What do you think Gomer Pyle would say about Trump’s ballroom staying under construction during the government shut down?

@BizSuitStacy Well, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the direct cost to the economy to be $11bn. 800,000 public sector employees were not paid on time. And Trump's already low approval rating went into freefall.

In addition . . Native Indian tribes representing 2.2m citizens had their treaty obligations breached . . the Coast Guard went unpaid . . rubbish piled up and toilets overflowed in national parks . . several major visitor attractions closed . . air traffic controllers and public defense lawyers were required to work without pay . . food assistance programs had to be funded from emergency reserves.

And Trump was obliged to provide a fast food buffet to guests at a White House reception because the catering staff were furloughed.

But so long as you did not notice any of this, that is all that matters!

@SunshineGirl
And how, exactly, did the CBO come up with this number? After all, the federal gov't is cost center and doesn't generate revenue. Don't bother trying to answer as I know you can't back it up with any actual data. The CBO can't explain it either. And based on their track record, you can bet they're wrong.

BTW...you are using the most extreme example, as the 2018 shutdown that lasted 35 days was the longest by far. And the CBO numbers vary. I was looking at this data yesterday, and the CBO number was $8 billion. Today it's $11 billion, but only $3 billion was permanent. Maybe someone subtracted the temporary from permanent...it still makes no sense, but then we're dealing with gov't math. We've seen plenty of evidence the CBO is partisan. Look no further than the Bush capital gains tax cuts...the CBO projected reducrd tax revenue...but with lower cap gains, more trading occurred, and tax revenue went up. Whoops. Why would you trust the word of a gov't agency re: the efficiency and effectiveness of gov't? It's a bit like believing a criminal when they claim they didn't commit the crime.

But, let's assume for the moment, that the CBO numbers are accurate. What sort of impact does the net $3 billion have on the US economy? It's 0.01% of GDP.

Ooooh...a whopping one hundredth of 1 percent. A statistically insignificant number. 🙄

There have been more than 20 gov't shutdowns since 1976. And only 3 of those cases went beyond two weeks...which means in 17+ instances, no one missed a paycheck.

@BizSuitStacy I am using the last examole of when government shut down during a Trump administration. Which is relevant here . .

Government is not a business. But the way in which it spends taxpayers' money is of critical importance to the health of an economy. If people do not get paid, mortgages go into arrears and the housing market is impacted. If the poor do not receive their entitlements their children's health and educational prospects are impacted, to the long term detriment of the economy that will have to support them in the future. If treaties with indigenous people are not honoured, trust in institutions is eroded.

If the legislature and administration fail in the primary duty of passing a budget for spending commitments already made, they are not fit to participate in government and should resign. You may see this as a means of pushing your own small government ideas, but it isn't. It's a simple failure.

@BizSuitStacy Would you truly be happy if every public encounter was reduced to a simple commercial transaction? Do you really see no value in government activity?

Btw, I think investigations are underway to find out what has happened to the billions of dollars Trump keeps boasting he has raised from tariffs. Or the $202bn that DOGE reportedly "saved" in efficiencies.

@SunshineGirl
I've seen lots of value this week. We should keep up the momentum.



Oh...I'm sure Adam Schiff already has a super secret whistle blower, who has a cousin, who knows someone who heard from a reliable source...

Investigations? Oh noooo! 😂

Keep wishing, turnip brain...keep wishing.