The Federal Government almost Shut Down Today....

[Kushtaka]

in case it wasn't clear. HighStreet is dead-fucking-on with this one.

[theDave]

Nice article.  I like how we taxpayers gave the USPS a mere $4 billion to fund their pension account because they had no money.
Bailout ?

The post office is required by law to fund their pension account first.  They asked for an exemption this year and asked congress to reverse that law.  They were told 'No.' both times.

[NYALB]

Nice article.  I like how we taxpayers gave the USPS a mere $4 billion to fund their pension account because they had no money.
Bailout ?

I don't understand why they can't just raise the cost of a stamp to 50¢.

[gwtx2]

US Senate OKs 1-Mo Emergency Extension Of Federal Government Funding Levels

WOW...I did not know this almost happened..should we be worried? 

Facing a midnight deadline, the U.S. Senate Wednesday approved an emergency one-month extension of current funding levels for the federal government.

The extension is necessary because lawmakers have been unable to complete work on the 12-must pass spending bills required to keep the various arms of the federal government running each year.

With the federal government's fiscal year in its waning hours, all non- essential parts of the government would have been required to shut down at midnight had the extension not been agreed to.

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200909301755dowjonesdjonline000797&title=us-senate-oks-1-mo-emergency-extension-of-federal-government-funding-levels

admin note: I added an excerpt.

I don't think so. The gov't fiscal year begins Oct 1. If they don't have an approved budget for the new fiscal year, then they must fund the gov't until one is approved. Happens just about every year, I think.

[bigdoug1053]

This news item does not mean a thing - other than Congress is as inept as it ever was.

October 1 is the start of the new fiscal year 2010 in the Government, so these kinds of last minute funding bills and "continuing resolutions" are common at this time of year.  This nuisance interruption in funding happened like clockwork throughout my 34 years as a federal employee.