A gov't shutdown story

ASmallWonder · October 2013

On the radio this morning they read a letter from a government employee who is from DC but is in Boston going to MIT for 1 year on a government funded scholarship. Apparently there's a law that furloughed employees are not legally allowed to work for free and they consider his time at MIT to be work so he's not legally allowed to attend classes until the shutdown is over. He moved his wife and two little boys (on his own dime) to Boston and because the pace is so intense at MIT he fears he won't bounce back if he misses a week and he's sure if he misses two weeks, he'll be asked to leave the program. He'd lose all the money it cost him to relocate and he'd still have to pay to move back to DC.

I know there are lots of people being impacted in big ways by the shutdown but this, to me, is just absurd. The law is there. I get it. But can someone use some good God damn sense and realize that not everything is black and white? Attending classes isn't "working for free." He should be able to go.

LaCally4 · October 2013

I don't understand that, either. Too bad the professor couldn't have him come in as an "observer" or something so that he doesn't miss the material.

LaurelBee · October 2013

I just learned that essential employees (law enforcement mainly) might not be getting paid even though they have to work- Anyone know what the deal with that is?

leanna0127 · October 2013

Fox news kept saying yesterday that this isn't a government shutdown, it's a government slimdown. They can take their "slimdown" and choke on it.

WasNotWas · October 2013

Not nearly as significant as these stories, but my sister is on the AT and has been since May and unless they open the National Parks she won't be able to finish...which would basically be a waste of 5 months.

ASmallWonder · October 2013

LaurelBee said:

I just learned that essential employees (law enforcement mainly) might not be getting paid even though they have to work- Anyone know what the deal with that is?

Ok this makes less and less sense. No one is allowed to work for free. Unless we need you. Then you WILL work for free without choice. MIT guy? Sucks to be you.

LaurelBee · October 2013

IamInigoMontoya said:

LaurelBee said:

I just learned that essential employees (law enforcement mainly) might not be getting paid even though they have to work- Anyone know what the deal with that is?

My understanding is that all essential personnel who are working will be paid at some point. They just don't know when that is.
Yeah, this is the news we got yesterday and I was like WTF.

LuckyDad · October 2013

He needs to explain his situation to his professors and see if they will let him "audit" the class during the shutdown.

If this goes months it could be a problem, but most professors will be cool enough to go with it.

LuckyDad · October 2013

fredalina said:

Surely his professors or someone in administration would let him audit his classes for now?

Yeah, that's kinda what I said. The main issue is if it's a long shut-down and it comes time to get credit for taking the class through his work. But if the shut down ends on Friday, he can very legitimately say "Oh, I caught up over the weekend".

ASmallWonder · October 2013

mbenit4 said:

I can't get it up for the MIT guy. Too FWPish. It sucks. However there are families who don't know how they are going to eat and pay bills. The money has been sent. I would go to class anyway.

This falls under "If your suck doesn't suck as much as the next guy's you don't get to bitch." No one said he had it worse. It was a different perspective on the ridiculousness of this situation.

ASmallWonder · October 2013

MabelShesTheBomb said:

elmoali said:

mbenit4 said:

I can't get it up for the MIT guy. Too FWPish. It sucks. However there are families who don't know how they are going to eat and pay bills. The money has been sent. I would go to class anyway.
This falls under "If your suck doesn't suck as much as the next guy's you don't get to bitch." No one said he had it worse. It was a different perspective on the ridiculousness of this situation.
Exactly. I just don't think many people realize the severity of who all this would impact. It's easy to see the surface impact but this just goes to show that the "trickle down" impact is HUGE.

Plus, we have no idea what the rest of his situation is. For all we know, he saved and saved for this move, and banked on finishing the program in order to get a raise to better his life for his family. Just because he works for the government and is smart doesn't mean he didn't sacrifice and struggle to make this happen, only to have it potentially taken away from him.

LuckyDad · October 2013

mbenit4 said:

Talk to me after Friday when I see if I get paid or not. Until then kiss my ass.

I have my fingers crossed for you.

I understand your personal anxiety. For those of us not directly affected, it's helpful learning about all the impact of the shut down, both big and small.

ASmallWonder · October 2013

mbenit4 said:

Talk to me after Friday when I see if I get paid or not. Until then kiss my ass.

Well with that tone missy, I choose neither. In all seriousness, you potentially not getting paid SUCKS. This guy's situation sucks. I didn't post it to be a pain olympics by proxy.

leanna0127 · October 2013

Damnit I wish I knew how to gif.

ASmallWonder · October 2013

IamInigoMontoya said:

And if he was furloughed, that pretty much means he's not getting paid either. So he's kind of doubly screwed, right?

Ok so I don't know how it works across the board (and it's not ideal but...) a friend of mine is furloughed and she gets unemployment.

leanna0127 · October 2013

Or properly quote somebody. I'm an idiot.

leanna0127 · October 2013

LoisLayn23 said:

wilson.1187 said:

Damnit I wish I knew how to gif.

Whatcha need? I'm pretty good on the ole google machine.

An Oprah eyeroll for mbenit's comment, please.

ASmallWonder · October 2013

mbenit4 said:

mbenit4 said:

Talk to me after Friday when I see if I get paid or not. Until then kiss my ass.
Oh so you're on team "I am the only person in the world who matters, fuck everyone else effected" Channeling Hercules03, eh?
No I am on team families not being able to buy food and pay bills > MIT guy. Not but the zoo... This AFFECTS many so as I said before I can't get it up for him.

God forbid we try to understand this situation in its entirety.

ASmallWonder · October 2013

IamInigoMontoya said:

I'm not sure I understand @mbenit. To me, it sounds like this could mean financial ruin for this guy and his family too. Why is that not the same thing? Without knowing the details, I don't see how his situation is any different from yours. But maybe I'm missing something?

Right. He's not getting paid either PLUS he's going to owe all kinds of money for all the moves and shit. Maybe his job depends on this degree. So he's JUST as up shit's creek as mbenny plus has the financial burden that will come from him not completely this degree. It's not like we're talking English Lit at a community college 15 minutes from home that he can just retake.

ASmallWonder · October 2013

speer06 said:

MabelShesTheBomb said:

Failing an entire semester at MIT very well could leave without the ability to buy food and pay bills, especially if he ends up having to pay the government back for a failed semester depending upon what kind of waiver he is on.

"not but the zoo" ....i don't know what this means, sorry.
And fuck me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure MIT isn't cheap. Like, I'd hate to owe someone $21K for one semester that I couldn't pass because the fucking government shut down and I couldn't attend.

And since the government hasn't shown a tendency toward the more common of sense, they will likely shrug their shoulders and say "Yeeahh...know we told you that you couldn't attend but you still failed so you have to pay." "Yeah but I failed because of YOU!" "Um. Yeeeahhh....pay."

virgin4lyfe · October 2013

Okay, so I have a question - I'm trying to understand from google, but - how quickly is this going to affect state gov workers? I saw that NC furloughed people but I can't find anything about say, my state having workers furloughed. Does it depend on the money in the state?

edited for words.

AngelNDavid · October 2013

My DH is Federal Law Enforcement and you're correct they're working for "free" during the shutdown. If the government opens before Oct 7th they will be paid on time, if not they won't receive pay until the government reopens. Here is the best part...if someone is killed while on the job their families also don't receive their death benefits until the shut down is over. Great huh?

ASmallWonder · October 2013

Inkogneetoh said:

I understand why a shut down could have some serious detrimental long term affects on MIT guy and his family... but wouldn't the semester already be paid for at this point? I would just continue to attend classes and carry on. How would they stop him from taking the classes? Would the government withdraw him since he's technically furloughed?

Lawyers have been involved, according to his letter. So it seems MIT isn't going to risk breaking the law by allowing him to attend since it's been clear he isn't allowed to.

LaurelBee · October 2013

So its against the law for nonessential govt workers to work w/o pay, but essential govt employees have to work w/o pay. That's some bullshit.

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