The current federal government shutdown is expected to continue into next week. Have you, personally, been impacted? Or is everything normal? Please take a moment to respond to this special reader poll. Let’s see how the RVtravel.com crowd is faring through this challenging time.
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RVT1230
Currently 81% are voting “Not that I can tell.” There in is the problem. The whole shutdown is a sham, a political stunt that has become far too common. Want to effect change? Make it hurt for everyone. Then and only then will voters wake up.
Take away the House and Senate’s pay and benefits, then a compromise would be made within a day.
And no back-pay!!!
For our Congressman & Senators only.
The entire administration-NO PAY!!!!
Exactly! The shutdown does not affect them at all. But it does hurt the essential workers that have been laid off, furloughed or “fired”, and soon the rest of the country!
These are the ones who worked everyday of the week. Not part time like the Legislators. They need to take care of the population and not their Egos.
Vote with their conscience and stop being Puppets!
Essential workers laid off? Name one! Only Non Essential workers are furloughed.
Hello… hello…. you there Bob? Come in Bob! You out there Bob?
No Essential workers are touched in a shutdown. NAME ONE.
I give you one. An IRS auditor I know, and thousands of others in the service. They are essential because they bring in most of the government revenue. Auditors are the first line of enforcement that keep the system fair!
And now they are going after research and development departments. This is to have enough money to pay the ones in the armed services.
Even though they definitely deserve it, taking money from other needed departments is not the way to do it.
Maybe NOT spending 200 million on a ballroom, and $15-17 million to go the Ryder Cup to see of few holes of golf played could be channeled into pay for the service men and women and their families.
Plus. how much money is being spent trying to prove autism is caused by Tylenol and C sections.
And it has cost the taxpayer over $150 for golf outings in the first term.
It will be much more this time.
😮🍻🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Us folk in the private sector are loving the fact that we don’t need an additional 34,000 IRS agents, and we don’t need 40% of “non essential government” people getting paid with private sector tax dollars, making rules that we didn’t vote for, they can learn to code, Oh and the ballroom was funded with “private money” not our tax dollars. Question, did you complain when Barry and Michael oops I mean Michelle flew separate jets to Hawaii, came back for a vote and flew back to Hawaii? I think the golf tournament was on the east coast where he works and lives.
Us folk in the private sector are loving the fact that we don’t need an additional 34,000 IRS agents, and we don’t need 40% of “non essential government” people getting paid with private sector tax dollars, making rules that we didn’t vote for, they can learn to code, Oh and the ballroom was funded with “private money” not our tax dollars. Question, did you complain when Barry and Michelle flew separate jets to Hawaii, came back for a vote and flew back to Hawaii? I think the golf tournament was on the east coast where he works and lives.
“Maybe NOT spending 200 million on a ballroom”
LOL – are you uniformed or what????? The President is paying for it with his own money.
Plus, Bob, you say “now they are going after research and development departments” yet whine about “how much money is being spent trying to prove autism is caused by Tylenol and C sections.” Isn’t that “research”?????
Face it Bob, you have a rather large case of TDS. Maybe they need some R&D to find a cure for people like you, huh!!!
LOLOLOL 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
An IRS auditor….🤣🤣🤣🤣
Don’t worry, Rick, that IRS Auditor will get full back pay when the democrats decide to stop throwing a hissy-fit over spending other people money on propping up their agenda and open up the government.
Tell the IRS Auditor to enjoy his free paid vacation.
Bingo
Some of us are not dependent upon government for our daily well-being, so the shutdown has little effect. The notion that government should seek to become even more obtrusive than it already is just so that we too would feel pain is truly disturbing.
I’m trying to be informative and not insulting, but “Not that I can tell” means you aren’t paying close enough attention. Do you have family or friends who are currently not being paid or facing layoff? – they don’t have to be government employees. They can work for contractors or suppliers. What about that idled road repair project? Do you have any pending changes for Social Security or Medicare? Were you looking to park on Federal Lands for the upcoming snowbird season? Do you have any flights booked? Or maybe other family members have holiday gatherings that involve flying? You may not be worried about your next meal (I’m not). But I see things happening all around me.
I’m paying very close attention. My vote was for if it was affecting me personally at this moment. It is not. Yet! Many others, yes. I have complete empathy for them, except for those that enabled this debacle with their vote. My 2 cents.
Jim, no disrespect but the poll isn’t asking if folks are aware of a shutdown, it’s asking if the shutdown is personally affecting them. Seeing things and being affected by things are two different circumstances.
Me personally, I haven’t seen any impact first hand. That doesn’t mean I have my head in the sand, embrace political theatrics or think $37T in debt is fine, it means I have experienced no direct impact from the shutdown.
Safe travels
Just make sure you place the blame correctly Jim and the math is simple: 98% of R’s voted to keep the Gov’t open and 96% of D’s voted to close the Gov’t. It would take only 10% of the D Senators to vote yes and reopen the govt.
The math is simple on who closed the Gov’t.
Fact & truth are sometimes on the opposite end of perception (and common sense).
My party voted to open back up 6 times already.
And six times it was turned down!
Turned down by who Bob. Only 4% of Dems in the senate voted to open the govt back up. 98% of R’s voted to open it back up. Who turned it down? Issues with math?
The vote was on an entire budget. There are many issues involved.
And there should be a give and take from both sides. One side has already ceded some points, but the other side refuses to budge.
The bad part is some do not agree with a lot of these things, but are afraid to speak out.
If the budget is passed as spelled out, there will be a lot more people suffering.
No it’s not. Get informed. It’s a 7 week extension at the same rate of spending. It’s not an entire budget, wanna buy a bridge? Wholly Molly. Get informed.
The vote was NOT on the proposed NEW budget. It was to extend the current budget…prepared and passed under Biden in fhe fall of 2024….the same budget the D’s voted on earlier. This would keep the govt open for 7-weeks while negotiations on the fiscal ’26 budget continues.
I’m paying attention. It’s not affecting me. My son and his family will likely miss the next paycheck (and maybe more) We’ve discussed options if it lasts longer, including a loan from me, if needed. But the question was whether it’s affecting me. No. It’s not. It may, should I need to loan the money, but other than the conversation with my son and irritation with those who are using this as blackmail to get what they want, it’s not affecting me.
“I’m trying to be informative and not insulting, but “Not that I can tell” means you aren’t paying close enough attention.”
Actually, I am paying very close attention. $37+ trillion in debt, $1 Trillion interest on that debt. The borrowing and spending on BS programs has to stop. I would really hate to be how democrats operate their personal finances!
I have friends not getting paid and being threatened to lose their jobs and those that will see their healthcare premiums skyrocket due to recent changes. We all need open primaries and rank choice voting to get rid of the extremes on both sides destroying things
FYI…the healthcare increases. Going back to what it was before Covid. Credits were given due to Covid. Also, Obamacare was a disaster, you can keep your doctor, cheaper….both weren’t true. Needs to be overhauled.
Rank choice voting? Seriously? Try no Dominion voting machines, voter ID, paper ballots and election day not election months. After cleaning up the voter rolls in California, Newsome would have lost by a million votes. He won by 2 million+, but they just cleaned up 3 million+ either dead, moved or fraudulent registered voters. That is the ONLY way to ensure 1 eligible voter, one vote. PERIOD. We The People. Rank choice voting is creating a known non-citizen communist taking over NYC, not to mention Lisa Murkowski who is nothing close to a Republican.
You are wise!!!
So Dave R, you don’t know how insurance works, eh. I personally don’t think any insurance should be “subsidized” by taxpayer’s money. The ACA is a disaster and cause the cost of medical care to skyrocket. After all, it was free money to a major Democrat Donar organization. Funny how that works, huh.
I voted somewhat. While there is no direct effect yet, as the spouse of a retired federal employee and myself becoming eligible for Medicare in the near future, there is the stress of concern for how it may affect our future.
Food prices were already rising and will continue to do so. The effect of the shutdown and tariffs will take a few more months to hurt large numbers of people. The longer term effects of mass federal layoffs may take more time to notice until food shortages, disease, safety, and environmental problems become widespread. Artificial intelligence may not save us, but idiotic leadership will kill us.
Next up, pestilence. LOL.
Are you at least happy about Middle East Peace?
I voted the third choice, since the question was about “me”. However, growing up as an Air Force Brat, I worry about our military members and how this is affecting them.
They are going to get paid. Announced Friday or Saturday.
We returned from 2 weeks camping last night, so effects at home are yet to be listed. With a military base and nat’l lab (where my husband works) here, and public lands and nat’l parks, + another lab in the state, I’m sure there will be. Grand Canyon was open, with reduced staff visitor center closed, back country Office open; Petrified forest closed. They were collecting trash at GC, and cleaning restrooms, but how long they will is a question. Many visitors form around the world.
It has very much affected my concern for the way our country is going. Which was already bad.
Yes, it was going very badly but keep the faith Gigi, it is now getting, in a measurable way, better by the day.
It’s gone upside down since January this year
Way upside down!
Darn that silly middle eastern peace. How dare our president stop a 30 year war in central Africa. How crazy is it that DJT stopped India and Pakistan from killing a million on each side and wow, who does this president think he is preventing Cambodia and Thailand from shooting it out? American TAX PAYERS not subsidizing illegal immagrant’s health care…crazy upside down on that one and how dare the American TAX PAYER stop funding gender confusion studies in Malawi?
WAY UPSIDE DOWN?
It is not affecting us at all. In fact, with all the “Non-Essential” government workers not doing whatever little they do, it is wise to consider just eliminating them permanently. The long term cost savings of Billions per year, will help programs that can really help be stronger.
Not us yet as we are retired but the direction of government in DC and their inability to compromise for the good of all US citizens frustrates my mental health!
I think we need our house & senate to have the same insurance, retirement plan and pay as the average citizen. Get the big money out of elections. Vote for candidates by what they will do, their morality and wisdom not political party.
Nothing to compromise on in this shutdown. The vote of 96% of Ds, who are voting to shut down the Gov’t are voting against keeping spending EXACTLY the same for only 7 more weeks so negotiations and compromise can then happen. Holding the country hostage is not compromise, it is extortion. Compromise is a conversation without a hammer.
The Dem’ s didn’t vote to shut down they voted No on the bill that wasn’t presented.
There needs to be a compromise with the other party on each side.
Thats just silly deflection. They voted no on the CR which shut the Gov’t down. It’s very simple. A seven week CR just like the last 13 CRs that the Dems voted Yes on. Very simple.
How can someone vote no on something not presented? Thats just pure silliness. This morning I voted no on lobster for breakfast even though it was not a choice on the menu. I just looked at the waitress and said “NO, I do not want lobster for breakfast”. She said, “good, we don’t serve lobster”. To which I said, “I don’t care how many times you don’t offer it to me, I still don’t want it.”
Compromise – you mean like, “If you want to know what is in the Bill, you have to pass it.”
Not paying the Armed Forces is just wrong.
But, now he wants to take money from research and development to pay them.
I have no problem with finding funds, but this is not the way to do it.
There has been enough other essential people who have lost their jobs in all parts of the government, without adding to that number.
Start with taking the money and benefits away from the 535 members of Congress and all the other hundreds of White House staff.
Well, they just need to approve the CR. You know , like last time when the D’s were in charge. 3 D’s in the Senate voted for it. Just need 4 more and it is over.
As long as I still receive my Civil Service retirement annuity and the republican congress doesn’t cut my MediCare and Medi-Cal…. I am fine.
Wait for it. They’re already cutting Medicaid, Snap and other low income subsidies, blaming immigration.
Medicare and SS will be next.
My Medicare Advantage plan has almost doubled this year. Thinking mostly because of the tariffs imposed on imported drugs.
BTW, a large number of companies moved operations overseas from 2016-2021.
Not quite right, they cut medicaid and SNAP… for illegals, 6 months ago. The Ds are shutting down the Gov’t to claw those benefits for illegals back. Also, trying to claw back the ACA (Obamacare) Covid Era subsidies, but maybe you are not aware Bob, Covid is over, it has been over for a while.
We need to quit propping up the failing ACA. Yes, it will be painful for many but propping up failure is not a solution. We need to either fix the ACA or let it die. Propping it up with hidden backend subsidies in order to keep the front end premiums artificially lower, is not a solution. It is camouflage.
Illegals have never been eligible for Medicaid or SNAP and there is nothing in the Dem proposal to provide any healthcare benefits to illegals.
Page 57 of the Dem proposal. Read it. It claws back hospital reimbursements to states that used it for illegals in the emergency room. Page 57 bro, read it.
So what I am saying is the States like Cali are funding illegals in emergency rooms and then using federal reimbursements to make up the difference. Money is fungible. The Feds are not funding the illegals directly, you are functionally correct on that but if the states are, and then getting reimbursed by the Feds, then the Feds are too. Fungible money.
Cancelproof- I know I’m not going to change your mind, but the D proposal is to keep funding ALL currently covered emergency room costs. I don’t know HOW MANY undocumented visit ERs, do you? Emergency room funding covers victims of violence, people with severe medical problem onset that can’t wait for regular office hours, emergency care for travelers away from their usual health providers…you are against their funding as well? Seems to me you are throwing out the baby with bath water
Thanks for such a thoughtful comment and indeed, some of what you refer to, is somewhat accurate. What the D proposal does is re-litigate the Big Beautiful Bill, which is settled law from 7 months ago. Page 57, specifically repeals the provision from the BBB which eliminated reimbursements to the states under the Covid Era ACA expansion for medicaid. We know some states, like Cali, were using those medicaid reimbursements to offset the costs they absorbed for illegals in emergency rooms. States can still pick up those costs, they simply will not be reimbursed with federal tax dollars. The D bill also claws back PBS and NPR funding, ended in the BBB, settled 7 months ago.
Cont.
If the D bill / desire is in fact to continue funding “current” levels, why not just vote yes which keeps things the same in this 100% clean CR? Because that is not the desire…. It IS in fact to change it back to March of 2025, pre- BBB. They lost the election, all 3 bodies in fact, so a hostage scenario using the filibuster is all they have. Simply vote yes, open the govt and continue the existing Biden budget for a few extra weeks and then negotiate while the govt is open for the upcoming budget.
Happy trails 😎 ✌️
According to an article on MSN, “The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a non-partisan entity, has revealed that Medicaid allocated $16.2 billion for emergency medical services to undocumented immigrants over the initial three years of the Biden-Harris administration.”
Not sure about how many but it has also been documented “undocumented” use emergency rooms as their primary care provider which is reimbursed by States and ultimately, the Federal Government. Not only is it much more expensive for hospitals, but causes wait times to increase for actual emergencies.
Actually illegals are eligible as the Auto-Pen Administration reclassified illegals giving them temporary legal/asylum status mainly because they border was overrun, and they let any and every one in. That opened the door for them to get free taxpayer’s money.
Nope! Keep it going.
I’d rather do with out, than submit to ridiculous, broken policies of the past administration.
Read the news and change the news channel.
Don’t take for truth which Is propaganda BS surprised of how many people vote against their own interests
More silliness. Get informed, or not, don’t really care if you live in Narnia.
More silliness. Get the facts instead of simply listening to the lies of the right.
1-800-TDS-CURE
Actually I view many sources on a daily basis including PBS, NBC, and Fox. I listen to all views, then make an informed decision based on fact & truth.
Many people are against the current administration simply because they don’t like the leader – even though he’s the best we’ve ever had.
Yes. I was planning to spend 3 weeks in Yosemite beginning on October 18 but have had to scramble to find another place to stay. While Yosemite appears to be open I am not willing to take any chances due to the government shutdown and potential reduction in services. I full time RV.
We are trying to schedule visits to 4 national parks. Can’t find information ref partially closed or closed. There was absolutely no entry to the Petrified Forest NP while you could enter the Grand Canyon. I want to schedule campground reservations but don’t want to drive the miles if we can’t enter. Yes, the shutdown is affecting me! And my friends who work for the federal government.
Somewhat is how I answered. Moneywise, not yet. I’ve got money in savings. I do depend on the gov’t though and we never know if they’ll decide gov’t entitlements such as military retirement, veteran’s disability and social security pays will be next on block to hold back while trying convince us that will help balance the books due to their inability to balance the books.
Enough said.
Now back to the regular programing.
Our camping club is on a rolling rally. Most of Mesa Verde was shut down. We are going to the Grand Canyon, which is mostly open. Then two days at Petrified Forest/Painted Desert and it is completely closed. Boo!
Somewhat but not life threatening. We just got back home after a 2 week journey from AZ to ID and back. Bryce was not shut down. The state of Utah put Utah people to work Bryce. Lehman Caves and Great Basin everything was closed. Had we known they were both closed we would have taken a different route. No big deal. Cedar Breaks the visitor center closed.
The other answer is: not at all.
Between my social security, pension, and ira, I haven’t any monetary problems.
My husband is retired military. We have Medicare with Tricare as secondary for medical insurance. I just found out today that the government is not paying any Tricare claims made after October 1st. I know I have one claim for a visit on OCT 1st. I may need to cancel some appointments if this shutdown drags on.
Just that I am traveling, n there’s 3 NP i was going to that are now closed.
The only effect so far was to get kicked out of a forest service campground when we were camping and the shutdown hit. Political nonsense, otherwise!
Spent two days in Gettysburg. Everything was open.
We went to Mt Rainier National Park last week. Everything was open except the pay shack at the gate. We did notice there was a campground closed but it may be a seasonal thing considering it snowed there a couple of days later.
Not surprised that most RVers are not impacted as most RVers are responsible enough to not depend on the government for their well being. Most have worked long and hard and saved properly and earned the freedom to enjoy their RV.