As of the current timestamp (2023-10-01 17:01:11 EDT), a federal government shutdown has been averted. Actually, the shutdown has been postponed until the next farce of a budget resolution in November.
Federal shutdowns affect every American in terms of operations: there are reductions in air traffic controllers and FDA inspections, national parks close, and much more. Shutdowns affect federal employees tenfold, as they engender aggravating uncertainty regarding delayed pay, recouped pay (if any), or possibly working without pay.
Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has been diligently sending out emails addressing his constituents’ concerns during this most recent uncertainty. He mentions that he will be doing his best on behalf of the 56,000 federal employees in the 8th Congressional District and the more than 140,000 federal employees in Maryland that will face hardship should a shutdown occur. In this regard, Mr. Raskin is doing his job!
Who isn’t doing their job?
Report after report, warning after warning, plea after plea has been issued regarding our county’s reliance on the federal government as a top employer. We are currently in a situation in which the federal employer openly admits it can meet payroll only until about November 15. Since 1980 there have been 14 full-blown shutdowns significantly impacting our area and the entire DC region. There is no evidence to support the hypothesis that this instability will be permanently resolved any time soon. Not only has nothing been done to diversify this risk, non-federal employment in Montgomery County has been on the decline, making us even more reliant on the federal government.
The mayor or city council of a rust-belt town in a similar situation would be doing something to reduce its reliance on such a flaky employer. Because shutdowns have loomed in and out since 1980, a caring local government would be doing its best to lasso in more reliable employers, or at a minimum employers who do not depend on federal financing such as the area’s many contractors.
It’s hard to know if federal employees get paid less than their private counterparts (as federal worker unions say) or more (as the Congressional Budget Office says). The truth is probably in the middle with fluctuations from year to year. Nevertheless, there are industries that rely on highly talented workers such as our county’s federal employees. Recruiting them, not to mention making the effort to identify them, simply hasn’t been a priority for a county government more concerned with leaf blowers and placating a monopolistic teachers’ union. That can change only if we make our voices heard.
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Who or What is Behind “Indivisible Montgomery”? Shadowy Org Boasts an Event with Congressman Raskin But Shows No Steering Committee or Leadership Page
As Montgomery County Faces Recession Pressures and Uncertainty, Marc Elrich Departs for Taiwan with Member of County Council