This past week, the Democrats and Republicans’ inability to reach a compromise over the Affordable Care Act has led the government to shut down. While this government shutdown might not seem problematic or relevant for the average American or Hamilton student, this shutdown has some serious effects for everyone’s daily life. Here are the five ways the shutdown will affect your life:
1. Vacations: If you were planning on spending your fall break at one of America’s national parks, you might be out of luck. Until the government can resolve their issues, the national parks, museums, and zoos will remain closed. But don’t worry- air traffic controllers and TSA are still working, so you can still take that flight home or to go study abroad!
2. Taxes: While it would be nice to receive a break from paying taxes, the government will continue to collect through the shutdown. Be sure to pay your taxes!
3. Mail: Expecting an important letter or package from UPS? No need to worry! The U.S. Postal Service works during shutdowns! You can still enjoy those care packages from your parents before you take your midterms.
4. Trash in D.C.: Are you planning on heading home to D.C. for fall break? If so, you might be disappointed to see lots of trash piling up. The D.C. budget must be approved before trash collectors can do their job. Oh, and D.C. produces approximately 500 tons of trash each week. Yikes!
5. Loans: Need to apply for a loan for graduate school? If you were planning on receiving a loan from the government, you will have to wait until the Democrats and Republicans in Congress resolve their problems.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/23/…