"Non-Essential" Employees...

When our Gubmint was gavelled into existence on April 30th, 1789, it had only 3 employees:  President George Washington, Vice President John Adams, and the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton.

Today, some 250 years later, we have a whopping 2,998,400 employees.  Or more than 8% of our entire population.  And the vast majority live inside "The Beltway."  That's the highway that encircles Washington, D.C.  Where 8 out of 10 of those nearly 3 million employees live. 

And where 8 out of 10 vote Democrat.

Are all of these employees necessary?  Are they worth their average annual salary of $125,000?  With some exceeding 3x that?  Do we really need all those people pushing paper around on a desk?

Well, now we know.

We're smack dab in the middle of what's being called the "Schumer Shutdown."  The Republicans offered to keep things rolling "as is" past the end of our Fiscal Year, but the Democrats demanded a bunch of changes.  And a bunch of new spending.  More than $1.5 Billion Dollars in new spending.  The Republicans said "No."  As so Gubmint is shut down.  With no idea when it will reopen. 

With me so far?

When this happens, and it happens quite a lot, BTW, the Gubmint lays off all "Non-Essential Employees."  And more than 600,000 were sent packing last Tuesday.  BTW, that's the exact size of the City of Washington, D.C. (601,723).

Which brings up a very important question: if these people are "Non-Essential," why are they employed?  Do we need anyone working for us at a $Buck Twenty Five a Year that isn't "Essential?"  Who are these people who are sucking at "America's Teat" who aren't "Necessary?"  

I'd like to have one of those "Non-Essential" jobs.  A job where you're not needed, and probably not overseen or managed, but are highly paid.  Just probably wandering around, occasionally cleaning the lint out of their navel, waiting for 5 O'Clock to come around.  

In the meantime all the "Essential" folks are working their butts off without getting paid, while the "Non-Essentials" are sitting home, eating bon bons and sucking back Pabst Blue Ribbon, while watching Jerry Springer re-runs.  Waiting to get the call to come back to work.  And to collect their back pay.  For doing a "Non-Essential" job.  

BTW, can you call it "work" if it didn't need doing?