The government shutdown is over and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is recovering from their unscheduled vacation. The United States federal government shutdown of 2013, lasted from October 1 to 17, 2013. Unemployment data for the month of September was due to be released on October 4th i.e. four working days into the shutdown. So the employment data is now scheduled for release on October 22nd. And the Consumer Price Index which is used to calculate the September inflation rate, which was scheduled for release on October 16th is now scheduled for release on October 30th. Although the shutdown inconvenienced vacationers wanting to see National Monuments and the National Zoo, did it … [Read more...]
What’s So Bad about Shutting the Government Down?
It all seems a bit silly. On Monday the National Park Service declared that the open-air Veterans Memorial would be closed during the shutdown. After all they have to prove there is some "pain" involved in shutting down the government. But a bunch of 80-90 year old veterans would have none of it and they tore down the blockades. So the park service made a 180-degree turn and declared their visits now constitute protected “First Amendment activity” . Basically they had no choice, what were they going to do? Shoot the old war heroes? Put them all in jail? It's like a bit of a joke. No their backs are against the wall, somehow they must impress on us common rabble how important the … [Read more...]
