 🤡 administration shutdown in 2018.
Charles, thank you for the kind words. And you are entirely right -- we deserve better. Forcing employees to work without timely pay is not just an outrage, it is a human rights violation under Article 23.
To the public, when you interact with an SSA employee -- or, for that matter, any Federal employee -- during the shutdown, understand you are interacting with a victim of labor exploitation.
And if anyone from AFGE is reading this, get your act together. Your milquetoast handling of this crisis while your members wait in food lines is outrageous in its own light, and you should be just as ashamed as the political class. It is past time to strike.
Expect more delays in SSA office service…
While there has "not been widespread closures or disruptions in service," at least three offices around the nation temporarily closed this week when they could not offer in-person services for the entirety of their operating hours, the Social Security Administration confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY. The agency did not clarify where the closures occurred.
Multiple offices were listed as closed for in-person services on the SSA's website. But the agency said Nov. 5 that the closures are primarily due to a variety of reasons, including "planned renovations or necessary facility updates."
"The Social Security Administration continues to serve our nation's seniors and most vulnerable populations during the Democrat shutdown," the agency said in a Nov. 5 statement. "Local SSA offices are open and operating during the lapse in funding per the agency's contingency plan."
So much winning - winning bigly
Yep, a strike at SSA by ALL employees will surely force the government to reopen. It's ludicrous for anyone to work without being paid. Also, the air traffic controllers should ALL call in sick or also go on strike and see how fast the government opens. Rules aren't being followed by anyone in this administration. Why should employees following the law be any different? STRIKE OR JUST DON'T SHOW UP. BLUE FLU ON A DAY OR FEW WILL WAKE THE ENTIRE COUNTRY UP. Good luck government workers. I feel for you. I went through government shutdowns in the past, but luckily they didn't last near as long.
Tough talk from the sidelines.
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