Front Royal, Va. is a small community an hour or outside of the Washington metro area. Here we have a mostly rural lifestyle [a few stores but all in all just your small town]. This is where the entrance to Skyline Drive [Shenandoah Nat'l Park] is located and several access points to the Appalachian Trail. We also have the confluence of the north and south forks of the Shenandoah river, very popular with the canoeists.
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The county also houses the Smithsonian Conservation Center for the Smithsonian Institution. Here they raise many of the species for various zoos, most of whom are considered endangered.
During the government shutdown our county lost it's main celebration of the year, The Festival of Leaves. Most of the vendors/stores and services depend heavily upon this festival and the few weeks a year when the leaves change to finance their bottom line. The park was closed as was the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian depends on donations most of which are solicited during their own festival held in conjunction with that of the county. It all takes place during mid-October. There was no reason to celebrate this year.
The financial hit to the county was substantial...on a par with loss from a natural disaster but w/o the ability to petition for funds to compensate the losses incurred. If I were an attorney I would consider suing the government. This will all have a major impact on the people and businesses here.
Previous Festival photo
And that is just the tip of the iceberg.
All of this loss will have repercussions at the national level as it impacts any of the national businesses who rely on shoppers from areas just like this one. All across the country small towns have suffered. Big towns and cities, too but I think the real damage has been done to the small communities which house homes and businesses that will not recover from all the government grandstanding.
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The Smithsonian Conservation Center.
Then there are the International repercussions. But that's for another diatribe.
There is a restaurant in San Francisco that had to close because it lies on Federal lands, even though the maintenance of the lands didn't directly affect the restaurant property. None of the restaurant workers affected by the shutdown are eligible for back-pay, either, since they are not Federal employees. So... the politicians have hurt the people they purport to represent. As long as they've protected themselves and their aides from any loss of salary, I guess they feel they've done okay.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing but contempt for them [the politicians]. They threw many under the bus to try to even a score against a president they have continually tried to embarrass, humiliate and ultimately defeat. They haven't succeeded in doing any of that but they've certainly ruined our national reputation...not to mention doing irreparable harm to the personal and business lives of many average, hardworking citizens. I'm sorry to hear about the restaurant. It's a tough business at the best of times.
DeleteWell said, Goldie, both up there and down here.
DeleteKind of makes you want to punch an elected official, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteMiki, I am just saying what everyone here is feeling...I mean here within my community. The congress has finally achieved bipartisanship. We feel true disgust at the entire lot of them, no matter their party affiliation.
ReplyDeleteAugie, today Matt found himself surrounded by every type of law enforcement agency as he entered the metro station, including SWAT teams and federal agents. They were obviously expecting retaliation from some quarter. They searched all bags and containers of everyone in the station.
... and all with no consequence to themselves.
ReplyDeleteHopefully something will come out of this whether it's stronger communities pulling together for their neighbours or more people across the company sitting up and paying attention. Enough so that they have a voice that can be heard ... realizing how important elections really are.
The only way a democracy works is with informed voters. I'm watching now to see how the spin doctors will spin it and if people will still stand up after the spinning and cry "Bullshit" and use their power to repair.. or if now that the shutdown has ended the repercussions will be pushed aside and forgotten.
company = country (ironic faux pas though)
ReplyDelete