Are Worse Things About To Happen?

Furloughed and working-without-pay Federal workers got nothing out of Putin puppet and sociopath Donald "Rump" Trump's speech on Saturday, not even a word of empathy because that's something he's not capable of. He's holding their lives hostage to his xenophobic base and their expectations that a concrete steel slat barrier will be built along the southern border and that Mexico would pay for it.  And it's about to get worse, not just for the Federal workers but for the general public. Food inspectors have been furloughed, as have been Federal law enforcement officers working counterintelligence, Coast Guard personnel patrolling our harbors and shores, and people processing loans and grants for everything from agricultural subsidies to student loans. For those forced to work without pay, they are doubly penalized: no Federal paychecks, and no opportunity to find part-time work since they're expected to report to their Federal jobs. That may be changing.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers are increasingly calling in to work sick as their expenses continue without an income. The TSA said that the absentee rate rose to 10% yesterday -- three times normal -- among screeners and support personnel at busy U.S. airports. Their choice is increasingly to work without pay, or to find other work to make ends meet.

The Rump shutdown is also having a damaging effect on the air traffic control system, according to air traffic controller Joel Ortiz:

"It's the first time they've experienced a shutdown where they haven't gotten a check. And morale is low. Stress is high. We are slowly seeing resignations come in across the country. The developmentals - or the new hires that were going to the academy - they've been sent home. Staffing is at an all-time low. So it's impacting the industry in more than one way. [snip]

People aren't doing the quality assurance reports, quality control reports. All those things that assist the controllers in doing their jobs - slowly but surely, the longer the shutdown continues, it's going to erode the system. And that just means as time goes on, we're going to be able to put less planes in the air. When you're in the air, you're safe. But eventually, the delays and the impact of all these people not doing their job functions is going to take a toll. And it just could mean less planes in the air and farther apart, longer delays."  (our emphasis)

Whether it's an e-coli outbreak, domestic terrorism gone undetected, or a disaster in the air, the Rump shutdown will have an increasing impact on Americans everywhere. Dems need to loudly and continually demand that Rump order his groveling tool Mitch McConnell to pass the appropriations bills he's been sitting on and open the Government now.