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US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

bbc.com

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Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#81

Post by excalibur »

Spartan-S63 wrote: post #51
mr337 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some banks are setting up low interest loan programs only for federal employees. They are low interest and are focused on amounts of 2-3 time your paycheck. Granted the rate things are going that might not be enough.

Not to mention that low interest loans are sort of predatory in this context, despite being lower than market rate interest rates. I understand that they have a profit a motive, but it doesn't make them the "good guys" in this scenario. There really are no good guys during a government shutdown.

> There really are no good guys during a government shutdown.

The Canadian air traffic controllers who sent a bunch of pizzas to their American counterparts were pretty good.

Also I would argue that people who keep reporting for work when they aren't getting paid and doing their job to the best of their ability aren't too shabby either, no matter what the pundits say about how prepared they should have been.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#82

Post by klq »

SolaceQuantum wrote: post #74
klq wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Air_Traffic_Contr... That was very cool. I know Reagan presidency is often romanticised, especially by, ugh, libertarians, but he had a pair of balls.

Genuine, is it very cool when now there's possibly going to be a generational shortage of ATC people in the near future possibly as a direct result of this?

Sometimes tough decisions need to be made. Especially those that are to improve things in the long term, even if it hurts in the short term. That's what being a man is, being able to make hard decisions.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#83

Post by wonderwonder »

sremani wrote: post #52
wonderwonder wrote: post #24

Bearing in mind that ~40% of american's could not come up with $400 to cover emergencies, this is going to become more prevalent in the next few days / weeks as people will simply not be able to afford gas to get to their unpaid work. I read an article today discussing how TSA workers in HI are living in their cars in the airport parking lot as they cannot afford to commute. The FBI just cancelled its internship prog…

If you got to any bank website at least the ones I bank with, there is a flashing notice on the front page, if I were a federal worker who needs assistance due to shut down. I am sure, certain workers have easy ways than others but to say that at least some banks have not stepped up is incorrect.

Just checked my bank website, you are right. Site does not go into specifics as to what the assistance is but optimally it is a bridge loan that can get implemented quickly.

These workers are still going to get hammered by late payments etc. and potential evictions but it is good to know at least something is being done.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#84

Post by andonisus »

volak wrote: post #59

FWIW - house Democrats have voted against paying workers three times (so far). Most recently yesterday https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-arter/house-gop... OK - heres a left biased source: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/425858-house-rejects-gop-...

This is interesting. Did they give specific reasons for voting Nay (or abstaining)? Is it because it would not pass the Senate regardless?

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#86

Post by brianwawok »

sremani wrote: post #52
wonderwonder wrote: post #24

Bearing in mind that ~40% of american's could not come up with $400 to cover emergencies, this is going to become more prevalent in the next few days / weeks as people will simply not be able to afford gas to get to their unpaid work. I read an article today discussing how TSA workers in HI are living in their cars in the airport parking lot as they cannot afford to commute. The FBI just cancelled its internship prog…

If you got to any bank website at least the ones I bank with, there is a flashing notice on the front page, if I were a federal worker who needs assistance due to shut down. I am sure, certain workers have easy ways than others but to say that at least some banks have not stepped up is incorrect.

Many are offering loans of 10%+ APR. That is helpful, but maybe not a great situation for many people that have no savings to need the loan.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#87

Post by NeedMoreTea »

I hope not too off topic, but I'm puzzled by shutdowns.

Every other country I can think of has a system where if the finance is not agreed, the previous budget just continues. The budget sets the yearly amount for each department and it runs on until another budget changes how much everyone gets. Sometimes a new department gets created, sometimes something is abolished. Everyone gets their salary and services run on. Even if the finance bill is defeated, or even if they can't agree a government at all.

So how is it so easy for the US to simply run out? It naively seems like something both sides would want to fix pretty quickly. Is there some unseen advantage doing it this way? From news reports it seems to be all downside.

Edit: Thanks for the enlightenment!

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#88

Post by danso »

thedaemon wrote: post #15
rkochman wrote: post #7

I’m glad to see this. The shutdown has been too “business as usual” for most Americans, while others are expected to work without pay, which is ridiculous.

This is caused slavery, government mandated slavery. I don't see how so many people can be okay with this happening. Why are we not outraged?

The shutdown is a disgrace, but calling it “slavery” trivializes the evil of America’s history of slavery.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#89

Post by AceJohnny2 »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #55
creaghpatr wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the airports remain shut down, the economic cost will quickly balloon to multiples of the $5.7B requested for the wall. It's literally a rounding error in the budget.

Nobody actually cares about the $5.7 billion dollars, it's chump change for the government. This is all about appearance. The Democrats will lose face if they sign off on a budget which allows him to build his wall, and Trump will lose face if he fails to start building it (presumably in time for the next election). (It's also notable that neither party, politically, has a good reason to end it. Trump will have a har…

The wall he said Mexico would pay for? Didn't he already lose that face?

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#90

Post by SolaceQuantum »

I'm still not fully understanding what's going on here, and I'm american. Could someone who is more educated in politics of the US explain to me why this shutdown is allowed to go on for this long, and why there is no law in place for 'if the congress cannot come to an agreement, X shold happen'?
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