I leave to raft the Grand Canyon in less than 14 hours. I’m excited. I’m lucky. I’m overwhelmed. I’m all things all at once. But mostly, mostly I’m disappointed.
If the Senate and the House don’t come to a decision by tomorrow night the National Parks will be shut down and my (and hundreds of other people’s) Trip of a Lifetime could be canceled.
This explanation could be entirely incorrect but from what I understand the budget for the fiscal year (October 1-Sept 30) has to be approved all at once (they can’t agree to pay for the military now and just close the post office while they make that decision later). Since the Republican House doesn’t want to pay for the Democratic Senate’s health care law to happen they’ve decided to submit another bill that the President and Senate will definitely refuse to approve. Basically both sides CANNOT SUFFER the other one “winning” so starting October 1 much of the Government (which has nothing to do with health care and a lot to do with people’s jobs and lives) will shut down until they reach a decision.
The thing that sucks is how much money this kind of crap is going to cost our nation. Sure compared to Obamacare and military spending this is nothing but it’s still something, and pulling shit like this isn’t helping anyone. Especially people like me who have spent hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours preparing for a trip that people used to wait 50 years to take (now the Grand Canyon river permits are handed out in a lottery system. Like Prim our name was only in once and we were lucky enough to be chosen. There is no way I’d let Katniss take my place).
Services like the National Parks have no business being used as leverage in this partisan game of chicken, and hopefully Washington will come to its senses before things get too bad, though tons of money has already been spent in preparing for the possibility of a shut down. I just don’t understand when and why Republicans and Democrats had to become such enemies. I know it’s simplistic to think that each issue should be hashed out on its own, but seriously, I’m so so sad that come Tuesday thousands of people will be forced to stay home without pay and thousands of others will be turned away from places they’d made plans to visit, all because a few old white guys couldn’t make a decision. ANY DECISION.
Ok, sorry for the semi political talk, I mostly want to say that I’m hoping things will work out well, and that whatever happens I know I’m going to make the most of it. There is even a small part of me that wants to stay home and finish a few more projects before February. But hopefully come Tuesday morning I’ll be floating down the GRAND CANYON with 10 other people, most of whom I dearly love. I know it’s going to be great. I’ll miss you guys though. See you in 23 days. Hopefully.
p.s. Princesses, Don’t forget to use the Twitter!
What?!? I hadn’t realized this would shut down the parks…that would totally suck. Well, since no one will be there maybe you should just show up and take the plunge anyway?! haha. I really hope they get their act together and don’t have to shut down the government. Somehow I feel like that really shouldn’t be an option…