So we are potentially on the eve of a ‘government shut down’. Why? Because Congress and the President can’t agree on a budget and there is no more debt authorized, so the US Government is going to furlough workers, close down museums and national parks and take a few days off.
Thing is, unlike a normal company that might save a few bucks with a ‘mandatory vacation’ or ‘layoff’, this is going to actually COST MORE money than business as usual. The National Park system brings in $32 Million per day in entrance fees. The Government is going to close the gates, shut the park, stop collecting entrance fees, but they are going to keep rangers working, patrolling and issuing tickets to keep people out of the park.
Workers will be furloughed, but will be given back pay and overtime to catch up on their work, so it’s more like a paid vacation with a bonus than it is a layoff.
Who knows how many millions or billions of extra money this will cost taxpayers. In 1995 cost estimates were $1.25 billion for 3 weeks.
This shouldn’t be called a Government Shutdown, this is a Lockout, the same kind of tactics that the NFL owners are using in their labor dispute. A typical, heavy-handed business tactic that let’s Obama and the Democrats get what they want instead of agreeing to some reasonable budget cuts.