Back pay a rip-off

Yet another taxpayer rip-off. Less than five days into the federal government shutdown, both the House and Senate were attempting to pass a bill that will award back pay to the 800,000 furloughed workers, and President Barack Obama says he will sign the bill – the same president that closed our national parks, stopped tax refund checks and aid to needy families, among other essential services.

Assuming this continues until the debt ceiling deadline, this will amount to a nice paid vacation for all of them. But what about all the private businesses that rely on the continued operations of all these services? Many have already laid off their employees because their business has rapidly declined.

Friendly fire, I guess, in Obama’s mind and in his feeble attempt to boost his own agenda and the Democratic Party. If they were all so sure that these workers were going to be reimbursed for this furlough, why didn’t they insist that they remain on the job? Another costly government fiasco.

Peter Ward

Spirit Lake