Shutdown ripples across country: Federal government's woes having impact on area

Source: American News, Aberdeen, S.儲存D.Oct. 02--The U.S. government is not taking its last gasp. But it is working through its checks and balances like Pac-Man racing through a maze. The key word here is "checks" -- as in issuing payment for all the money it has gobbled. And its "balances," well, the ledger hasn't seen black in a long time.The staff at the American News has compiled a list of repercussions for Aberdeen residents and their neighbors.Indian affairsSeventy-nine of the 94 Bureau of Indian Affairs employees in the Great Plains Regional Office inside the Federal Building in Aberdeen will not be earning a paycheck for a while because of the government shutdown, director Bruce Loudermilk said. Fifteen employees remain in the office to keep it open and perform health, safety and welfare functions.Those 79 employees join a host of others who have been furloughed throughout the region. In the case of the BIA partial shutdown, those that will suffer most will be American Indian tribes. Some of the services to be temporarily halted include payment of financial assistance to needy individuals, payment to vendors providing foster care and residential care for children and adults, and disbursement of tribal funds for tribal operations, including responding to tribal government requests, according to the DOI.gov/shutdown website.Ted Bolman, a retired BIA employee, said the agency already has seen reduced funds since the sequester; the shutdown will make matters worse.The BIA is responsible for the administration and management of 55,700,000 acres of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and Alaska Natives.The BIA already has a backlog of land transfers, some of which include oil and mineral interests, Bolman said."The shutdown really doesn't make any sense," he said. "The whole country is like a family. It is a growing family, and we need the government spending to take care of that family."BIA employees contacted for this story said they have been informed they should not talk to the media. They expressed disappointment and worry about their jobs, as well as concerns about interruption of services for those who need them."The failure to come to a budget agreement threatens the capacity of tribal governments to deliver basic governmental services to their citizens," said a statement from the National Congress of American Indians. "The federal government has made treaty commitments to our people, and, in return, we ceded the vast lands that make up the United States. The immediate shutdown crisis poses very real threats to tribal governments and denies health, nutrition and other basic services to the most vulnerable tribal citizens."Loudermilk said there are 344 BIA employees furloughed in the Great Plains Region. The Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River areas will be the most affected, he said. Agencies will retain a small contingency staff, he said.Loudermilk said he could not speculate on whether BIA employees would receive any retroactive pay.-- Reporter Jeff Natalie-LeesNational GuardThe full-time South Dakota National Guard employees in Aberdeen will continue to work and receive pay, said Major Anthony Dice, state public affairs officer for the S.D. Army National Guard.Core staff for Battery A First Battalion 147th Field Artillery and the 740th Transportation Company have been maintained.Many guard employees, however, are being furloughed statewide, he said.Full-time National Guard employees who have dual status as military technicians have also been furloughed. Those 549 employees include 10 workers at the National Guard maintenance facility in Webster, Dice said.There are 372 soldiers and airmen not affected, he said. They are active guard reserves and qualify for pay because of a Monday night decision by leaders in Washington, D.C., to include payment for essential military personnel.The temporary loss of the dual status military technicians is a concern, Dice said."It is a concern for two reasons," he said. "First, there is a lot of members very concerned about how they will pay their bills. These people rely on their paychecks for their families. Secondly, it is a concern for military readiness."Dice said that, in Webster, for example, the staff keeps all military vehicles serviced and ready for action."They are going to have a backlog when they come back," he said.Across the border, the North Dakota National Guard has told about 430 of its employees to go home because of the federal government shutdown. The guard has about 1,150 full-time employees in that state.While all guard personnel can be called back in an emergency, it is not good for readiness to be operating on a sk儲存倉leton crew statewide, he said.The government shutdown would also affect the citizen-soldiers that train as National Guard members one weekend a month. Most units train the first or second weekends of the month. If the government shutdown continues, those guard members will not train their regularly scheduled weekend.Dice, who spoke by phone from South Dakota National Guard offices in Rapid City, said that this was one of his last calls to the media for awhile. He had also been furloughed.-- Reporter Jeff-Natalie LeesUSDA officesAll USDA Farm Service Agency Offices were closed Tuesday. Effects on farmers were considered minimal in the short term. Most farmers are in the field harvesting and would not be visiting FSA offices this week.Farmers would be affected if the shutdown lasts a longer period of time. FSA workers would also face a backload of work after a lengthy shutdown.-- Reporter Jeff Natalie-LeesCourtsThe federal criminal and civil court system in South Dakota will see little impact by the government shutdown, said federal Judge Charles Kornmann, who is based in Aberdeen.Court hearings will continue, but the rate paid to attorneys who do federal court-appointed defense is decreasing by $10 an hour, he said.Federal court officials in the state met about a month ago in Sioux Falls to discuss the prospect of a shutdown, Kornmann said, explaining that he South Dakota district is in good shape financially. Cutting expenditures in recent years has helped, he said.If the shutdown drags on, Kornmann said the federal probation program in South Dakota would eventually be affected, with probation officers needing to be more careful about sending people into alcohol or drug treatment or to places like halfway houses.-- Reporter Scott WaltmanVeterans servicesBrown County's Veterans Services Office is funded by the county and will remain open during the shutdown, said Aaron Walberg, veterans service officer. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays."We'll be here to help whoever needs it," he said.-- Reporter Scott WaltmanHighway constructionThe federal government shutdown shouldn't affect work at the Brown County Highway Department, said Jan Weismantel, highway superintendent.If the shutdown drags on and prevents a new highway bill from being approved in a timely manner, then the county might begin to notice some problems, she said. Portions of some county road and bridge projects are funded by the federal government.-- Reporter Scott WaltmanSchoolsThe impact of the government shutdown is not yet being felt by area educational agencies.According to a contingency plan from the U.S. Department of Education, appropriations granted to states must be sent on Oct. 1. That includes money that had been approved in advance for Title I and II funding and career and technical education, among other grant programs. Title I funding helps students from low-income families.Becky Guffin, assistant superintendent for the Aberdeen Public School District, said Tuesday morning that she hasn't heard of anything yet that might affect funding to schools.Free and reduced-price school meal programs will continue through the end of the month.Northeast South Dakota Head Start is fine unless the shutdown continues past Nov. 1. Grants to Head Start agencies are awarded year-round and the Aberdeen-based Head Start operates on a grant that runs Nov. 1 to Oct. 31, executive director Tom Hopper said.Since the future money hasn't been approved yet, the program would have funding issues if things aren't resolved by the end of the month, he said.For college students, administration of federal student aid, including Pell grants and direct loans, should not be disrupted. Those programs are funded through multiple-year appropriations.According to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid website, the financial aid application process, delivery of aid and student loan repayment should not be affected.-- Reporter Kay NguyenBackground checksBrown County Sheriff Mark Milbrandt said background checks for firearm licenses and concealed weapons permits can still be conducted. The sheriff's office accesses an established database for criminal history and sends the application forward.-- Reporter Elisa SandPassportsAn Aberdeen United States Post Office employee reported the office was initially told no passport applications would be processed, but an updated email was issued saying passport processing would occur. Applications in Aberdeen are taken from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.-- Reporter Kay NguyenCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the American News (Aberdeen, S.D.) Visit the American News (Aberdeen, S.D.) at .aberdeennews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉最平