Tag Archives: Government Shutdown

PAYBACK TIME FOR U.S. REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS

October 17, 2013 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. government shutdown has ended, but the damage to the economy has been done.

The ratings agency S&P has cut the annualized U.S. growth rate closer to 2% from 3%, saying that the shutdown has taken $24 billion out of the U.S. economy. The agency also cut 0.6% off of the yearly fourth quarter GDP growth.

Upon the recommendation of his top financial advisers, President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order that would restitute what has been lost in the economy because of this nonsensical shutdown strategy orchestrated by the Republican and Tea Party leaders.

The EO mandates that the Republican legislators pay back the $24 billion lost because of the two-week shutdown. Each of the 46 Republicans in the Senate and the 232 Republicans in the House of Representatives has been asked to pay the U.S. government $73 million. The deadline for the restitution is November 1, 2013. The Obama administration has denied requests from the Republican legislators for an installment plan.

The Adobo Chronicles has learned that the country’s largest banks have offered the legislators unsecured personal loans to enable them to meet their obligations under the EO. The banks, however, are charging the legislators enormous interest rates ranging from 24.9% to 36.8 %.

Music, Politics

REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS TRY MUSIC DIPLOMACY IN GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN STANDOFF

October 15, 2013 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Washington, D.C. – Politicians have tried it all — including “beer diplomacy” — to settle their differences, especially those that are entrenched along party lines. This time, Republicans and Democrats are trying something different, weeks after negotiations continue to fail over ending the government shutdown. They are using music!

At its caucus meeting this morning, the Republican Party invited Grammy Award-winner Carrie Underwood, a registered Republican, to open their session with the song “Amazing Grace.” The Republicans skipped the usual prayer invocation. A source who was present at the closed-door meeting told The Adobo Chronicles that Carrie’s rendition of this religious classic seemed to have greatly inspired the caucus members to keep on fighting to advance their anti-Obamacare agenda as the primary negotiating point in the budget battle.

On the other side of the aisle, the Democrats, meeting at the Rose Garden of The White House to strategize their next move on the government shutdown, invited the Dixie Chicks to open their meeting. The Grammy Award-winning trio gained notoriety when they criticized George W. Bush during a 2003 concert in London. At the concert, they said they were “ashamed” that the President was from Texas. The trio also hails from the Lone Star State. As soon as the Dixie Chicks began their opening hit song, Democrats roared in approval and applause. The song? “Not Ready to Make Nice.”

Judging from the musical strategies of either party, there seems to be no immediate end in sight for the government shutdown.

Business, Politics

FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, TWITTER THREATEN TO SHUT DOWN

October 2, 2013 Pol Pinoy 3 Comments

Silicon Valley, California – As the government shutdown enters its second day — thanks to the stubborn Republicans and Tea Partiers in the U.S. Congress — three of the country’s social media giants threatened to go into their own shutdown unless the Legislature gets its act together soon.

Facebook, Google and Twitter issued a joint statement today saying that unless Congress passes a bill to reverse the government shutdown that went into effect yesterday, the social networking sites will also shut down their operations, essentially creating a total black screen on smart phones, tablets and computers.

Washington politicians know that the shutting down of Facebook, Google and Twitter will enrage millions of Americans who are already addicted to the social networks, and would, in effect, derail their chances of winning in next year’s midterm elections.

Facebook , Google and Twitter have given Congess until midnight tomorrow night to put up or shut up. The companies are urging their customers to inundate the phones, Facebook and Twitter pages, and web sites of their legislators with text messages and posts to pressure them to pass legislation that would put the government back in operation.

None of the Relublican leaders could be reached for comment because they all had left the Capitol early for happy hour in Washington, D.C. bars which were uncharacteristically empty tonight.