Whats going to happen if the shutdown isnt reversed? (military, VA disability, SS pay)

As hard as it is to say this...

It needs to happen.

For far too long the government has been living beyond its means and making financial promises that it will never be able to keep. in order for it to fix itself this needs to happen.

I feel for you homer, I really do. I don't want to see a fellow ATS'er suffer because of fat cats in Washington but it has to happen. It either happens now, or by force later on when the leak becomes a broken dam.

reply to post by AlienScience


I appreciate your sharing all of that with me. It appears that some are confident the celining will be raised. If each side knows that this is only a bargaining chip and will ultimately raise the debt ceiling it would seem it isn't a real bargaining chip - simply because it is known they won't allow a default. So how does it become anything more than a game? It comes down to "who will be the hero and cave first?"

Are any that stubborn to not cave in? Who do you think will give in at the last minute? Again - it seems there is confidence that someone will since there is so much at stake.

HomerinNC
I got an email from my bank, USAA, saying that if the shutdown isnt reverse or continues on thru the 17th of October, all those receiving fed checks are going to not be paid.
Is anyone worried? I get 100% from the VA and if we dont get paid for next month, I am screwed. My crediotrs arent going to use that as an excuse.

Anyone fully dependant on fed check? How are you preparing?

Hubby is retired US Army and 90% VA disabled. He gets two checks a month. That is our bread and butter. My daughter attends college on the GI BILL (post 9/11) and if she loses that I have no idea how she will go next semester.

It will devestate my family financially and like you, I know my creditors will not care the reason I cannot pay my bills nor will the university care.

I am worried.

Wrabbit2000
reply to post by Carreau

 

I certainly remember the 1996 shut down. It was somewhat uneventful as a political side show. The nation was booming...the economy about to go into annual surplus that would carry right into 2001. Gas was well under $1 a gallon in many places and life was damn good. We had a President, party aside, who also put the happiness of the American People up as a priority to maintain and not a problem to 'solve'.

So, the fact checks went out the last time and they SHOULD go out this time doesn't tell me for certain that they will. We now have a President who sees our pain as his gain. What more painful a move to make then messing with the money of millions?

Sure, everyone gets it back eventually. Back pay covers that, if nothing else. However, you can't tell me the 'one more insult' added to a long line of them over recent years, won't have an impact. I think the rage and outright demand for change (regime change at this rate) is a cumulative thing. As much as some in Washington like to play and pretend as though American attitudes reset with each news cycle?

The cumulative rage is building... festering.. smoldering ..and I don't mean puns to the man who self-immolated, but he's an example of it, IMO.

Active duty military did not get paid in 95-96 shutdown. We were in Germany with a 4 month old baby and my husband did not get Dec 15 or Jan 1 military pay. We had to borrow from relatives and pay them back when he got paid retroactively. It stunk. BAD>

reply to post by k21968


I'm getting confused here. I seem to recall it being no clearer at the time, either. Who in the US Military got paid and who didn't? Some reports here are saying, 1st person, they did and some say they didn't in the last shut down. Can you help on that, having been in Uniform (or living in the middle of it) at the time? Is it Guard and Reserve people are thinking of for not being paid?

I'll admit military wasn't my focus back then. Delivering my next load and not getting a speeding ticket was. Still, I tried to catch a USA Today paper once a day for my whole career (well..outside weekends for the picky people out there..lol) and I'm having trouble now making heads or tails of what first seem to be mutually exclusive accounts people share?

Wrabbit2000
reply to post by k21968

 

I'm getting confused here. I seem to recall it being no clearer at the time, either. Who in the US Military got paid and who didn't? Some reports here are saying, 1st person, they did and some say they didn't in the last shut down. Can you help on that, having been in Uniform (or living in the middle of it) at the time? Is it Guard and Reserve people are thinking of for not being paid?

I'll admit military wasn't my focus back then. Delivering my next load and not getting a speeding ticket was. Still, I tried to catch a USA Today paper once a day for my whole career (well..outside weekends for the picky people out there..lol) and I'm having trouble now making heads or tails of what first seem to be mutually exclusive accounts people share?

edit on 7-10-2013 by Wrabbit2000 because: (no reason given)

My hubby was active duty US ARmy at that time. We did not get paid for 2 pay cycles, middle of the month December and end of the month December. We got back pay Middle of the month January for those two pay cycles. The point was we didnt get paid. We had a 4 month old. We lived in a foreign country while my husband served his country and they took everything. We had groceries to buy, diapers, formula. It was scary. We were also very young and dumb. LOL We had 0 savings. WE have learned a lot since then.

I remember that time distinctly because I remember calling my parents in the states crying saying we did not get paid and that they wired money to us to a German bank. I remember going to the bank to retreive the money then going straight to the comissary to buy diapers and formula for a month for my baby and groceries and gas coupons. We lived in military housing so that was the only bills we really had besides telephone and car insurance. But I remember having to go to the bank on the german economy to get a wire transfer from the states. OH and when I tried to pay them back...they are awesome parents...they wouldnt accept it.

I know active duty did not get paid. Guard or reserve? I have no idea. I *think* guard is paid by the state so they probably got paid. That might be where the confusion is.

reply to post by beezzer

I would pay people's bills (as much as I could afford) I would help feed those that went hungry. As would millions of others.

We would finally show DC that we don't effing NEED THEM!

With rapid dominance, your words shattered many of my previously immutable perceptions. At the moment, I seem to have lost my attitude that people suck. Maybe a faith for my fellow Americans has been restored in me. The impact would be the same if you had offered to help a non-veteran.

There are a lot of hungry people around my area. You've inspired me to go grocery shopping for my local food banks. I hope this kind of good will overwhelms our nation in it's apparent time of need. We the people can and will bring life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness back to our land.

reply to post by beezzer


Breezer as amazing as your action are and need to be comended.

If the USA Defaults on 17th Im afraid it wont be enough.

If the USA goes into a full fledged depression there will be to many needing help. It will be impossible unless the very top multi millionairs and billionairs chip in (HAHA). And I hate to say it there is a chance even you could be one needing help and not in a postion to give help (And I really really really hope Im wrong). A full fleged depression could wipe even those in the upper middle classes and lower rich class weath out. It could litrally be the fall of the USA as a world power.

crazyewok
reply to post by beezzer

 

Breezer as amazing as your action are and need to be comended.

If the USA Defaults on 17th Im afraid it wont be enough.

If the USA goes into a full fledged depression there will be to many needing help. It will be impossible unless the very top multi millionairs and billionairs chip in (HAHA). And I hate to say it there is a chance even you could be one needing help and not in a postion to give help (And I really really really hope Im wrong). A full fleged depression could wipe even those in the upper middle classes and lower rich class weath out. It could litrally be the fall of the USA as a world power.

A lot of us have already fallin and lost almost everything. The bottom is not that far for the vast majority, at least here in my little part of the country. I say let it happen as bad as it might seem it might be just the thing to put this country back in order. And to all the folks out there worrying about credit, house payments etc, not sure about you but our family is at the point of whatever. When we get paid they get paid could care less and not gonna go into a stroke over an unpaid bill. Also I feel alot of people out there could use a little less eating if you know what I mean. Good Luck to everyone out there struggling though and remember you are not in it alone, don't ever let it get the best of you.....

25% of my income goes to the Federal government, now that they are closed, can I go exempt?(still paying my state)
Other "Service providers" pro-rate the cost when services are not working, shouldn't the government service provider ( GSP ) be the same? If they are closed for business why should we pay.

I apologize if this is way out in left field. A CPA laughed at me for trying to deduct solar panels, bicycles, and other "Green" items , I can just see his face laughing again on this exception question, personally I cant stand the guy, but TurboTax is a pain.

reply to post by beezzer


ahhh,,, but that would be the "mark" of a Great Society,,,
that same,society, that, Kennedy/King/Lbj?
hoped that America,,would become.

we shall see.


" People providing good government,towards each other,,, pish-tosh",, in my best, Montgomery Burns

reply to post by jaynkeel


The thing is complete economic collapse wont fix the USA or put it back on track.

It will detsroy it. At least globaly.

Once you loss that top spot thats it.

Without your econemy theses no way it can support its trillion doller a year military.
Thats South Korea and Taiwan most likley gone. Maybe Isreal and Japan. That will kill your econemy more.

Unless a big world war starts which saved you from the last depression the USA will at best sink into being a secound rate power. At worse if it cant keep unity the 3rd world.

reply to post by SmikeS


u might want too look at setting up a "trust",,instead,,,u know just hold on to it,,till they get things sorted,,, might be perfectly legal.

There won't be a default, there is enough revenue to pay interest on debt, so the US defaulting on its debt surely will not happen.
And if the government is smart, they will sent out the ss va and other benefits as well to the people who rely on them during the aftermath of the financial crisis.
They can cut back on military spending, foreign aid, lower their own salaries and so on.

Let me tell you this, politicians generated that crisis that left so many people without a job and income by deregulating the banks and repealing glas steagal and what else they did more to please wallstreet.

It is downright unfair to make people suffer for it, spending already got out of hand as soon when Bush became president and lowered taxes on the rich.

reply to post by tamusan


We're taking care of 2 different elderly folks right now. My wife just shows up with food, evening meals, sandwiches. Times are hard and people are sacrificing food. People are good-hearted, mostly. We just have to remind ourselves of that sometimes.

reply to post by crazyewok


"At worse if it cant keep unity the 3rd world. " its not America's Unity,,that made it Strong,, it was its people,, American people,,luv or hate em,, they normally also come through a crisis,,better off. And stronger.
normally.
its the people who will decide what America, is,,and will be.
they have earned the right.

BobAthome
reply to post by beezzer

 

ahhh,,, but that would be the "mark" of a Great Society,,,
that same,society, that, Kennedy/King/Lbj?
hoped that America,,would become.

we shall see.


" People providing good government,towards each other,,, pish-tosh",, in my best, Montgomery Burns

Let's not worry about labels, about "great societies".

Let's just try to be good people first.

reply to post by crazyewok


Perhaps the worst may be yet to come.

But we've weathered dark times before. Now is the time to prepare. When/If it does hit, afterwards it'll be too late.

BobAthome
reply to post by crazyewok

 

"At worse if it cant keep unity the 3rd world. " its not America's Unity,,that made it Strong,, it was its people,, American people,,luv or hate em,, they normally also come through a crisis,,better off. And stronger.
normally.
its the people who will decide what America, is,,and will be.
they have earned the right.

Americans are the same sacks of meat like everyone else in the world. America has gotten lucky. Will they get lucky again? Maybe, hopefully but luck does run out.

One day America will join the other fallen empire and superpowers in the history books. I hope it does not happen in my life time, but if the USA economic crash happens this could be it.

reply to post by crazyewok


"America has gotten lucky. " and the harder i worked,,the lucky er,,,i got. now if only the jobs were available.

ya its hard too use ,"euphanisms"?,,,, these days.