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General Ohio University Discussion/Alumni Events Topic
Topic: OT: Government Shutdown -- This Has Gone Too Far
Page: 1 of 5
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OhioStunter
10/1/2013 4:30 PM
When it starts to impact the sports world, you know this is serious.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/10/01/naval-academy-air-force-army-government-shutdown/2901611/
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C Money
10/1/2013 4:48 PM
Lies! Essential government operations have not been shut down, and football is essential!
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The Situation
10/1/2013 5:50 PM

I find it hard/impossible to believe that all necessary resources to perform this competition aren't already in place.

This is just another little boy stunt in the same vein of no White House tours during Sequestration. 

 

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OhioStunter
10/1/2013 6:48 PM
What's next? Are they going to shut down our national parks and monuments too?
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BobcatCrew
10/1/2013 6:51 PM
Locally, the Wayne Nat'l Forest shut down today.  60 Athens County employees and their families are affected. 
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RSBobcat
10/1/2013 7:57 PM
This reminds me of the kid who dares another kid to stick something into an electrical outlet, and when the other kid refuses, he does it himself just to prove he's tougher............. 
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Pataskala
10/1/2013 10:18 PM
BobcatCrew wrote:expand_more
Locally, the Wayne Nat'l Forest shut down today.  60 Athens County employees and their families are affected. 


Congress is still drawing it's pay -- at the rate of over $10,000 an hour.  Supposed we take that $240,000+ a day they're costing us and put the money to good use.
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JSF
10/1/2013 11:44 PM
Not shut down: Siberia.
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Hawaiian Bobcat
10/2/2013 1:21 AM
OhioStunter wrote:expand_more
What's next? Are they going to shut down our national parks and monuments too?

Yes.  Haleakala and Volcanoes National parks were closed.  I have a feeling all national parks were closed.

 
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cbarber357
10/2/2013 1:29 AM
I just hate how ignorant people don't realize this is as a congress thing and are just like "Thanks a lot Obama!" or ask why we're still going to class if the government shut down. I just want to yell at them "This is OHIO University! Not 'MURICA University!"
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mf279801
10/2/2013 1:22 PM

From the Miami Herald (though I initially saw it in a tweet from Paul Myerberg)

"[Boston College Athletic Director] Bates says BC has offered financial assistance to Army for travel to the game, but officials at the U.S. Military Academy have told BC that "this is not solely a financial decision." "

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/02/3665029/decision-on-bc-army-afa-navy-games.html

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Paul Graham
10/2/2013 1:25 PM
Can we just stop this thread before it becomes what we all know it will?

I say this as the creator of MANY such threads!
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DayvidGallagher
10/2/2013 1:35 PM
cbarber357 wrote:expand_more
I just hate how ignorant people don't realize this is as a congress thing and are just like "Thanks a lot Obama!" or ask why we're still going to class if the government shut down. I just want to yell at them "This is OHIO University! Not 'MURICA University!"


Actually this isn't even a congress thing,  the representatives are behaving exactly the way their constituents are telling them to.  The problem is that for about 30 republican representatives, the swing voters (In primaries in districts where republicans always win) are all Tea Party nut jobs who desperately want to see ACA killed despite the general public overwhelmingly being in favor of it.

In order to stay in office these representatives need to act in a way that appeases the Tea Party nut jobs because they are the voters that really matter in their district.  So really it is a public voting problem because the actual majority doesn't vote or make harassing calls to their reps.
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bornacatfan
10/2/2013 1:46 PM
DayvidGallagher wrote:expand_more
[..... despite the general public overwhelmingly being in favor of it.


agree with much of what you are alluding to but.....

perhaps it is just where I live and travel....the midwest.....but I have talked to very few folks on a daily basis who are actually in favor of it or think the government is going to do a better job running health care than they have doing anything else......I am not sure the general public can be characterized as being overwhelmingly in favor of it....nor do I think the folk saying the last election was a mandate supporting health care reform is accurate either. IMHO the last election was not the people saying I support health care as much as it saying "I do not see the alternative being any better than what is there now"....

the national park services are not open. Our local schools that are in DC or on feild trips and their traditional fall trips to National park sites are either cancelling, rescheduling or doing self guided tours.

Speaking of rescheduling. How does the BCS system account for the unplayed games and how do those athletic programs sitting idle deal with the contractual agreements the service academies have with them? How do they account for the loss of game day revenue.
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L.C.
10/2/2013 1:46 PM
Paul Graham wrote:expand_more
Can we just stop this thread before it becomes what we all know it will?

I say this as the creator of MANY such threads!

No, I'm pretty sure it's too late for that. The tracks are already laid, and they lead to Yakutsk.
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Robert Fox
10/2/2013 1:52 PM
DayvidGallagher wrote:expand_more
the general public overwhelmingly being in favor of it.


That's just flat wrong.
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DayvidGallagher
10/2/2013 2:37 PM
Robert Fox wrote:expand_more
the general public overwhelmingly being in favor of it.


That's just flat wrong.


Overwhelming may have been an exaggeration but the majority at least are in favor of it:
  • As mentioned above an argument could be made that the most recent presidential election was mainly about healthcare.
  • Polls show that 46% of the public is against Obamacare, while 37% is against the Affordable care act.  Aside from the fact they are the same thing and this just highlights that people are idiots, in either case the majority are for it.

My point however was that the people who want the shutdown are not the majority of the public, or even the majority of republicans.  Currently our government and more importantly our football is being held hostage by a small faction of the republican party who are controlled by an even smaller faction of the general public who are swing (between two republicans) voters.

Last Edited: 10/2/2013 2:40:03 PM by DayvidGallagher
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mf279801
10/2/2013 3:39 PM
DayvidGallagher wrote:expand_more
the general public overwhelmingly being in favor of it.


That's just flat wrong.


Overwhelming may have been an exaggeration but the majority at least are in favor of it:
  • As mentioned above an argument could be made that the most recent presidential election was mainly about healthcare.
  • Polls show that 46% of the public is against Obamacare, while 37% is against the Affordable care act.  Aside from the fact they are the same thing and this just highlights that people are idiots, in either case the majority are for it.

My point however was that the people who want the shutdown are not the majority of the public, or even the majority of republicans.  Currently our government and more importantly our football is being held hostage by a small faction of the republican party who are controlled by an even smaller faction of the general public who are swing (between two republicans) voters.



There are of course two (well, really 3) sides to this dance. The republicans didn't want to "shut down the government", the (congressional) democrats didn't want to "shut down the government", the president didn't want to "shut down the government", but each group preferred the shut down to yielding on issues they care about.

Just saying...

Also just saying: 80% of federal employees are still reporting to work...
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Maryland Bobcat
10/2/2013 3:55 PM
As a Navy season ticket holder (and husband of a USNA employee)I can assure you they have the budget to finance this game.  There was some issue of who funds the actual transport of the Air Force team, but even Air Force has stated they can cover it.  The USNA athletic budget is privately funded and separate from any Federal appropriations.  

Good article in the Annapolis paper:  http://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy_sports/air-force-navy-football-game-cancellation-looms-due-to-shutdown/article_fc1d84d8-7754-5390-a535-94262337612c.html

“We could run our entire athletics program and conduct events as we always do without any government funds,” Gladchuk said. “In talking to the Air Force athletic director, their football team could execute the trip without government funding.”

Asked why the Department of Defense was suspending intercollegiate athletic contests if government funds are not required, Gladchuk said he was told it was about “optics.”

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Maryland Bobcat
10/2/2013 3:59 PM
Maryland Bobcat wrote:expand_more
As a Navy season ticket holder (and husband of a USNA employee)I can assure you they have the budget to finance this game.  There was some issue of who funds the actual transport of the Air Force team, but even Air Force has stated they can cover it.  The USNA athletic budget is privately funded and separate from any Federal appropriations.  

Good article in the Annapolis paper:  http://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy_sports/air-force-navy-football-game-cancellation-looms-due-to-shutdown/article_fc1d84d8-7754-5390-a535-94262337612c.html

“We could run our entire athletics program and conduct events as we always do without any government funds,” Gladchuk said. “In talking to the Air Force athletic director, their football team could execute the trip without government funding.”

Asked why the Department of Defense was suspending intercollegiate athletic contests if government funds are not required, Gladchuk said he was told it was about “optics.”


It's just an unfortunate situation - not just because I had planned on taking my boy to his first college football game, but because of everyone impacted.  The game is sold out, and they are honoring the 1963 Cotton Bowl team (including Roger Staubach).  Many people have reserved and paid for flights, hotels, etc to come to down, and now have to wait until Thurs at noon for the decision.  Caterers have already been paid by the Academy for all the events around the game.  So not only could they play the game without Federal funds, by now not playing it the Academy (and in the end the taxpayer) will lose hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not millions).  Not to mention all of the affects on the community, such as our neighborhood elementary school which sells parking as a fundraiser.  
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C Money
10/2/2013 4:23 PM
From this ESPN article, I found this terrifying quote:

"A Pentagon spokesman, Army Col. Steve Warren, said Tuesday that the decision was being reviewed by lawyers to determine whether the funds used for such activities are congressionally appropriated."

As a lawyer, let me say that lawyers have no place in deciding whether to play a football game, because we can always find a justification not to do something, and we are perfect scapegoats for any blame when said thing does not get done.

JUST PLAY THE DAMN GAME. THERE WILL BE NO CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS AS A RESULT, AND IF THERE IS, WE'RE ALREADY BEYOND THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

Last Edited: 10/2/2013 4:23:57 PM by C Money
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OhioStunter
10/2/2013 4:34 PM
Paul Graham wrote:expand_more
Can we just stop this thread before it becomes what we all know it will?

I say this as the creator of MANY such threads!


This is my fault. I accept responsibility and I apologize. I just want football to be played.
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L.C.
10/2/2013 6:12 PM
Just feel that chilly breeze...
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Robert Fox
10/2/2013 6:47 PM
DayvidGallagher wrote:expand_more
the general public overwhelmingly being in favor of it.


That's just flat wrong.


Overwhelming may have been an exaggeration but the majority at least are in favor of it:
  • As mentioned above an argument could be made that the most recent presidential election was mainly about healthcare.
  • Polls show that 46% of the public is against Obamacare, while 37% is against the Affordable care act.  Aside from the fact they are the same thing and this just highlights that people are idiots, in either case the majority are for it.

My point however was that the people who want the shutdown are not the majority of the public, or even the majority of republicans.  Currently our government and more importantly our football is being held hostage by a small faction of the republican party who are controlled by an even smaller faction of the general public who are swing (between two republicans) voters.


Quoting polling is nearly meaningless, especially in a debate that is as hotly contested as this one. The effort to shutdown this Navy game is more about playing politics and "Making it hurt." If you think that's caused by a small faction of republicans, you're way off.

Edit: If you want to debate it with me offline, send me a PM. I know this is bound for a lockdown.
Last Edited: 10/2/2013 6:50:59 PM by Robert Fox
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Alan Swank
10/2/2013 8:49 PM
If you want those 535 knuckleheads in Congress to get something done, just cancel all games of each and every one of their alma maters this weekend.   If the masses who continue to vote these chumps into office year after year can't get their dose of football this weekend, something might change.  So sad but so true.
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