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It is now July, time once again to celebrate the start of this webpage in 2010 with my annual July fund-raising campaign.

 

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Bill to pay federal workers will not pay those not working

UPDATE: Thanks to my readers (see comments below), it appears that the essence of this story is wrong, and that the bill did provide for payment of salaries, even to those who did not work during the shutdown, essentially giving these federal employees a free paid vacation. What makes it even more galling is that federal workers generally are paid about twice what employees in the private sector get, and also get far better benefits, including vacation and sick time that is far far far longer. Now they get a cherry on top of that.

Some fiscal sanity enters Washington: The bill passed and signed this week by President Trump to pay federal workers will only provide pay to those who actually worked during the government shutdown.

While this might seem cruel to these workers, it is no different that the reality experienced by everyone in the private sector, and it is very fair to the taxpayers.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

6 comments

  • Brendan

    Done in such a way that he can RIF the rest…

    I hope!

  • Kyle

    With that in mind, I kind of hope this shutdown lasts another month. We need to trim down the size of the federal government, but nobody wants to do it. This might be a step in the right direction, make this shutdown permanent and “re-open” the federal government with a smaller workforce within its budget. Then when that runs out, shut it down again, and send another batch of non-essential federal employees home, reduce the workforce again and “re-open”. Private companies do this all the time, and do you know what happens to all those layed off employees if they are good? They get new jobs and different companies.

  • Kirk

    The DailyCaller appears to be in error. It says, “However, the legislation is specifically for workers who are working with unpaid status during the partial shutdown, not for those on furlough. ” But the bill summary on congress.gov states, “This bill requires employees of the federal government or a District of Columbia public employer who are furloughed or required to work during a lapse in appropriations beginning on or after December 22, 2018, to be compensated for the period of the lapse.” And the text of the bill itself states, “Each employee of the United States Government or of a District of Columbia public employer furloughed as a result of a covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for the period of the lapse in appropriations, and each excepted employee who is required to perform work during a covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for such work, at the employee’s standard rate of pay, at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.”

    https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/24/

  • John

    As Kirk posted, the text of the actual bill reads as if the furloughed will receive pay. Furloughed means both essential employees who go to work unpaid, and non-essential employees who do not report to work.

    The washington post story referenced in the daily caller article says furloughed employees aren’t going to get paid, but traditionally do get paid after a furlough.

    So many lies, can’t even tell what’s the truth is anymore. The washington post is leftist and I would put money they want to support the political talking point that the poor federal employees aren’t getting paid. Can’t put on the TV or radio in this area without hearing that some federal employees can’t make ends meet. And that started before they even missed a check.

  • Kirk: Thank you. It therefore appears that the swamp has won again, and screwed the taxpayer.

  • wodun

    Boo!! There was almost some sanity to the process.

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