A significant number of federal workers did not receive a paycheck for the first time today and that includes workers who are critical to the greater economy, such as air traffic controllers.
Air traffic controllers went to work this morning and received pay stubs that were empty.
Air traffic controllers, who are working through the government shutdown, won't be getting a paycheck for their last two weeks of work, their union confirmed Thursday morning.
Pay stubs reading a net pay of zero dollars were distributed Thursday morning, including one for a controller at a major air traffic control hub outside of Washington, D.C. shared with POLITICO. [...]
Beyond controllers, other safety-critical parts of the aviation workforce are also working without pay, such as the technicians who maintain FAA equipment and TSA's cadre of baggage screeners. According to their union, some baggage screeners have already begun to quit as financial pressures stack up.
Air traffic controllers and airline industry lobbyists are rallying in D.C. today to call for an end to the government shutdown, but I don't think it's going to matter. Trump traveled to the border for a photo op today and he's gearing up for another week of Adderall-fueled mania.
Beyond Trump, I think the Republican party is so full of old money, most of them aren't even capable of understanding what average people in America are going through. Air traffic controllers and FAA technicians don't have a trust fund to dip into. They don't have passive income from rental properties. They don't have investments.
The longer this continues, the more visible effect it will have on the economy.