How many are able to work in your shop this month?

[dgale]

As a Federal employee about to be furloughed, looks like I'll have lots of time to work in the shop starting tomorrow...

[JPG]

Here's hoping a brief 'furlough'!

[dgale]

Here's hoping a brief 'furlough'!

Given the way Congress is (dis)functioning these days, I don't hold out much hope but it would be nice to know I can feed the kids and pay the mortgage, so hopefully it will be short-lived. At least I'll hopefully have a bit more time to get back to work on one of my Mark V rehab projects that have stalled since we moved last spring...

[Ed in Tampa]

Given the way Congress is (dis)functioning these days, I don't hold out much hope but it would be nice to know I can feed the kids and pay the mortgage, so hopefully it will be short-lived. At least I'll hopefully have a bit more time to get back to work on one of my Mark V rehab projects that have stalled since we moved last spring...

My question is what if we find out we are better off with the government closed than we were with it open? Do we get to keep it closed and use that money to pay off the debt?
I think you all know which way I would vote.

[dusty]

My question is what if we find out we are better off with the government closed than we were with it open? Do we get to keep it closed and use that money to pay off the debt?
I think you all know which way I would vote.

Regan said it first but - "There you go again"

What would we not have if the Government remained closed?

What would we have that we don't want, if the Government remained closed?

[JPG]

Regan said it first but - "There you go again"

What would we not have if the Government remained closed?

What would we have that we don't want, if the Government remained closed?

I hope the IRS folks enjoy a loooong furlough.

[Ed in Tampa]

Regan said it first but - "There you go again"

What would we not have if the Government remained closed?

What would we have that we don't want, if the Government remained closed?

Frankly if they turned the Social Security money over to an insurance broker that got paid by how much they made their customers happy while retaining adequate supply of funds for the future I can't think of anything the Federal Government does by law that I would miss.

However I will admit they do many things that by constitutional law clearly states are to be done at a state level that they are doing that we would miss. I say turn it back to state level and let each state decide on term limits and length of the people that will govern them. No more electorial college. If they want to be governed by politicians they can vote that way. If not then they can let people that feel they owe it to serve.

Of course promises to veterans and past governmental workers would have to be kept but I think that would easily funded by money saved by the elimination of congress and all the bureaucracy that goes with it.

Sure DC would have to decide if the Smithsonian and other museums are big enough tourist attractions to keep open but I think that would probably the only major lost. And frankly given the choice I think our Grandchildren if they could vote now would choose closing a museum today to prevent having to work as a indentured servant to China tomorrow.

Could you imagine for a moment the squawking of people that have never done a blessed thing in life having to go out and get a real job?

Could you imagine getting your full pay check instead of money being taken out to fund a study on why frog croak? Or an artist to paint a picture with human urine.

Notice how well the private space companies are doing, they are building more and more rockets without public money and they are succeeding.

Think if all the foreign relations money now sent to foreign countries not to help the people but to make their leaders rich now was kept in this country that could go to state education and state run health care. Every state would have it education and medicare budget doubled and there would still be a surplus.


I'm for it keep the Federal Government closed.

[dickg1]

Notice how well the private space companies are doing, they are building more and more rockets without public money and they are succeeding.

I think you should recalculate this Ed. A great deal of public money is financing their efforts.
Dick

[Ed in Tampa]

I think you should recalculate this Ed. A great deal of public money is financing their efforts.
Dick

Are they being subsidized by the Government or is the Government contracting these companies to make deliveries?
My understanding is they are are being contracted to transport Government projects into space.

An example I saw was the company in Virginia was able to take a US intelligence satelite into orbit for less than the Air Force could. I also got he impression that private companies with communication satelites and such were loving the reduced costs they were seeing.

I may not have the whole story which is so common these days.

[algale]

Are they being subsidized by the Government or is the Government contracting these companies to make deliveries?
My understanding is they are are being contracted to transport Government projects into space.

An example I saw was the company in Virginia was able to take a US intelligence satelite into orbit for less than the Air Force could. I also got he impression that private companies with communication satelites and such were loving the reduced costs they were seeing.

I may not have the whole story which is so common these days.

It would help to know which specific examples you have in mind, but even if the company you are thinking of is simply providing a commercial service to the government/Air Force for which they are now being paid the going commercial market rate, you can bet dollars to donuts that the company also got public subsidies while they were doing the R&D to develop their lift technologies/capabilities.