Furlough damage assessment: Putting numbers on it
Total (current) cost of furlough to US taxpayers: $24 billion
Projected cost to taxpayers: unknown
Total (current) cost to me: $612.60 If my calculations are right, that's roughly how much my next paycheck should be short. (You know. The one I get on the first, when all the bills are due.)
Projected cost to me: another $612.60 and 5 month's delay on paying down the credit debt.
You see, I won't accrue leave in time for ChicagoTARDIS -- yes, I'm still going -- or much for Christmas, so the former will be entirely leave without pay and the latter partially so. And because right now the papers are full of Cruz and his buddies talking about how it was a "winnable fight" and still promising to "keep it up" I have every reason to expect another shut down when this bandaid of an agreement wears off in January and February. So, yeah, paying down the cards remains a luxury. I have to take every penny of that bonus (the one I hoped to plow into the economy) and everything I would have put on the cards to make sure that I have the requisite 3 month's survival cash. It won't cover three months of actual SALARY, but I can reach a quarter's worth of bare sustenance. And all I have to do to get it is to flush my hopes and stop paying down my credit debt.
This doesn't count having some cash on hand for ChicagoTARDIS or Christmas presents for family and friends. (And before you say "well, don't go to ChicagoTARDIS" realize then I'm out the $500 for the plane and the fancy membership, so that's hardly a savings.)
It sure as hell doesn't count what I'd planned on doing with that bonus, which was to plow quite a lot of it into the economy. I'd promised myself a new buffet for the kitchen. I'd promised myself either a pawn shop diamond ring or a Pieland ring (or both) for my birthday. I could have easily done all of that *and* still saved some *and* still made a major dent in the credit cards.
But that was when I could count on my own paycheck and rely on my own plans.
When politicians talk about how important it is to stop government spending at any cost, just remember that my cost was $1,225.20 yanked right out of my pocket.
Yes, I'm privileged; I can lose that without it crippling me. That doesn't fucking make it okay! I was robbed by Cruz et al just as much and just as directly as I was robbed by the guy who broke into my house.
Why yes, I'm still processing a lot of anger and wondering how I'm going to deal with the stress of a repeat hanging over me until mid February, why do you ask?
Projected cost to taxpayers: unknown
Total (current) cost to me: $612.60 If my calculations are right, that's roughly how much my next paycheck should be short. (You know. The one I get on the first, when all the bills are due.)
Projected cost to me: another $612.60 and 5 month's delay on paying down the credit debt.
You see, I won't accrue leave in time for ChicagoTARDIS -- yes, I'm still going -- or much for Christmas, so the former will be entirely leave without pay and the latter partially so. And because right now the papers are full of Cruz and his buddies talking about how it was a "winnable fight" and still promising to "keep it up" I have every reason to expect another shut down when this bandaid of an agreement wears off in January and February. So, yeah, paying down the cards remains a luxury. I have to take every penny of that bonus (the one I hoped to plow into the economy) and everything I would have put on the cards to make sure that I have the requisite 3 month's survival cash. It won't cover three months of actual SALARY, but I can reach a quarter's worth of bare sustenance. And all I have to do to get it is to flush my hopes and stop paying down my credit debt.
This doesn't count having some cash on hand for ChicagoTARDIS or Christmas presents for family and friends. (And before you say "well, don't go to ChicagoTARDIS" realize then I'm out the $500 for the plane and the fancy membership, so that's hardly a savings.)
It sure as hell doesn't count what I'd planned on doing with that bonus, which was to plow quite a lot of it into the economy. I'd promised myself a new buffet for the kitchen. I'd promised myself either a pawn shop diamond ring or a Pieland ring (or both) for my birthday. I could have easily done all of that *and* still saved some *and* still made a major dent in the credit cards.
But that was when I could count on my own paycheck and rely on my own plans.
When politicians talk about how important it is to stop government spending at any cost, just remember that my cost was $1,225.20 yanked right out of my pocket.
Yes, I'm privileged; I can lose that without it crippling me. That doesn't fucking make it okay! I was robbed by Cruz et al just as much and just as directly as I was robbed by the guy who broke into my house.
Why yes, I'm still processing a lot of anger and wondering how I'm going to deal with the stress of a repeat hanging over me until mid February, why do you ask?