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How The Government Shutdown Has Impacted One Idaho Family

Bobby Arkle

Tens of thousands of federal employees have been locked out of their jobs without pay for more than two weeks because of the partial government shutdown. It’s been a hard two weeks for Sara Arkle’s family. Arkle’s husband is an ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey in Idaho, where he studies things like the impact of wildfire on ecosystems. She works too, but part time since their son was born two years ago.

Arkle told Adam Cotterell the uncertainty has been the hardest part of the shutdown.

A: We’re in some sort of limbo here, where my husband is employed, he just can’t go to work. We’re trying to stay optimistic and hope this will be done soon, but living with this uncertainty is what’s keeping me up late at night.

Q: Why do you think it keeps you up?

A: You start to wonder how are you going to pay your mortgage, how are you going to pay for pre-school? And so that’s what keeps me up at night, you know, how far will our savings last, how much can I stretch?

Q: Have you had to make noticeable changes to your life already? Cancelled plans, purchases postponed?

A: We’re definitely not making any purchases beyond paying our bills, putting food on the table. It’s hard to plan for the holidays, we’re not going to be leaving town to visit family, house projects get pushed off. Even thinking about whether I would buy a six-pack of beer this week, simple things like that.

Q: Have you ever had to go through anything like this before?

A: No. This is the first time I’ve ever really thought through the process of being financially devastated. We’ve always both worked and put money away in a savings account for emergencies like this. But this is the first time I’ve ever looked at my savings account and said, 'That might be gone in a month.'

Q: How has it affected your husband to be told his job is not “essential?”

A: I don’t know if he grapples with that so much as just the inability to do what he loves to do. He really enjoys the work that he does. And he would like to meet his deadlines, work with his partners in a way that makes him a useful collaborator. And not being able to check email and not being able to go into the office I think is just enough of an insult I suppose.

Q: What has been the effect of being stuck at home not being able to do what he wants to do?

A: I think it’s stressful for him. I wouldn’t want to put words into his mouth, but it’s a little more tense at our house and [we are] trying to make some pretty tough financial decisions. He’s thankfully keeping himself busy with some extensive pruning that needed to happen in our yard. I am sure he’s not showing me how frustrated and how stressed he is because he doesn’t want me to worry any more than I’m already worrying. But we’re not happily idle people. We are hard workers because we like to be productive, useful members of society.

Q: We should note that you’re here talking with us but not your husband. Why is that?

A: There was direction to stay away from the media. Everyone wants to keep their job, my husband loves his job -- like I said -- and [he] doesn’t want to compromise that.

Q: We’ve asked federal employees to talk about how the shutdown has affected them personally and they’ve turned us down saying they’re afraid to be punished or even fired for talking about it. Some federal workers have been placed under gag orders to keep them from talking, even about their personal lives. Why are you willing to talk about this when others aren’t?

A: I guess I’m just so frustrated. You know, you work hard every day and you feel like you’re being a productive and responsible member of society and something happens and the rug is pulled out from underneath you. I’ve been contacting our congressional officials trying to share our frustration and ask them repeatedly just to put my husband back to work, and [I] really haven’t gotten any response.  I didn’t know what else to do. And I figured there are probably thousands of people in a worse situation than we’re in, or at least a similar situation. And it’s important to me that people who are being affected by some policy -- or in this case I guess a lack of policy -- speak out and share their stories because I never thought it would be us. You never think you’re going to be the one impacted until you’re impacted. And the less we hear from those who are impacted by the shutdown the easier it is to extend it.

Q: Are you afraid this interview will get your husband in trouble?

A: No. I’m talking about how this impacts me and how it impacts my family. You know, we’ve talked about it as a family and we feel like I’m doing the right thing.

Q: What would you tell congressional leaders as they work to find a solution to this partial government shutdown?

A: I don’t think shutting down or restarting the government should be a negotiation tool because we’re talking about people’s livelihoods. These are real issues and I know they’re bigger than me. And I know they need to be figured out and solved but I just don’t think it needs to come at the price of putting hardworking people in very difficult situations.

Copyright 2013 Boise State Public Radio

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