Let’s get real.

TheDonald has shut down the US government- no, not in full- but a good portion of it- because he wants to build a wall.  The wall that he promised Mexico would pay for.  And, since he can’t get Mexico to pay for it, he’s taking it out on the US Civil Servants.  (And, way more than that.)

Let’s get more to the point.  We no longer have (nor have we had) a border crisis in years.  Most of the immigrants who have no authority to stay in the US are here because they have overstayed their visas.  Instead of seeking those folks, TheDonald wants a wall.

Or, the fact that drugs enter the US illegally mixed up with container loads of stuff that comes through the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Savannah, Norfolk, Baltimore, Newark and New York.  Instead of bolstering inspections of those ports, TheDonald wants to bait and switch, to blame the drug scourge on the “lax” situation on the Southern Borders.

Or, the fact that the walls that he wants to expand provide no security when tunnels go under those walls.  Instead of seeking out tunnels and destroying them, TheDonald wants us to waste more money building more ineffective walls.  (The walls that he claims work- those around Israel- involve folks looking for tunnels, using sophisticated tracking devices.  Oh, and they are over land, not near water like our Rio Grande borders.  And, let’s not forget how many villages have been destroyed or segregated by building a wall right damned smack through the middle of them. )  Of course, there’s the other facts- Texans object to losing their land (via condemnation) to a wall.  And, more Americans object to losing valuable park land to a wall- and the portion of the part that will be on the ‘wrong side’ of that wall.

Instead of solving problems, we are leaving the US citizenry at risk.  Or forcing more and more of the 806,300 employees furloughed into slavery.  I don’t know what you call being forced to work without being paid. But, if it happened to you, you’d recognize slavery immediately.

And, let’s not forget that the folks who are furloughed are those that secure our borders.  Homeland Security- or the former members of our armed forces (The Coast Guard)- who are being forced to work without pay.  You should know that Homeland accounts for ¼ of those affected by the shutdown.   So, this shutdown is leaving our borders at risk.  (Again, who is leaving our borders unsecured?)

Or, our food and drugs are being shipped to consumers with no inspections for safety, no oversight.  Is that what folks really consider to be logical?

Or, the fact that a brand new tax law was promulgated last year- and the IRS is not available to answer questions on interpretation.  (Yes, I know this could mean more money for me, but that is still not fair.)   Not to mention that tax refunds need to be issued.  Or, questions about audits need someone to pick up the phone.

But, it’s way more than 806,300 civil servants.  There are roughly 2 to 3 contractors servicing the same agencies for every one of those 800,000 civil servants.  Even if TheDonald eventually signs a bill that will afford those indentured servants some back pay, not one of those contractors will see any income for the 30 to 90 days they’ve been furloughed.  (Not to mention that many of these skilled civil servants will see the light of working in TheDonald’s government [or is that the dark?] and abandon ship.)

You see, while there may be 2 million civil servants- there are some 6 million federal contractors.  (The US has already spent $ 61 billion for contractors in the fiscal year that started in October.)  Some 10,000 companies are under contract to the US that are shut down- and many of them will fold forever, since they were banking on that federal largesse.   These firms range from security guards (out some $ 50 KK after 4 weeks of shutdown), Space (about $ 42 KK), Software and IT vendors ( $ 67 million), just to mention a few.

In DC, the Metro system is losing $ 400,000 a day because of the shutdown. (There are some 100,000 employees and close to 400,00 contractors out of work in the DC metropolitan area.) Do you think the Feds will make that up?  Oh, maybe you want to buy a bridge to go along with that wall, then.

And, in DC, restaurants are losing millions in revenue because there are no employees eating out.  Which is exactly what’s happening in Ogden Utah, West Virginia, Montana, and all the other places with federal staff that are furloughed.

There’s also the Native Americans.  Who no longer have operating health care facilities,  Or, elderly in Florida being evicted from nursing homes, because vouchers to cover their costs are not being issued.  The poor losing out on apartment rentals, because HUD can’t process their applications. Or, moms like Ms. Wormley-Mitsis unable to house her two autistic kids in a secure environment, due to the shutdown.

Let’s stop the nonsense and open our government up for business.  And, let’s make a comprehensive plan to ensure our border security and the retention of  DACA kids, while  we are at it.

We can’t keep hoping folks like Kraft foods will be able to keep those furloughed folks from going hungry.   Or, loans from the Jewish Free Loan Society to affected souls.  Or, groups like the business association to which I belong (West End Business Association) extending help to those affected.  Not to mention the damage to the economy that is being inflicted by this stupidity.

(Remember- TheDonald thought helping Puerto Rico meant throwing paper towels.  Now, he’s repeating that crap all over America.)