Shutdown is harsh reality

by YankeeJim | February 24, 2011 at 06:33 am

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Stop work.

I remember many years ago when I had my own company and received the stop work order on certain contracts. We had to tell employees that they were laid off until government turned us back on.

What about the important things that we are doing? What about the deadlines? What about our being on critical path?

It doesn’t matter. All thinking stops when government shuts down.

When it cranks up again, it isn’t like just resuming and picking up the pieces. Schedules change. Dependencies get out of synchronization. The engine sputters and there are negative consequences.

As for the President and Congress, government shutdown is an indication to voters that they have failed to do their job. Non performance is grounds for dismissal.

“Federal agencies, contractors preparing for government shutdown

By Ed O'Keefe

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 23, 2011; 8:13 PM

Federal agencies continued reviewing shutdown plans Wednesday in anticipation of a possible closure of the federal government that could begin as early as next week.

Most of this week's planning probably revolves around determining which employees would need to work, according to Barry Anderson, a budget expert who handled shutdown-related concerns for the Office of Management and Budget during the Clinton-era closures.

A series of memos written by Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti in the closing days of Jimmy Carter's administration still dictate how agencies should make those determinations. Federal programs drawing funds from annual appropriations should continue to operate if there is a "reasonable and articulable connection between the function to be performed and the safety of human life or the protection of property," Civiletti wrote.

A senior State Department official said Wednesday that there are contingency plans for a shutdown but that there is a certain amount of flux involved. He declined to say how many employees are considered essential or non-essential.

"Who is an emergency person today may not be the same tomorrow. People who deal with Libya would not normally be emergency personnel. Today they're emergency. When the shutdown comes, if it comes, Libya may not be an emergency. It could be Xanadu, Shangri-la, whatever," the official said. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Officials at the National Science Foundation haven't determined who would work during a shutdown, but the agency's list of essential personnel "is likely to be a small percentage of our workforce," according to spokeswoman Maria Zacharias. The agency will publish contingency plans on its Web site once they are approved by the OMB, she said.

At the Education Department, "we're currently updating our plans," said spokesman Justin Hamilton, who provided no further details.

Spokesmen for the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Labor Department declined to comment. The Food and Drug Administration - which regulates 25 percent of the economy, including most foods, all drugs and medical devices, and tobacco - referred questions about shutdown plans to the Department of Health and Human Services.”