The end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 saw a shut down of what are deemed “non-essential services” of the US Federal government. One direct impact of this was, of course, people providing those services being furloughed, i.e., sent home without pay. At some point in time it is assumed they will be recalled back to work, and perhaps be paid for the time they were furloughed.
It has been interesting to see the news reports about various offers of assistance/help for furloughed workers that have been made, from free meals to grocery assistance to concert tickets (yup, concert tickets). Those offering the assistance are highlighted in the media for their generosity.
What is equally interesting is the apparent differences in “offers” between federal government furloughed workers and others who are out of work for reasons beyond their control. When, for example, a factory closes and the workers are permanently furloughed, who supplies free restaurant meals, let alone concert tickets, to help them get to the other side of a rough time? There are many segments of our population who are involuntarily “furloughed” at any given time.
I’m not criticizing the assistance given to the federal furlough-ees. It just seems to me helping each other out in tough times ought to be the norm rather than a newsworthy event.
The cynical side of me (which I’m working to tamp down) hopes these are acts of generosity rather than political statements. If they are generosity then we should see those acts continue. That would be newsworthy.
Just Sayin' 