[ad_1]
For the 380,000 federal employees on leave and the other 420,000 who work without pay, it means that it's time to start planning how to pay the January bills without the promise of their next paycheck in the framework of the government's closure.
The US Office of Personnel Management tweeted standard letters that federal employees were to send to their creditors, their mortgage companies or their owners. The letters suggest that employees ask to pay a reduced amount or create a payment plan in the coming months as they are out of work and not paid during the closing.
Each standard letter ends with: "I appreciate your willingness to work with me and your understanding in this difficult time."
The standard letter that employees can send to their owners suggests offering services such as painting or carpentry. work "in exchange for partial rents".
Trump says workers support closure
On Christmas Day, speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said that many federal workers were supporting the closure. He said: "But many of these workers have said to me and communicated, stay out until you get funding for the wall." On Thursday, he tweeted, "Do the Democrats realize that most people who are not paid are Democrats?"
Trump did not submit any evidence that most of the 800,000 unpaid or unpaid workers belonged to the Democratic Party. [19659002] "The federal government is an apolitical workforce of hard-fought veterans, law enforcement officials, scientists, analysts, janitors, nurses and many other public servants, all of whom come from different backgrounds and with different demographic characteristics, "said the national president of the Federation of Government Employees, told CNN in a statement. "The closure of the government does not harm a political party or a federal employee, but all the others."
The American Federation of Government Employees is a union representing more than 700,000 federal employees in several agencies.
A representative of Local Chapter 1637 of AFGE, an employee of the Bureau of Prisons in Texas, said she was not supporting the closure. The employee is considered "essential", so she works unpaid during the closure.
"Personally, I wonder what federal government employees are talking to you because they are not people from my institution," she told CNN. "None of us wants the government to shut down, and none of us wants to work and not get paid." Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Green Parties, All Who Work, at least in My Facilities we want to be paid. "
This federal employee works a night shift at work. She is engaged and plans a wedding in July. This week, she failed to file deposits at her wedding reception and church. She also canceled an appointment to start getting her wedding dress ready next week. She fears that if she files these payments now, and the closure continues, she will not be able to pay her rent and other more pressing bills in the months to come.
"It's thousands of dollars that I can not just turn off somewhere without knowing when I will be paid again," she said. "My well-being is not at stake, but my dreams and hopes for life are broken and most likely shaken."
She explained that some frustrated people are not paid and must continue to work, they do not show up for work. This means that, along with other people from her institution, she also performs mandatory overtime during this period.
She expresses her frustration at some of the comments made by lawmakers in Washington.
"As federal employees, when statements are made, the resulting effects and attitudes are negative and frustrating because you are not in our shoes. we live, "she said. "If the shoe was on the other foot, if you took a day at work, would you really feel that what you are doing right now is right?"
Throughout the country, the Esparza family in Kent, Washington, with about 42,000 active duty Coast Guard members, will not be paid during the closure
. they are technically part of the Department of Homeland Security.
"This is not our first rodeo," says Jacqui Esparza, but she expects it to be the worst. Her husband, Joshua, has been with the Coast Guard for 14 years.
Now the Esparza are trying to figure out what bills need to be paid and what can wait.
almost all the bills paid, but what are we going to rent, because our rent comes from my husband's pay, which includes a housing allowance, "she says. "Without that, we can not afford the Seattle area."
Esparza estimates that they will have to bear about $ 200 late; the money that his family does not have, especially after the holidays.
The pain does not stop in their bank accounts. Jacqui Esparza mourns the loss of her grandfather – en route to the funeral.
The cost of the plane ticket is only another blow to their bank account.
"Politicians can bicker on Capital Hill," she says. . "But stop using the armed forces and their salary as currency."
The stop expands until the second week
Some federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Smithsonian Museums, have could use other funds. to stay open during the first week of the closure, as it begins the second week, these funds are exhausted.
EPA Acting Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, sent an e-mail to agency staff on December 27 to inform him that if a closure was concluded not reached at midnight on December 28, the agency would begin orderly stop proceedings. The Smithsonian has announced that all museums, research centers and facilities, including the national zoo, would close as of January 2 if no closure agreement was reached.
At the Washington National Zoo, all animals will continue to be fed. and supported during the shutdown, but live animal cameras, including the popular Panda Cam, would no longer be broadcast once the zoo closed.
According to the Zoo's website, cameras require "federal resources, mainly personnel, to function" and are "deemed non-essential".
According to a spokesman for the agency, the country's national parks remain "as accessible as possible" during the closed period. For some parks, state and city governments intervened to cover the funds and keep them open.
In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state would provide funds to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island open. In Philadelphia, a local non-profit organization, VISIT PHILADELPHIA, donated money to keep Independence Hall and Liberty Bell open for three days starting December 28.
in this dark time in our country to keep the torch of the Statue of Liberty lit, metaphorically, "Cuomo told WAMC radio on December 27.
[ad_2]
Source link
