Govt. shutdown extra tough on the District of Columbia [View all]

[marmar]

from the WaPo:


Government shutdowns are bad for lots of reasons. Visas don't get processed. Federal workers don't get paid. Though nowhere near the pain of potentially defaulting on the national debt, shutting down the government could even cost more money than it saves when all's said and done.

If you live or work in the District of Columbia, however, the downside is much more pronounced (unless, as Matt Yglesias points out, you're a bar owner or a rodent). Since the non-state is the only jurisdiction prohibited from spending its local funds in the event of Congress not coming to an agreement, the city government becomes a lot less functional. Here's what you should expect to wake up to on October 1, if there's no deal.

1. Parks, museums, and the Zoo closed: All Smithsonian museums, federal monuments, the National Zoo, and public facilities in National Parks like Rock Creek Park would be closed. Because tourists probably won't realize it in advance, they'll probably flood downtown Starbuckses and Potbellies with bored out-of-towners.

2. Libraries and recreation centers dark: All D.C. libraries and recreation centers will be closed, giving kids fewer places to hang out after school, which means who knows what kinds of trouble. .......................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/25/7-ways-a-government-shutdown-will-make-d-c-residents-lives-worse/