Now that its Over, How were YOU affected?

[jaycali 415]

I think most people didn't notice a thing. Actually I think ~85% of govt. was actually running. That's what's funny about the term "shutdown" Makes you think they could get rid of 15% of the govt without an issue. Probably alot more. We have no business spending money on frivolous things when we have a 16+ trillion dollar debt. Sell off all the national parks and privatize all the other tourist attractions. Those are luxuries, not necessities.

Most public services we use on a daily basis are state, city or county. Only the federal gov't was shut down.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Amen...It is time for the Libertarian party to make a break out.

They are kinda like pubs AND Dems, except they stay out of peoples personal choices and don't like to send troops overseas.

I am hoping the antics of the IRS would further the cause of the FAIR TAX. It would be impossible to manipulate, the IRS could not grant "favors" to anyone in the form of exemptions if there is no income tax to exempt

Repubs and Dems BOTH get in people's personal choices...just about different things. Being one or the other is just about choosing which rights you want to infringe on. How about...NONE!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

And I love these drooling mouth breathers who say that "the Republicans caused the economy to LOSE 876 gazillion $$$$" (make up your own number...why not?)

Really? Where? Where did it get "lost"?

The government workers got paid and if they are paid monthly they will never see the difference. If not,they will be get back pay. Any expenses they deferred will be caught up. Contract employees that make widgets for the government will be back at work earning overtime to catch up on widget making...the orders for widgets are still there. At the end of the year their W-2 will be the same or higher.

I mean, how does the economy "lose" money? It is all still there, unless I missed a money fueled bonfire somewhere...there was no money "lost" If you panicked, ran out and sold your stocks the day they dropped temporaily (instead of buying them) you are an idiot and will be separated from your money soon enuogh anyway.

If you thought this was any different than the other 14 goverment shutdowns in the last 30 years...it is probably because you are too young to remember life without an IPhone.

Obama sold this as terrorism, hostage taking, and all sorts of other hysteria....he kept raising the pitch of the screaming. It was all imagined, there IS NO government shut down. There IS NO debt ceiling.

It is an indication of the lack of intelligence of people electing these clowns that...

1. We believe them

2. We don't do something to prevent this nonsense, such as an amendment that says "If you shut down the government, you are ALL FIRED, pack your stuff, get out of town and NEVER come back"

I would love to see the Dems (who were so indignant about the what the Repubs did) introduce THAT amendment.

[himher 634]

I took advantage of the stock market dip. Played out nicely = produced a quick gain. Looking forward to January.

Ditto.

[himher 634]

And I love these drooling mouth breathers who say that "the Republicans caused the economy to LOSE 876 gazillion $$$$" (make up your own number...why not?)

Really? Where? Where did it get "lost"?

The government workers got paid and if they are paid monthly they will never see the difference. If not,they will be get back pay. Any expenses they deferred will be caught up. Contract employees that make widgets for the government will be back at work earning overtime to catch up on widget making...the orders for widgets are still there. At the end of the year their W-2 will be the same or higher.

I mean, how does the economy "lose" money? It is all still there, unless I missed a money fueled bonfire somewhere...there was no money "lost" If you panicked, ran out and sold your stocks the day they dropped temporaily (instead of buying them) you are an idiot and will be separated from your money soon enuogh anyway.

If you thought this was any different than the other 14 goverment shutdowns in the last 30 years...it is probably because you are too young to remember life without an IPhone.

Obama sold this as terrorism, hostage taking, and all sorts of other hysteria....he kept raising the pitch of the screaming. It was all imagined, there IS NO government shut down. There IS NO debt ceiling.

It is an indication of the lack of intelligence of people electing these clowns that...

1. We believe them

2. We don't do something to prevent this nonsense, such as an amendment that says "If you shut down the government, you are ALL FIRED, pack your stuff, get out of town and NEVER come back"

I would love to see the Dems (who were so indignant about the what the Repubs did) introduce THAT amendment.

Dem tantrums about getting their credit limits cut remind me of when my daughter was 16 and I nipped her mobile plan for a couple weeks when she blew through her data plan limit.

She never did it again.

Things that make you go hmmmmmm......

If you remember that line, you probably remember that the last extended shutdown didn't cost the republican party anything.

Edited October 18, 2013 by himher

[decocker 7,198]

so if the shutdown didn't cost anything and affected absolutely no change in law or policy - what was the point?

[Operator 1,927]

Cost my company a little over $20K in airfare and probably another $15K in man hours. The future impact to some of my client has yet to be seen but it could potentially lead to millions in lost sales revenue due to delays in regulatory approvals. It'll sting them for a while but not insurmountable by any stretch and for me it was annoying more than anything to not be able to get the idiots on the phone.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

so if the shutdown didn't cost anything and affected absolutely no change in law or policy - what was the point?

They keep telling themselves that the government shutdown impacts nobody and nothing of relevance. The reality is different, of course, but they do not deal in reality. They live in their little right wing bubble. Reality scares them. They can't handle the real world. The real world being this:

$24 billion.

That’s according to an estimate from Standard & Poor’s. The financial services company said the shutdown, which ended with a deal late Wednesday night after 16 days, took $24 billion out of the U.S. economy, and reduced projected fourth-quarter GDP growth from 3 percent to 2.4 percent.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the economic cost by our calculations:

• About $3.1 billion in lost government services, according to the research firm IHS
• $152 million per day in lost travel spending, according to the U.S. Travel Association
• $76 million per day lost because of National Parks being shut down, according to the National Park Service
• $217 million per day in lost federal and contractor wages in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area alone

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers bore the economic brunt of the shutdown. But small businesses also suffered from frozen government contracts and stalled business loans. Tourism suffered from closed national parks, and military families had to cope without childcare and other services. Federal workers will receive back-pay under the deal, but contractors will probably not get their lost wages. The stall in cash-flow could affect spending during the holiday shopping season.

And with the deal only guaranteeing government funding through Jan. 15, the situation could grow worse. “The short turnaround for politicians to negotiate some sort of lasting deal will likely weigh on consumer confidence, especially among government workers that were furloughed,” Standard & Poor’s said.

[decocker 7,198]

That’s according to an estimate from Standard & Poor’s.

standard & poor's must certainly be an arm of the lamestream media.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

standard & poor's must certainly be an arm of the lamestream media.

Word on the street is that S&P is run by Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews.

[natty bumppo 297]

Now that the hostage situation has ended and Ted Cruz and John Boehner are no longer causing problems for"millions of people" and since there MUSt be some of those millions of people right here on VJ....

HOW were YOU affected and how much did it cost you?

(If you were one of the several thousand Federal employees who got an extra paid vacation...please do not gloat)

Me? I was not affected at all. Not in any way.

How about YOU?

I got through customes & immigration at IAH in record time during the shutdown.

heck ... no lines and no waiting upon return to the USA

[jaycali 415]

Took me 20 minutes to get to and from work in DC during the shutdown. Now takes me 40 min.

[CarlosAndSveta 808]

I am hoping the antics of the IRS would further the cause of the FAIR TAX. It would be impossible to manipulate, the IRS could not grant "favors" to anyone in the form of exemptions if there is no income tax to exempt

Repubs and Dems BOTH get in people's personal choices...just about different things. Being one or the other is just about choosing which rights you want to infringe on. How about...NONE!

The IRS does not write tax laws. They might have some input in the writing of the law or are granted by Congress the right to come up with regulations as to how to implement the law. Even when Congress authorizes them to write the regulations the IRS still solicits input from the public before issuing final regulations.The exemptions and favors you talk about are the creations of Congress.

[jaycali 415]

The IRS does not write tax laws. They might have some input in the writing of the law or are granted by Congress the right to come up with regulations as to how to implement the law. Even when Congress authorizes them to write the regulations the IRS still solicits input from the public before issuing final regulations.The exemptions and favors you talk about are the creations of Congress.

Yep. IRS and USCIS work the same way, they don't create the laws, they manage, oversee and enforce laws created by congress.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Was there something that was supposed to affect me? Damn, I missed it!