Matt Bors for October 24, 2013

They all got a PAID 2 week vacation and guess what? Most Americans didn’t feel a thing.Time to give them a permanent non-paid vacation.

The cartoon gives me a chance to share this piece of info. Sheldon Adelson wants to drop a nuke in the Iranian desert to encourage them to negotiate in good faith.^http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/adelson-suggests-u-s-nuclear-strike-on-iran-ahead-of-negotiations/?_r=0^@ ConGov - In addition to the 24+billion wasted by the shut down, businesses that make their money from feeding gov’t workers and providing paper, other office supplies, fuel for cars and trucks, and many others lost two weeks of business and unlike the gov’t workers who will get their pay retroactively, pay they did not “earn” for reasons beyond their control, the private businesses will not get money for their losses. There are other victims of the shutdown as well.We need a conservative government. We also need a business sector that will pay people a living wage instead of rewarding themselves for raising the number of people in poverty while enriching themselves beyond reason. Respectfully,C.

Why would he do something silly like that? A great job, no responsibility, good pay and benefits, and best of all when the government shuts down he gets a paid vacation!If you are “essential” you are forced to work for nothing!

Ansonia, I agree that people must see the reward for their own hard work, ingenuity, resourcefulness, etc. But you cannot ignore the fact that a huge amount of money is being taken out of the economic system worldwide by a vastly disproportionate (make it even as high as 5%) number of persons — usually investors — for their personal wealth and is not being allowed to feed the businesses they invest in, creating jobs that pay people enough to maintain a moderate mode of living. Have we not learned yet that the global economic system is like the human circulatory system: finite, capable of collapse when all the blood pools in one spot?

Ansonia, it is hard to believe you disagree with the notion that people should be paid a living wage with an opportunity to send their children to college or trade school and build retirement income. Certainly people should make money for themselves, but should they do so like medieval royalty on the backs of citizens reduced to a form of indentured serfdom? Isn’t there a point where the rewards of being the CEO of the business suffice and “trickle down economics” take place? Your first reply to me sounds like Michael Douglas’s “Greed is good” speech. As far as your second reply goes, your definition of “non essential” is over broad. Some of the people forced to remain on duty despite no promise of pay were the very men and women who protect the legislators who fail to pass bills and work together. The list of people you deem nonessential is frighteningly long and the fact that you don’t recognize it is equally frightening. Many gov’t workers are paid very low wages and are compensated more by their benefits than their paycheck.The purpose of gov’t is to defend the nation, promote commerce between the states and nations, and promote the common good of ALL Americans. It takes a dedicated group of workers to do this. It is sad that you think so little of these workers. There are some who waste taxpayer dollars and even oxygen with their attitudes, but no more wasteful than the legislators who have compensated themselves with high wages, numerous protections, and excellent pensions.There is no honor in being greedy. Just profit. If you value profit over honor and greed over love of your neighbor, then you are a poor example of what our Founders thought our citizens should be like when they wrote “All men are created equal.” There are also verses in the bible that take issue with tthe view you convey about the wealthy. I hope I misunderstood.^@ Adrian Snare - The word “conservative” have been poisoned by our political battles. In order for our people to prosper in health as well as wealth, we need to practice conservation of resources, talents, and money. Money IS a finite quality and as the chief method of exchanging product and services, needs to be used in such a way as to “rise all boats equally as the tide comes in.” The boats may be of different quality and size, but the raising and lowering should be equal across all incomes. It is not “UNliberal” to want to conserve the environment, nor is it “UNconservative” to invest in longterm public works projects that conserve and protect the nation and the people. We need to be conservative and not wasteful of our resources for which we are stewards on behalf of the generations that follow us.I hope that answers your question?Respectfully,C.

Uh, the toon is about the SHUTDOWN.