U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says he doesn't "understand why" unpaid federal workers need money

If the demand is there, someone will supply.

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Getting a loan to buy groceries is a ridiculous idea.
We used to have two ways to decide where our weekly paycheck went . 1) throw the bills up in the air and the ones that landed face up - got paid. or 2) put the bills on a lazy-susan and spin it. The ones that stayed on got paid. The rest , meh.
Not all of us are born with a silver spoon in our mouths, Wilbur…

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Not an idea you’d expect to hear from anyone claiming to be “fiscally responsible”, as I’m sure Wilbur describes himself all the time.

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There will always be capitalists who see opportunity in the rope business.

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Umm A question from Canada… Do federal workers have health coverage, and is it still in effect during the shutdown?

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Federal workers do; but their contractors? Just going by experience as an independent contractor, most probably don’t.

As far as I know, healthcare coverage via one’s employment only ends if the job itself ends.

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Les aristocrates, on les pendra!
Si on ne les pend pas, on les rompra!
Si on ne les rompt pas, on les brûlera!

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And contractors also aren’t going to see any backpay when the Federal government reopens. Not that backpay later pays the rent today.

Okay, this shit makes me furious so I’m going to go back to figuring out the template for the Kitty Box-Fort. Gotta polish those crafting skills in case guillotines become a growth industry.

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I read somewhere that after the next missed period FBI agents are about to lose their supplemental coverage (vision and dental) because of how it’s structured.

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I did say “as far as I know.”

And as messed up as it is, vision and dental plans are not considered ‘essential’ health care by many businesses.

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I wonder who hired that asshole?

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I think we might need something quicker and more portable…

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One of the most surreal and wonderful movies EVER!

Edit link to the actual blog post.

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Yeah, that number doesn’t even include the 1.2 million federal contractors (and families) who are getting really screwed over. And as you point out, there’s the knock-on effects, which are significant not just in DC but every small community with a big federal employer (e.g. rural areas with federal prisons).

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Too quick.

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I wonder if it’s time to start talking about a wealth cap for public service in the United States. You may not hold public office or appointment if your net worth is greater than X. Want to serve but too rich? Give away the excess.

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Apparently right now the ones who’re still being forced to work are running out of critical supplies - stationary, paper, DNA swabs, etc - because, ta da, there’s no money to buy more.

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Most Beltway Bandit companies will still pay insurance during a shutdown. However once the contract funding runs out one is at risk of being laid off.

Look for layoffs around March or April if the shutdown is still ongoing.

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Ah, yes… “give away the excess” wink wink.

I would love something like that, but it would have to tighter than tight. No loopholes. Zero.

I mean, look what our current POTUS has been getting away with in regards to the emolument clause. He’s still flaunting that shit left and right.

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