Looking out my windows, it is a little more overcast and dreary today than yesterday...not sure if this is an effect of the shutdown or not.
But, water continues to flow from my faucets, I have electricity, and my phone and internet services still work. This is curious to me. Why, I thought that without the Federal Government, all infrastructure just falls apart. I thought the local water, power and telecom companies were just a front for Federal workers who busily went about making sure that all the important features of modern life were maintained...and yet three days into a Federal Government shut down there is no apparent impact on these vital services.
What I have heard about is government agents putting up barricades around federal landmarks, such as the WWII Monument. These are monuments that many people visit every day without the need for government tour guides or any interaction with government at all. But, even during a horrible shutdown, the Feds do seem to have the ability to send agents to bar 80 and 90 year old WWII veterans from visiting their monument. They also seem to have the ability to place barricades around Mount Vernon, which is privately owned and operated.
This is pretty pathetic, if you ask me. This is a blatant attempt to use our monuments as a very visible sign of the effects of a government shut down. One of the first things they bring up in every discussion of possible shutdowns over the last few years is the closing of national parks and monuments. They want you to know that poor little school children may not be able to visit their favorite park. Now remember, this is almost all they have...Parks and the fact that Federal workers may not get paid...except of course the big mean officers barring access to monuments. What else are we seeing? What other catastrophes have befallen us?
Once again I call on the States to take up this issue also. Find for me in the Constitution...anywhere...the clause giving the Federal government the power to run tourist attractions. In the last more than 100 years, the Federal government has confiscated millions and millions of acres of land within the boundaries of many States for the purposes of establishing parks. They have no legal right to do this under the narrowly enumerated powers given them by the federation of States through the Constitution. Don't get me wrong, I think many of these parks are beautiful and amazing places, but they should not be under Federal control. Most, if not all States run and maintain their own parks. They could also maintain the Federal parks instead of sending their money off to Washington to have sent back for this purpose after a large portion is skimmed off-the-top for bureaucratic overhead and graft.
So...Day 3 and no real noticeable effect for the VAST MAJORITY of the population..."curiouser and curiouser."
Related post:
Why Feed the Pig?
