So it snowed

[Slowhanddd]

and the government has been closed for three days,going on four.I've read where it cost 100 million a day in lost productivity.Does anyone else find that figure funny?I mean they can't spend money if they aren't working so how does that cost us money when no one is there?I sure haven't seen 100 million a day come in from there.Just sayin'Slow

[Graybeard]

As a retired federal civil service employee I can shed some light on the comment. When federal offices close for reasons of weather the employees continue to draw their salary as if at work but are not charged as if on leave. It's paid time off.

Now in my opinion the best thing in the world we could do with congress is to give them a few years paid time off. The less they do the less harm they do. Anything they actually do is bad so keeping them away from work is good regardless of how/why it happens.

Not necessarily so with all federal employess but I gotta admit most of those in the DC area to me kinda fall into the same category as congress, having them at home rather than at the office is likely best.

[kitchawan kid]

I think it was Will Rogers that said"The country is only safe when congress is not in secession"

[Questor]

I've never been able to figure out why it makes sense that we pay higher federal taxes than state or local taxes combined. I don't get much benefit from the federal government compared to state and local.

[magooch]

Whether or not this snow episode costs us millions is not the problem.  It's only a preview of things to come with this obvious display of "global warming."  Oh yeah, I'm a believer; after all if such experts as Bobby Kennedy Jr. say it's so, then it must be so.  You betchya.

[powderman]

I wouldn't worry about the closed govt offices. I'd bet we saved at leasta billion $ a day by keeping congress and osama shut up. Hope osama runs out of cigs and beer. POWDERMAN. 

[ToadHill]

The more snow they get the less chance they have to put it to the taxpayers.  Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow.

[Sourdough]

I moved to DC in Oct 1992.  They had a big snow Storm after the first of the year, and everything was shut down.  Even the snow plows were not allowed out.  The wife and I drove around like normal with our 4X4 Aerostar minivan, and had no problems.  

The following year it happened again.  It started snowing in the morning after everyone got to work.  By lunch time no one could get out of the parking lot to go home.  I ended up driving all the guys in my shop home.

The people in DC are a bunch of WIMPS.  My openion from living there.  Was glad to leave, and go back to Alaska.

[slim rem 7]

 millions spent means nothing to me..as granny on the beverly hillbillys use to say.. we got some kinda different dollar..think its called million dollars..
 on a curious note.. i just wonder how much a million today would be worth in 1950s dollars.
 would it be even close to a hundred thousand..slim 

[squirrellluck]

100 million a day? Some folks is very overpaid!