This NYT article about federal workers scrambling to make ends meet is full of disgusting anecdotes. There are several things you could pull-quote, but here’s one for instance:
Across the country, idled federal workers and contractors are taking up last-resort jobs with ride-hailing services and delivery apps. They are flooding school districts with applications to become substitute teachers. They are taking babysitting gigs, working shifts at local gyms and auditioning for yoga-instructor slots.
Babysitting? Seriously? These are real people, with educations, families to support, and bills to pay. It’s unthinkable that these people would be caught in this kind of political tug-of-war.
After a recent insurance change at work, I’ve had to self-pay for a number of small medical bills and even that is stressful. What these people are going through isn’t a theoretical exercise. They’re going to work every day and not being paid for it. How does anyone see this as a reasonable scenario? It’s an embarrassment on a national level, and those who are complicit in it deserve to be voted out of office.