Trying to make sense of the Government Shutdown? Me too!

By Stephanie Burke

I am by no means a “political person”.  I don’t pretend to know everything about anything but I do try to stay “informed”, as best I can about what is going on in the world.  I do vote because, as a woman, I think it would be a travesty not to. I mean everyone should vote but especially woman who had people fight for them to have the right to vote! But anyway I digress, and that is another blog for another time. 

As of yesterday our government is “shutdown” and many federally funded parks and landmarks are closed.  In addition to that thousands of government employees have been furloughed and are not getting paid while the Republicans and Democrats fight this out.  I should mention however that those who came up with this genius idea of a shut down are still getting paid.  The higher ups that make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year are still pulling in the money but the average person who lives pay check to pay check will not be paid.  OK so it doesn’t take a genius to see that this is wrong on so many levels. 

Apparently this all started with “Obamacare”.  As of Oct. 1 “Obamacare” went into effect and people are now required to have health insurance.  However, “Obamacare” is hated by Republicans and they took the “We are taking our ball and going home” approach to dealing with it.  Yes ladies and gentlemen our elected leaders decided that they would get into a staring contest and hold thousand of American workers pay checks hostage while it played out. 

Again, I am not saying I’m an expert on politics by any means but this is how I see what is going on in the government right now:

1. The government shut down because the Republicans and Democrats couldn’t agree on how to fund “Obamacare”.
2. The Republicans are basically holding their breath like a child until they get what they want.
3. While they fight it out hundreds of thousands of people aren’t getting paid.
4. The people who called for the shutdown are still getting paid!
5. Most people don’t even realize that “Obamacare” and the “Affordable Care Act” are the same thing.