[April 07, 2011] Active-duty soldiers, city employees may go unpaid if government shuts down Friday

Apr 07, 2011 (Columbus Ledger-Enquirer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- With a potential shutdown of the federal government looming, thousands of federal workers in Columbus remain in the dark about who may or may not be affected should Republicans and Democrats be unable to break their current budget impasse, according to federal officials.







Active-duty military, including those serving in war zones, would see their paychecks halted as of Friday, CNN reported Wednesday, citing an unidentified "senior administration official." That same official said in the past, soldiers and other federal employees who went unpaid during a government shutdown have been reimbursed afterward, but it's not guaranteed.



As for the effect on Fort Benning civilian workers, the post public affairs office referred inquiries to the Department of Defense, where spokesman Thomas Collins could offer little in the way of information.





"We're still waiting to see if there is going to be a budget deal made, so we're not ready to say exactly what the impact will be," Collins said Wednesday. "The bottom line is that anything related to safety, life, limb, protection of property -- those services will continue. I don't have much information beyond that." Collins said there are plans in place for a shutdown, "But we do not have permission to discuss those plans just yet.



"As you know, Congress is still in negotiations on the budget, so we are not ready to discuss the specifics of what would happen." If there is a shutdown, all Department of the Army civilian employees would then receive notification of how it will affect them, Collins said.



"But that letter is not ready for release yet," he said. "If we don't get a budget deal by Friday, the guidance is that Army employees will report to work Monday morning and from there will be given further instruction." In the federal shutdown in November 1995, about 1,700 Fort Benning civilian workers were furloughed. At that time, there were about 5,400 federal employees in Columbus, compared with about 5,700 today, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.



In past shutdowns, "essential" federal employees involved in defense, health and public safety roles have not been furloughed. But shutdowns have interrupted veteran services, Social Security, passport and visa applications, federal grant and loan applications, museums and national parks.



Spokespersons for Georgia Congressmen Sanford Bishop, D-Columbus, and Lynn Westmoreland, R-Grantville, said Wednesday they, too, were having trouble getting specific information on the effect a shutdown would have on this part of the state.



"We're running into the same thing," said Leslie Shedd, communication director for Westmoreland. "So many people are calling and the answer unfortunately right now is, 'I don't know.'" Shedd said in government shutdowns, employees are deemed either "essential" or "furloughed." "In the past, whether you are furloughed or essential, once the government reopens, there is a retroactive pay that will pay these military or regular federal employees whether they were furloughed or they had to work," she said. "However, that is not guaranteed. It's something that would have to be put into the continuing resolution when it finally passes." Adam Hodge, communication director for Bishop, whose district includes Fort Benning, said the congressman knows first-hand how concerned military personnel are about the impasse.



"Last week, the senior enlisted members of the four branches of the military testified before Mr. Bishop's Appropriations subcommittee, and they all said that the number one question on the minds of the enlisted members is, 'What would happen if there is a government shutdown?'" Hodge said.



Locally, any potential shutdown would have a "fairly negligible impact" on the Consolidated Government, said Mayor Teresa Tomlinson. The city receives $6 million to $8 million a year in federal funds for things like community development block grants, workforce development and public transportation, she said.



A short interruption would be negligible because in most cases, the city spends those funds out of its coffers and is then periodically reimbursed by the federal government.



"We're a well funded city," Tomlinson said. "We can carry that load for a short term." To see more of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ledger-enquirer.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com.

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