wishful thinking

[cellio]

My state's government has partially shut down over a budget spat. "Non-essential" employees have been given the temporary boot, but the legislators and governor at the center of the problem are still getting paid. Instead, they should keep the workers and stop paying the politicians until it's fixed. Fast Eddie and the more-numerous-than-necessary-anyway legislators should suffer the consequences of their brinksmanship, but, sadly, it never works out that way.

Comments

[brokengoose.livejournal.com]

For bonus points, try to find ANY examples of "non-essential workers" other than DMV (sometimes PennDOT) and state park employees.

It's become a personal game. Every time I hear or see something about the shutdown, I look for the list. They consistently mention DMV and parks; they occasionally mention PennDOT; and they usually follow up with a list of offices that will stay open even though most people would describe them as non-essential.

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

This is the classic "Washington Monument Scam" (i.e. shut down government functions selected for their high profile and high inconvenience inflicted by the shutdown) in order to pressure the taxpayers to cough up more in order to pay for both the meat and the fat.

[cellio]

Yeah, nothing about governor's/representatives' staffs, minor bureaucrats, etc, just the stuff designed to get the public upset enough to pressure their reps to give Rendell what he wants. The man's not dumb.

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

Makes me glad the Songbird and I moved out of Philly four years ago...

[alaricmacconnal.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Our politicians aren't doing their jobs, they should be the ones that don't get paid. BTW, I'm glad you got your "Fast Eddie" in context ... confusing them could be ... well ... interesting :)

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Even more so for some of us (I went to Fast Eddie's funeral back in May, but it wasn't for the Gov, nor for the EKS...)

[mbarr.livejournal.com]

Whereas, I, only knowing one current Fast Eddy... was greatly surprised to see him involved in the running of a govt. I mean, he runs EK, but still... I didn't think he was *that* man behind the throne/ state ;-)

[siderea]

Yeah, me too. But then I thought, "Nah, must be somebody else: The Fast Eddie I know is a much better administrator that that."

[cellio]

Yeah, that Fast Eddie has clues. :-) I hoped that the context would make clear who I meant; that's what our governor is called here, at least by people who don't care for the way he plays fast and loose with other people's money... (This took on an amusing tone when he was cited for speeding -- something close to 100mph, as I recall, not some 5mph-over witch hunt.)

[kyleri]

I find it ... fascinating ... that the casinos are somehow considered essential...

[caryabend.livejournal.com]

If you were out of money, anything that generated revenue should be considered essential.

[kyleri]

Hm. I begin to see the point of that, now that you point it out.

[cellio]

True, but I'll bet that's not the argument that was actually used. :-) (The casino arguments have been very loud here...)

Camping fees in parks also bring in revenue.

[magid.livejournal.com]

That was the slant taken on NPR last night, anyway.

[nsingman.livejournal.com]

I first heard about this earlier today, and I'm actually surprised that the governor and legislators are still getting paid. I'm not surprised that they're keeping the slot machine casinos open. :-)

[cellio]

We're talking about many of the same people who were involved in a sleazy, probably-illegal pay grab last year. That they protected their own non-essential salaries and support infrastructure surprises me not at all. C'mon, turning off some of the lights in the governor's mansion? How about furloughing all the servants in and around that mansion instead? Let the governor cook his own meals, drive his own car (and pay for parking etc), answer his own mail, and so on... (And that times over 200 to include the legislators.)