"...but until that is done there is no chance for a better solution." Yes, we've been pushed so far down that rabbit hole there doesn't seem to be a way out. And it appears we're going deeper and deeper.

Agreed, they are a mortgage that is never paid off. I would much prefer a free market system for most of the services that such taxes supposedly provide. "Services" involving use of force are a difficult matter even in a free market system, but until that is done there is no chance for a better solution.

Very true, freedomforall, but the encroachment of government on the private citizen began before the 16th amendment. As soon as government (local or otherwise) imposed the new "royal rent" (property tax) on the common citizen the people were no longer free citizens. The people can pretend they are free and even have bragging rights on paying off their mortgage, but miss a royal rent payment and soon they will discover they don't own a thing and are not very free. Americans can say they are more free than others, but they haven't been truly free citizens for a long time - at least longer than I've been alive.

*affected

Past practice, Congress must authorize the back pay and they always have in previous shut downs.

I heard that those furloughed, in this shutdown, were going to be "without pay". This is the first time I've heard them state this and it will be interesting to see if it is, indeed, true.

Indeed ... I remember that bit of nonsense ... pure toddleresque behavior.

https://fee.org/articles/15-things-yo...

Nothing like reality itself to wake one up to reality

When the company I was working at had money problems and shut down, all the employees got paid from the coins hanging from magic money tree.
Then I woke up.

retroactive pay is disgusting,

The congress just gives them retroactive pay. I call it a paid vacation; not a shutdown. I dont like the retroactive pay thing- it should be stopped.

I kind of like a government shutdown, perhaps a more permanent one so I can live my life without being bothered by so many bureaucrats.

You remind me of Rush saying he likes it when our law makers are not working.
Me dino knows some are working at ending the shutdown.
If only they all could stay preoccupied like that for much longer.

A vast portion of the government that is currently shut down are useless anyway. Sadly, those who are in fact furloughed are getting a free vacation and will be paid in the end. If it lasts long enough the $5 Billion we want for the wall will instead be paid in back pay to all the DO Nothing government employees out on holiday. Shut downs are as phony as 3 dollar bills.

Nice time to confiscate some cones for use as soccer goals and drills.

The more the gov't is shut down, the better!

Got me there. ;)

"At least one federal agency, the IRS, is sounding the alarm about the shutdown wreaking havoc on the wider public. The agency's union noted that the Republican tax bill goes into affect this season for the first time, meaning IRS employees need training to familiarize themselves with the changes."

Someone please tell me where these idiot reporters are getting their training?

Aside from my obvious glee at the IRS not working (and I wish they would never get paid), I would hope that someone, somewhere, would teach this reporter the difference between affect and effect.

And not-so secondarily, if there is such a thing as a "non-essential" government employee," then why is he employed by the government?

But, but, but ....."in the rears" is SO MUCH MORE FUN! Especially in this context!

PS. I believe the term you are looking for is "in arrears"

Unlike Obama, Trump is not spending extra money to close parks and recreation facilities to emphasize how "bad" the shut-down is.

The best example from the Obama shut down was when they put cones along the side of the road so that people couldn't pull off the road and look at the view of the park -- because the park was "shut down".

When the people take back the powers that government has stolen from them, then parts of government will be effectively "shut down."
Until then, the power to create money from nothing and to tax (steal) production from producers gives control of all the people to government, and government will never give up that control. The federal government has been getting bigger for over 200 years and that will not stop until the people take back the control and repeal the federal reserve act, the 16th amendment, and stop government from stealing power by redefining the meaning of the limits the constitution places on government, e.g, the necessary and proper clause, and the interstate commerce clause.

Having government shut down helps me sleep peacefully at night...no more nightmares.

Well about 86% is mandatory funding. The other 14% is shut down and it depends on what congress decides for those 14% or so.

The usual decision is to allocate money from the budget for back pay. If this is the case they do get paid in the rears (just the 14% that is not automatically funded) and the rest get paid and work anyway.

So for the 14% its a paid vacation that you get the pay when the vacation is over (most likely) and the other 86% just keep working like normal.

Don’t those who don’t work get paid anyway?