Odessa American, Texas, Nathaniel Miller column [Odessa American, Texas]

Oct. 03--So here we are. After 17 years of getting along, Congress has gone and shutdown the whole darn government.

To be honest, I don't even remember the last government shutdown. I was about 9 years old and probably stuck between homework and Mario Kart. All I can truly remember about that whole event was my Border Patrol-employed father saying it was those "damned Democrats' fault."

With this current shutdown, most of the nationally ran institutions like national parks are closed, but services provided by our military personnel and postal employees are still in place. So thanks to all you people working on IOUs.

Passing a budget is hard work. I've seen Ector County and City of Odessa officials go through the process and I could never imagine having to do that work. Balancing my checkbook is hard enough, but I think that's because my personal GDP is much lower than my expenditures.

Having a whole year, members of Congress have had time, debates and surprisingly, no fist-fights over the budgeting process -- but no solutions. So what's been the hold-up?

One, it has to do with President Barack Obama's signature law, the Affordable Care Act, which fully goes into effect next year. Republicans, fresh off their victory in the Supreme Court for having the key provisions of the Civil Rights Act overturned, were looking for lightning to strike twice and get the president's law revoked or delayed.

Senate Democrats and the president, however, have dug in their heels and basically said, "No way, Jose," and thus we're stuck with a limited government (which Republicans should be happy about).

Another thing is that members of Congress had 239 "vacation days." That's right -- our elected officials only worked 126 days this year. Remember that as you're stuck in Odessa traffic trying to get to your job that doesn't fully pay the bills.

So how much does the shutdown hurt the country? It doesn't seem to affect you, right? Well, here are three horrifying sentences from a Wall Street Journal article:

"At the National Institutes of Health, nearly three-quarters of the staff was furloughed. One result: director Francis Collins said about 200 patients who otherwise would be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center into clinical trials each week will be turned away. This includes about 30 children, most of them cancer patients, he said."

People of America should be rioting in protest at our elected officials. Citizens of Brazil protested successfully for free public transportation. Unless Coca-Cola decides to change their recipe again, you're not going to see any American pitchforks and torches anytime soon.

So here's hoping our elected officials get their heads straight and stop fighting about that healthcare law the tea baggers hate so much. We need to get things running right again.

And if Congress gets sick of working, at least they're covered by that wonderful federal health insurance.

--Contact Nathaniel Miller on twitter at @OAgovernment, on Facebook at OA Nathaniel Miller or call 432-333-7769

___

(c)2013 Odessa American (Odessa, Texas)

Visit the Odessa American (Odessa, Texas) at www.oaoa.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services