Terrorists Invade Capitol Hill and the White House

When every government facility from coast to coast is shut down, we must ask… Where is the national threat? Who are the terrorists?

Congress dressed it up and gave it a colorful friendly name; “furlough”. In essence, any other company throughout history would have had to call it what it is; “laid-off.” Now, so that we understand the process the government is veiled behind this screen of furlough, those who are “fully” furloughed are sent home and they are expected to return to work at their government jobs the moment they are called back. Those that are “essential” and furloughed are expected to show up at work daily, they must not perform any duties that bring any work to a close or create any future projects (or work) as they are prohibited from doing so while on furlough and the government is on official “shutdown.” Twiddle thumbs, spin chair, count ceiling tiles…

What does this all translate to? Let us first look at those workers who are “fully-furloughed.” They are not to go to their government jobs until they are called back to work. They are eligible to file for unemployment benefits, which they will have to pay back (in full) once they return to work because they will receive retroactive pay dating back to the day they were sent home. Hey, wait a second. Doesn’t the government control, and oversee the unemployment department benefits across America?

Okay, so let’s move on to the “essential” employees. An “essential” employee on furlough is still expected to go to work. Whew, and here I thought they were all going to be sent home. However, the “essential” furloughed employee does not receive a paycheck (like the furloughed employee), and they must not miss more than three consecutive minutes of work otherwise they will immediately be placed on the fully “furloughed” (go home) list.

Let me see if I understand. If I am considered an “essential” employee, I do not get paid, I am not eligible for unemployment, and I am expected to fill my car with gas, and go to work, and do all this with no income. Oh, and then when the furlough does come to an end, everyone who was on the furlough, all 800,000 plus employees, are taxed on the lump sum payment, which then is in reality more heavily taxed than their bi-monthly check. And let’s not forget the taxes paid on unemployment benefits drawn against. Its beginning to become clearer where some of the debt ceiling money will be coming from; the employees.

If you are wondering why the furloughed employees don’t just get another job while they are on furlough to “tie them over” until they are called back to their jog at the government, that’s a fair question. A furloughed government employee is legally bound to the Federal Government not to seek or be gainfully employed other than within the Federal Government as per the legal binding contractual agreement signed and entered into at the time of hiring.    

I sure hope all those stories about people who speak their minds about the government and military Black Ops teams who show up (but were never there) and the person who spoke out that is never heard from again is nothing more than paranoid ranting’s, and… Well, I am just saying, because I am about to “give ‘em hell.”     

Dear Mr. President, we have laws in place that ensure you cannot dictate as Kings did in the old days and tax your Kingdom as you see fit, stockpiling rooms full of treasures. What you are doing is referred to as indentured servitude. Heck, even the slaves were given a room (albeit a cellar or a wood shack) and a daily meal for their services. But they were not expected to pay taxes.

Sir, you may not be yielding a leather bullwhip, but what you yield is harming Americans everywhere. You offer less than what the slaves were accustomed to receiving for their services. Only a treasonous tyrant would impose less than what is considered in our human civil rights as outlawed practices. You say you are American, but you ought to be ashamed along with all those oppressing authoritarians on Capitol Hill who point fingers and play the blame game. Stop acting like whining unruly spoiled brats and accept your responsibilities.

By the way, you have made it clear that you don’t care about the government employee; however, when our enlisted return from battle and they are unable to file for V.A. benefits because the government has placed its employes on furlough, what do you say to them, “It’s just fine that you lost a limb fighting for our freedom, liberty and safety, but you’ll have to wait on drawing your earned benefits because we don’t play well together.” Grow up!     

What this country needs is a clean sweep. A president with a pair, or a backbone, a Senate who is more concerned with humanity and less consumed in profiteering and capitalism, and a Congress who is for the people not for the betterment of its economic wealth and global powers.

Do you really want to repair the national deficit? Care more about your nation and stop sending American dollars overseas to rebuild countries who will not appreciate the resources and in turn use the resources to terrorize America again. Besides, we look foolish to the rest of the world when we are more concerned with rebuilding those who tear us down and not concerned with the solvency of our country. What good is there in building homes and assisting the families abroad if we are not willing to take care of the homes and the people in the good ole’ U.S. of A!

A concerned American citizen…

Dane Ladwig