Greetings!,

Do you miss the government? For most people, the government shutdown has not really had an impact on their lives.

The current shutdown (as of this writing) is in its 22nd day and no real end is in sight. Before this, the federal government had been shut for a total of eighty days in the prior thirty years, with none of those days during a recession. In other words, the US economy has been less likely to be in recession when the government is shut than when it’s open.

Since we are talking about the federal government, it is always confusing to me what is open and what is closed. This also includes which offices and places are federal, which are state, and which are state supported by federal funds. For example, why can Social Security checks continue to be disbursed while people like the military and air traffic controllers do not get paid? I understand, required workers will have to show up to work and get caught up on their pay, but why put these people through this?

To help you with some understanding, there are two items I came across that I feel are worth pointing out. One is a link to the Social Security Administration, and the other to a financial piece by First Trust Chief Economist, Brian Wesbury. I feel both are important, but the Social security item for sure if you receive SSI.

SSI Information

Flying Blind

As always, thanks for reading.



Bernie & Chad