It just makes me so angry that there are laws that will automatically cut spending, raise revenue and force the government to balance the books. We're the greatest country on earth, we don't need financial responsibility! That's for Europeans.

Make no mistake about this: People are going to get furloughed, some will lose income, and the effects will ripple somewhat. To which "red state America" says: Welcome to OUR world for the past several years.

But politicians and media of a certain stripe are going overboard exaggerating the impact of what's likely to come, especially in the "company town" of Washington, DC.

Somewhere along the line in the past day or three I read a report from the National Park Service about what would have to happen in NPS Land if "sequester" came to pass. No, not complete parks system shutdown. Steamtown wasn't even mentioned. (Now, that doesn't mean nothing will happen, but...) The list said that, for example, at the Grand Canyon, the North Rim and two trails would have to open two months later than planned, and that possibly the main Visitors Center would have to be reduced to "skeleton" staff and self-guided info services. Similar strategies were outlined at Great Smoky Mountains, Zion, Bryce, etc.

You think this is bad? Wait until we actually start living within our means. Or have it forced upon us by our debt-holders.

I've been cooped up in an NTSB forum all day. Has anyone claimed "People are gonna DIE!!!!!" yet today?

ADM's post is spot on. Just think of what the alarmists are going to say when the real day of reckoning arrives ( it ain't far off me thinks) and the federal gummit has to actually REDUCE spending in absolute terms not just a reduction in the future INCREASE in planned spending.

My word the dire predictions will come close to predicting that the end of the world as we knew it is upon us.

When that day soon arrives all federal programs will mandatorily take a real hit and some of those things we favor will have to take their share of the pain. My guess is that national parks and Amtrak funding will be viewed as not as important as aid to dependent children,Medicaid,Medicare, unemployment benefits etc. and those and other less critical programs will take a big part of the hits??

No one knows for sure as it will undoubtedly be a normal dysfunctional political dance that will completely defy common sense.

Bottom line is, ride the Amtrak long distance trains while you can, and visit your favorite national parks while you can.

IMHO-Ross Rowland

The difference between me and you is that I took that hit a few years ago, because I don't work for the government. My income is less than half of what it was in 2004.

Well the good thing about National Parks is they don't disappear when the Fed runs out of funny money.

Mr. Rowland, with all due respect, why do you have to be such a Nattering Nabob of Negativity?

(Sorry, couldn't resist....)

Down right scary how many times in recent weeks that ADM and Ross have agreed on something.

Bob

ADM..no, not a NNN but rather a realist. Just look at the facts.

Bob, you're right, I need to seek counseling sooner than later.

Off to the shrink................

Ross Rowland

Fact is that this isn't new and isn't anything we've (our nation) not experienced before....the only twist is the legislated deadline with defined consequences, and the hoopla. Our political reality at the moment doesn't allow for solviong problems before a crisis is manufactured - and even then.....posturing rather than genuine movement roward rationality? Naaahhhhhh.

And we're still dumb enough to elect partisan demigogues again next time around. Our economic choices are even less considered in terms of long-term impact comin home to roost.

It will certainly be hurtful - but we voted for it. More than once.....and we need to accept the consequences of our choices.

dave

So one man's "nattering negativity" is another's "realism" and "looking at facts"?

Does that mean that everything I have typed here in the past that was deemed "negativity" was still factual and real?

Let the evidence speak for itself, folks. >:-)

I'm with Dave on this one. The mess will be sorted out, but at a fearful cost to the survivors.
Shelby Foote once said, the cause of the Civil War was "because we failed in the thing that is our nation's genius: compromise". Until people start electing middle of the road candidates, we will be in this type of mess. I could go on, but you don't want to hear it and this thread is way off track at this time.

I would like to point out that, for good or ill, I'm NOT heavy-handedly moderating this topic.

My thoughts are "my goodness what did we do before so many of these programs were in place". Wi is a state that just loves free programs and funding for all the extras. Once you "give" people a free program or funding for a free program then take it away, they feel violated. I do understand that human response, but the media is out of control, feeding people the worst case scenerio. If I have to spend less, I make cuts. No more cable, drink less beer, quite eating out 4 times a week. Stop using the credit card. If I have to cut back to make ends meet so can the goverment. People do have to take responsability and so does the goverment. Didn't hear a lot of media talk about all the wasted Billions of dollars in the last stimulus package. If they would of taken that money and gave each individual the cash to spend it would of had some impact. Most of that spending would of made Houdini proud, Washington D/C made Billions disappear. The media, when it comes to political agenda is a "smoke and mirrors" generator. The equivilent of "American Idol". Around here the media is projecting the belief that congress is to blame for not addressing the issue and voting to keep spending money that isn't there so we can be taxed even more. It is complete lunacy to believe what you hear on TV. But I do not want to be labeled a "doomsdayer". Just glad I do not have to support a family, we would be living on macaroni half the time and my garden would be much bigger. There I didn't mention names, or political favortites and pretty much kept things "socially/politically correct". I detest the concept. Cheers, John.

Forget the "sequester", it's an especially cheap brand of baloney made mostly of filler from our national sausage factory.

Here's the real limits:

Twenty years ago, Steamtown's operating budget was about 4.3m annually.

It's roughly 5.7m annually now.

Sounds big, but it's a little over 1% increase annually.

In 2011 the final number: 5.719m
In 2012 the adjusted enacted 5.624m
In 2013 The President's Request 5.675m

In short, its gone from piddling to flat.

How much was coal and diesel in 1993, employee health insurance, liability insurance, you know the principal drivers of expense side of Stea's ledger. It's to bad the NPS didn't get the money we're sending to the nice people that took over Egypt, among other malfeasant expenditures the government routinely makes. It would also be nice if they weren't required to produce 465 page unreadable documents (and this is far from the only one), Comprehensive plans or other tree-killing tomes.

I sometimes wonder how government functioned before electronic word processors that seem to accomplish nothing but the creation of interminably long documents.


Source (for the last few years):
http://www.doi.gov/budget/appropriations/2013/upload/FY2013_NPS_Greenbook.pdf

Page ONPS-120 (p 169 of 465)


"I would like to point out that, for good or ill, I'm NOT heavy-handedly moderating this topic."

Noted and appreciated, although generally you weren't among the most serious offenders. If you try to discuss anything in the federal government without discussing money or politics you've castrated your discussion.

Of course, when I discuss money and politics, I keep my green eyeshade handy and I'm somewhat rude in that I'm intolerant of rose colored glasses, so I tend to knock them off and stomp them to bits as soon as I see somebody wearing them.

Wait till the "real" cuts are enacted. By necessity they'll make this current sequester look VERY mild indeed.

Ride the LDT's and visit the parks while you can.

IMHO-Ross Rowland