Ever wondered the real impact of a government shutdown on you, the average American? Prepare to be enlightened as we unravel the truth behind government shutdown policies and its significant effects on your life. The politics and motivations driving this shutdown fall under our scrutiny, with particular attention to House Republicans and their far-right constituents. You'll be given a behind-the-scenes tour of Washington's power plays and negotiation tactics that form the intricate tapestry of our government's decisions.
Buckle up as we journey through the potential aftereffects of a shutdown—from Social Security beneficiaries to public health services, no stone is left unturned as we expose the stark reality of a nation brought to a standstill. Hear firsthand accounts from fellow Americans on how a shutdown translates into their day-to-day lives, painting a vivid picture of the potential economic impacts. As we navigate through this electrifying discourse, we empower you with resources and updates to keep you in the loop. Stay tuned for an enlightening episode of the Walt Blackman Show, plucking the strings of power and politics.
Ever wondered the real impact of a government shutdown on you, the average American? Prepare to be enlightened as we unravel the truth behind government shutdown policies and its significant effects on your life. The politics and motivations driving this shutdown fall under our scrutiny, with particular attention to House Republicans and their far-right constituents. You'll be given a behind-the-scenes tour of Washington's power plays and negotiation tactics that form the intricate tapestry of our government's decisions.
Buckle up as we journey through the potential aftereffects of a shutdown—from Social Security beneficiaries to public health services, no stone is left unturned as we expose the stark reality of a nation brought to a standstill. Hear firsthand accounts from fellow Americans on how a shutdown translates into their day-to-day lives, painting a vivid picture of the potential economic impacts. As we navigate through this electrifying discourse, we empower you with resources and updates to keep you in the loop. Stay tuned for an enlightening episode of the Walt Blackman Show, plucking the strings of power and politics.
Now sit back and relax and get ready for the Walt Blackman show.
Speaker 2:Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a place where facts are our North Star and common sense is our guiding principle. You've just tuned into the Walt Blackman show. He's the voice that cuts through the noise, the man who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Please welcome your host, the one and only Walt Blackman.
Speaker 3:Hello America and welcome back to another episode of the Walt Blackman show. I'm your host, walt Blackman, and boy Do we have an incredible lineup for you today. We're going to dig deep, expose truths and demolish myths, always with hard hitting common sense and facts.
Speaker 4:Hey everybody and welcome listeners to Inside the Shutdown. Today we're going to be talking about the looming federal government shutdown. I'm your host, walt Blackman, and we are going to be unraveling what it really means for the average American. You and I understand the policies behind it and look at the rippling effects on our economy. Now a lot of folks want to know what is a government shutdown. We're going to be talking about that and more after a word from our sponsors.
Speaker 2:First and foremost, a quick thank you to our incredible sponsor, wb Consulting Services LLC. They're the trailblazers in business consulting right here in beautiful Phoenix. If you're seeking to elevate your business, give them a call at their offices at 6029607, or toll free at 1-800-83-415-57WB Consulting Services is your go to for all your business solution needs. Now what is a?
Speaker 4:government shutdown. Well, in a nutshell, a shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass a funding legislation that is signed by the president or not signed by the president. But what does it really mean for day to day operations of the federal government or federal agencies? A lot of folks believe that it just involves national parks. However, there's a lot more to this. There's a lot to unpack here, because when we're talking about actually shutting down the government, there are some things that we need to be thinking about.
Speaker 4:Politics and power plays behind the scenes of what's going on Now, with the Senate leaning towards a bipartisan approach to funding. The real question we should be asking ourselves as voters, as people who pay the bills for the federal government why are House Republicans, especially those on the far right, pushing for a shutdown? Well, the motivations behind political decisions, especially ones as significant as a shutdown, are multifaceted people, and it can be influenced by a combination of policy goals, political strategies, ideologies, beliefs, so on and so forth. Now, if we assume that the hypothetical scenario which I just presented, that House Republicans, particularly those on the far right, are pushing for a shutdown despite the Senate's inclination towards a bipartisan approach, that reason could be many and that reason could be policy priorities. You know policy priorities. Think about it. Everybody those pushing for a shutdown might be doing so because they believe it's the best way to achieve or block legislation priorities, and they do this by refusing to vote for funding or funding a bill that doesn't meet the criteria that they may want to exert, and they could use this as leverage, and that's what we are seeing every single day on the news when they're talking about the budget. Now, one thing that we have not looked at and talked about are the ideological stances that members have.
Speaker 4:Now, members on the far right of the political spectrum might see the shutdown as a way to take a strong stance. For instance, the Republican Party believes in smaller government, low spending, low taxes, so on and so forth, and they may have concerns about this big reaching government spending. If you don't know this, the deficit is over $30 trillion and they may be opposed to adding more money to that deficit. So they probably want physical constraints on this, because it's some irresponsible spending. And if you've been in politics Any amount of time, you should know that there are things called political strategies, policies, and sometimes everybody they'll take a position based on the perceived political advantages. Now. That's not the right answer and we expect for them to do better than that or be better than that. But they may be taken a firm stance, you know, with the hope of galvanizing their base to gain media attention, our position themselves, to look good for future elections, and we know 2024 is fast approaching us.
Speaker 4:There are also some internal party dynamics, and when we think about what's going on in DC, in the Republican caucus, we have the freedom caucus and then we have everybody else. It's just like, just like here in the the state. Now, the differences within the Republican caucus may also play a role. We see a representative or congressman, matt Gates, on the TV all the time talking about what he wants to do to the Speaker. Now, far-right members may feel that they need to distance themselves From more moderate Republicans, or they may be influenced by you know, I don't, you know, I don't know internal politics or our desire to assert Dominates within the caucus. So there is always a hidden agenda with all this. And then we have the External influences that are the grassroots movements, donors, media personalities that might exert pressure on certain politicians to take a Hardline stance, and this also could influence their decision-making regarding a shutdown. Now, one thing that I have learned while I have been in the Arizona house and I am sure this happens up at DC is the problem of dislike or Distrust or even compromising. Now some politicians, especially those with the extreme views on the right or left, might view Compromise as a portrayal to their principles. They might feel that working in a bipartisan Manner, like the Senate is doing, deludes. The priority of their policy goes and whatever their stance may be.
Speaker 4:And while all this is going on, we have to think about the negotiation Tactics that are going on behind the scene, those who are pushing for a shutdown. This might be a negotiation tactic. Parks and museums and landmarks come in. You could see, you know Operation cease, you could see them close. You can see reduced services. You can see impact on terrorism and it will affect local economies if they don't get their act together. And when we're talking about the economy, how does a shutdown send shockwaves through our economy? Think about the economy in Arizona. Think about gas prices are already high. Think about all these negative things in the economy that are already happened payments to defense contractors at risk that could also affect the economy. And the importance of economic reports. Suspended the economic reports that, that that traders get on Wall Street. That's important. That's very important. So these economists is up there probably pulling out their hair right now because of this looming shutdown.
Speaker 4:Now, when we're talking about the disruption of government services, a shutdown means many Nonessential government services are going to be halted, ladies and gentlemen. And what are those? One of those Nonessential services? Anything that the government can run on without being needed. Now, this can slow down or stop various economic activities, from business's permits to loan approvals, to research, to development projects. All these are funded by government grants. And if the government shuts down, ladies and gentlemen, guess what? These programs are Stopped. Who rely heavily on government contracts could be delayed. This could lead to cash flow issues, as I said, potentially forcing companies to cut back on spending. Delayed projects are even, in worst cases, lay workers off All the while people in Congress are still getting paid.
Speaker 4:They are still up there doing the things that they do. That's a problem for me, you know it's particularly when we have a loss of income to federal employees, now People that are elected. They're not considered federal employees, they're considered something else because they're still getting paid. Matter of fact, when pay stops or when, if the, if the government shut down, their pay should be the first thing it stops. Now. Many federal workers may face Furloughs, as I said, and be required to work without immediate pay. I've seen this happen to people over and over and over when there was a, when there was nonessential services cut and the reduction in consumer spending everybody to Arizona by these workers could have a negative or rippling effect on our economy, hurting businesses and services in the air with significant Federal employment. So think about what's going on in Phoenix. We have in Phoenix a lot of federal employees.
Speaker 4:Think about down there at Fort Wachuka. Fort Wachuka is a small town. The biggest employer at Fort Wachuka is the military base and if there is a shutdown that is going to affect that economy down there in Fort Wachuka and, as I said, there's going to be a suspension in economic data. Now, that's important because these reports are often suspended during a shutdown. That's one of the first things that they do. They shut down this, they shut down the economic data. Now why is that important? Investors, businesses and policymakers rely on this data everybody to make informed decisions, and without timely data, there is an increase in uncertainty in the markets. That could lead to more devastating problems, not to mention decrease consumer and business confidence, because confidence is already low when we're talking about Congress. It's already low Now.
Speaker 4:Prolonged government shutdowns can lead to decreased consumer and business confidence. People are not going to trust the government. Even more, they are not going to believe that the government has the ability to function effectively and can make consumers hesitate to spend on businesses. Because of what? Why aren't they going to spend? Because they're going to be weary of investing or what's happening in their economy, leading to a slower economic growth. So this is much more than the parks being closed, the parks being closed. Now what happens if you're on social security? That is a big problem Because we have a lot of people up here in White Mountains that are on social security Now. The social security administration and other entities will still function, but other critical services may be disrupted. What does that mean? Those folks that are already getting social security checks will still get those checks. Those folks that are transitioning to social security checks that's placed on hold. We will discuss all this and more and how it plays out for you and the uncertainty that you will be facing if the government shuts down after these messages.
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Speaker 1:If you're looking to catch up on Walt's past shows, all you need to do is go to Apple Podcast, spotify Podcast Index, amazon Music Podcast, attic Podchaser or End Player FM. You can also go to his website at wwwbussproutcom and click on the Walt Blackman show. Now here's more of Walt coming at you on the Walt Blackman show.
Speaker 4:Everybody, welcome back. I'm Walt Blackman, your host for the Walt Blackman show, and we are talking about the potential government shutdown and we were talking about the issues that the Social Security Administration will face. Now, again, those folks that are receiving checks will still receive their checks, ensuring millions of retirees that are going to be okay, disabled individuals and other dependents the benefits they get. They won't face immediate financial hardship. However, those that are transitioning into Social Security to get those benefits, they will be affected. There's going to be some potential delays and new applications. Why? Because getting new applications is not an essential service. While the current beneficiaries might continue to receive their benefits, those applying for new benefits or other services, they will experience some delays everybody and the processing times due to the reduced staffing and what have you. That's going to cause some operational hiccups and when it disrupts that, it's going to disrupt other main services, critical government functions.
Speaker 4:Now, when we talk about how it affects National Defense, public health, safety, inspections, this could all be Interrupted. Ladies and gentlemen, this could put an impact, a negative impact, on your daily lives, from the availability of safe food to medicine, to protections against outside threats. That is a problem. Then we are going to start seeing increase in public concern, then people are going to. When it starts to hit your pocketbook, then we will see public concern. Then we will see people step up and be ready to buy their feet. Now, while the continuation of Social Security payments might be altered a little bit and it may cause some concerns, those disruptions and other services could increase. And what happens? Public anxiety goes through the roof everybody. Now, beyond the immediate disruptions, as I said, think about the broader economic issues that might be affected, for, for example, if a visa or a passport services are delayed, it can impact tourism and business travels, leading to potential revenue loss in various sectors. Yes, everybody, this will happen.
Speaker 1:If we do not Push Congress to do their jobs will be right back after this break if you're looking to catch up on Walt's past shows, all you need to do is go to Apple podcast, spotify podcast index, amazon music podcast, attic, pod chaser or end player FM. You can also go to his website at www bus sprout comm and click on the Walt Blackman show. Now here's more of Walt coming at you on the Walt Blackman show.
Speaker 4:Hey everybody, welcome back. I'm Walt Blackman and we are talking about a potential shutdown, government shutdown, and we are going to be reading some emails that are coming from some of our listeners right now. And the reason why I want to put these emails up here and read some of these emails because we're talking about real people. We are talking about how this impacts real people and, all along, congress is still receiving their $172,000 a year. Now, this first email comes from Alexander R Says I'm the owner of a small IT company that primary serves government agencies. What's a potential shutdown? Most of our projects would be put on hold. My main concern is keeping my team employed and paid. We've started exploring private sector contracts to fill in the potential gap, but the uncertainty is daunting. My biggest fear as a business owner Is that if there is a shutdown and if it is prolonged, we might have to let some people go. This affects everyday people, everyday people.
Speaker 4:Now the second email comes from a individual, marcus D, and he says dear Walt, I've been a federal employee for over 12 years. This isn't the first shutdown I've experienced, but the fear and stress never gets easier While I've saved some money for a potential shutdown or rainy days like this or which may come. I know many of my colleagues live paycheck to paycheck. Ladies and gentlemen, 72% of Americans in the United States live paycheck to paycheck. Continuing on my primary preparations involved cutting back on non-essentials expenses, so on and so forth. My biggest fear, though, is that this shutdown will last for weeks, even months, putting many of us and dire financial situations Keep up to good work with the podcast. It's essential to have voices like yours during these times. Now, this is a person, marcus D, that's a federal employee, that could be affected by this, and while many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and If there is a shutdown, if they are government employees and they are bound to be non essential they will not get paid again, these clowns in Congress will get paid a hundred and seventy two thousand dollars a year. Their pay will not stop.
Speaker 4:Here's another email. Now. Here's a college student, and Her name is a poor IIS, and it says I'm a college student relying on federal grants for my tuition. Worth the shutdown. There's so much uncertainty Surrounding the funds through her. Federal grants are receiving those funds. I've already taken a part-time job, work to prepare, but balancing work and school and the stretch of a potential shutdown is Overwhelming. My most significant fear is that I'll have to defer a semester if funds don't come in. Thanks for giving us a platform to share our stories.
Speaker 4:Ladies and gentlemen, this affects Everybody. If Congress does not get their crap together, if Congress allows this shutdown To go on Again, these folks are still going to get a paycheck. So while they are fooling around with the economy, trying to I don't know, you know get the best tweets, there are real Americans that this is going to affect, especially in those and smaller communities, and we need to know that the games need to stop. When we are, when they, when. This is when this is happening and We've talked about it all.
Speaker 4:We talked about how it's going to affect delay in pay, suspension of economic Reports, loss in government wages. This affects people Because government employees are going to be furloughed, they're going to have to go without work is going to affect and reduce consumer and business confidence. Now there are some Benefits and blowbacks to this. The benefits are, and I talked about it, so security, administration and other entitlements will still function. The blowbacks to that, as I said before, there are going to be other critical services that are going to be disrupted and that will get you stressed out now as I wrap up today's deep dive and to the end of the federal government shutdown.
Speaker 4:And if these clowns won't get their stuff together, this will happen from the the detail politics to the human impact and to the waves it sends through our economy, through our communities. It's clear. It's clear that the effects of such a shutdown are far reaching. They will go beyond the narrative, are the populist view, are the tweets that they'll send out. Now, as we navigate everybody, as we navigate these uncertain times together, remember that knowledge is power.
Speaker 4:That's why I need you to stay tuned to this podcast and by staying informed, we can better prepare and Respond to these challenges ahead. What does that mean? That means we Make sure the people that are working for us, these clowns that are in call in Congress, make sure that they're doing their jobs, make sure that they are there and doing what is right for the American people, and Making sure the day Come to an agreement to make sure that the government stay on wall. Blackman, and I'll be with you every step of the way as we count down to crisis and beyond. Stay vigilant, stay informed and, most Importantly, if you're not part of the problem, you need to be part of the solution. Everybody, take care until next time.
Speaker 1:This is Walt blackman if you're looking to catch up on Walt's past shows, all you need to do is go to Apple podcast, spotify podcast index, amazon music podcast, attic, pod chaser or end player FM. You can also go to his website at www bus sprout comm and click on the wall blackman show.
Speaker 2:You're listening to the Walt blackman show, the show that brings you hardcore conservative straight talk. Welcome to the no PC zone.