PAUL GORDON

Somebody asked me recently what the government shutdown was really about. I had a little difficulty answering in a way that made sense.

That’s probably because it doesn’t make much sense to be hurting the very people politicians are supposed to be helping. And like it or not, both sides are doing that.

It is possible, of course, that the shutdown will be finished by the time this is published. Even if it is, it might be valuable to know what caused it in case — or when — it happens again.

The easy answer is that Democrats and Republicans could not reach agreement on several pieces in the spending bill. That isn’t surprising; happens every year. This time, though, both sides have dug in their heels, refusing to compromise and blaming each other for the shutdown.

Mostly it comes down to whether federal spending will be cut or not. Republican lawmakers side with President Trump and want cuts. Democrats want funding to remain basically unchanged so as to extend tax credits that help make medical insurance less expensive for lower income families and keep Obamacare intact.

There is more to it and I don’t have the space here to get into much more. I implore readers to dig deeper to form your own opinions on who is right and who is wrong. Then let your feelings be known with letters or email to your representatives, regardless of their party. That could be more effective than rallies are to Congress members who stupidly refer to those rallies as being hateful to our great country.

The bottom line is that as of this writing the shutdown’s impact is starting to really be felt. And this month the worst of it will come as all of those families — including children — who rely on SNAP benefits will lose them. Much longer and they will start to wonder where they will find their next meal.

Furloughed federal employees are digging into whatever savings they have to pay for their own essentials. Our skies are less safe if air traffic controllers are not on the job.

Those are just a few of the impacts.

A few other thoughts

• It seems George Santos picked the right party to use in defrauding people in his Congressional district. Think Trump would have opened the jail cell for a Democrat? Do you think Trump cares who might be upset by such an inappropriate move?
• Just how solid was that ceasefire brokered in the Middle East a few weeks ago? Was the effusive praise given the chief brokers premature?
• I remember — at least I think I do — a time when most of us were willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. Especially when they have a plausible explanation for purported bad actions.  I don’t think Alwan’s would have made it 68-plus years in business by being stupid, which is what it would have been had the meat store turned the sprinklers on the No Kings demonstration purposely. But the way things are these days, minds are made up before both sides are explored. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen much in social media.
• When I wrote this, gas had fallen below $3 a gallon. But I hope the Trumpers who are ready to give him credit remember to check the price of a gallon of milk or a dozen eggs or a can of coffee or a loaf of bread or … You get the picture.
• Finally, how much more before the White House will no longer be recognizable? And when has a single ballroom been worth $300 million? Unless it’s going to be gold plated … Oh, wait.