A government shutdown could cost taxpayers more

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - As the U.S. government continues to move toward its first shutdown since 2018, officials are scrambling to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

The 2018 shutdown was only a partial shutdown, but still resulted in more than 400,000 people not receiving pay. The last full government shutdown happened in 2013 and lasted for 17 days. During that shutdown, more than 800,000 people were laid off, which ended up costing the government around $2 billion.

“You know shutdowns don’t make any sense. They don’t save any money, and they hurt the American people. The idea that we would have soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines working but not getting paid is something that should embarrass all of us. I know there are some folks out who just say ‘ah shut it down, shutdowns don’t cause any problems.’ The reality is, a shutdown doesn’t do anything to reduce spending, and in fact it costs us billions of dollars more. At the same time it denies Americans the kind of service they deserve to be getting,” said South Dakota Republican Representative Dusty Johnson.

The infighting and discourse comes as the U.S. is already dealing with a sluggish economy, with many already struggling to make ends meet. A possible shutdown could set the nation back even further, if a decision is not made by 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1.

Still, some people say they aren’t worried, and that a shutdown might be necessary.

“I’m not worried about the shutdown at all. First of all, it’s all a facade. You know it’s all going to get settled, everybody’s going to get paid, but there’s going to be some inconvenience,” said one Rapid City person.

“I think it’s necessary at this stage in American history. We’ve got to stop this overspending in Washington D.C. They don’t listen to the American public. If we ran our household incomes like they’re doing, we’d all be out in the streets. If my children or grandchildren used my money like they’re using ours, they’d be cut off. There has to come a point where it stops,” said another person.

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