This the hardest season for those of us who love this city. We watch as the strife on the Hill begins to tear old friendships, hurt local residents who can’t fight back at the ballot box, and put a $200M crippling choke hold on the region. We watch as our federal workforce goes into the office today, told only to shutdown what they must and go home, there to stay until a compromise can be reached.
It’s hard to imagine this situation abating quickly, given how entrenched both sides are. Democrats are unwilling to stop the implementation of the President’s signature achievement from his first term, especially since it has only just come into effect; a faction of influential Republicans are dead-set against the expansion of government into the healthcare marketplace. There’s no endgame here that comes into existence quickly.
There’s still a lot going on in Shutdownville, DC, with wide arrays of targeted promotions, and all of the museums that aren’t free (read: The Spy Museum, the Crime & Punishment Museum, the Newseum etc) are definitely still open and running amid the government shutdown. What’s closed is all the National Parks and the National Zoo, as well as Capitol tours and White House tours.
As you go about your day, shut those Facebook windows, and ignore Twitter for a bit, as the country rages against the strife. The blame for this will be sorted at the ballot box. Best we can do as a city is to keep the doors open, keep the trash taken out, keep working if we’re allowed, and keeping our hands busy if we’re not. If you’re looking for something to keep your hands busy while they sort it out, you can always check out Serve DC.
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
