Photo by waitingforciaopanic.With less than 24 hours left until a likely federal government shutdown, the city is full of anxiety about how Congress’ squabbling will put a crimp in our daily routines. What can you expect living in a town which is at the total whim of the constantly bickering lawmakers in Congress? Behold, an encyclopedic guide to the shutdown’s effect on the District!
Anti-Deficiency Act: Under this law, passed in 1884 and revised in 1950, “the expenditure of funds by any branch of the Federal government unless those funds have been appropriated by Congress” are illegal. In modern layman’s terms, it means that it’s against the law for the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who would be forced into a furlough to check their email or voicemails during the disruption. (Of course, no one’s ever been prosecuted for violating it.)
Blossoms: The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, which was planned along National Park Service-managed Constitution Avenue, is still scheduled to go on as planned this weekend, as organizers are working with police to move the route — the Embassy of Japan also tells us that the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival will go on as planned.
Cars: There’ll probably be more than you think. Double parked, in front of hydrants, drivers flaunting the social contract in ways you never imagined possible.
Department of [Insert City Service Here]: Wondering whether you’ll be able to get a permit from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, renew your driver’s license at the Department of Motor Vehicles or contact the Office of Motion Picture Development? Nope, nope and nope. But there are District agencies that will be up and running — check this list for who’s working and who isn’t.
Emergencies: Confronted with a fire, a crime, or a medical emergency? Don’t worry, the District’s 911 services will still work. (It appears as if 311 will also be in operation, too.)
(The) Fuzz: Speaking of public safety, each and every one of the city’s cops will keep working during a federal budget impasse. But anyone with a gripe will need to shelve it for later or deal with the bureaucracy of internal affairs, as the Office of Police Complaints will be closed for the duration.
Galleries: City Paper kindly did the legwork on the National Gallery of Art, which is preparing for a similar situation to the last shutdown in 1995 when exhibits were shuttered. Meanwhile, the Corcoran will be offering free coffee, additional tours and free admission to government employees during the shutdown, while other private museums like the Newseum and the Phillips Collection will stay open.
Hospitality: While the verdict on how bars and restaurants will fare during a shutdown — on the one hand, there’s a lot more people around town with a lot more free time to kill; on the other, those people aren’t going to be flush with disposable income — is still out, the hotel and hospitality industries will undoubtedly feel the pinch. One friend of DCist who works at a luxury hotel in the District even received an email yesterday asking employees to prepare for “potential layoffs.”
In Withdrawal: “[A]nxiety, irritability, twitching hands, maybe a phantom buzz they keep hearing even when it isn’t there. If a government shutdown comes to pass, the nation’s capital may soon be in the grips of something akin to a mass nicotine fit. Tens of thousands of federal workers deemed ‘nonessential’ will be forced to give up their BlackBerrys.”
Jury Duty: As we noted yesterday, the city’s courts will still be open, so those of you who are supposed to show up at Moultrie for jury duty will still be expected to do so.
Kids: Whatever will the District’s parents do if they can’t afford to pay their nannies and au pairs this week? (Hold on: won’t these parents be furloughed anyway, and hence, able to watch the kids themselves?)
Libraries: Thinking this weekend might have been a good time to check out the District’s sparkly new libraries in Petworth, Tenleytown and Shaw? No dice, they’ll all be closed — though you could always try your luck with neighboring jurisdictions’ book depositories, who would welcome you in with open arms.
Metro: Same as it ever was, just with a couple more open seats. (WMATA could miss out on up to $250,000 a day, though. Ouch.)
National Mall: During the last shutdown in 1995, a large portion of the monuments around the Mall were closed — and the National Parks Conservation Association says that the Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and others will be closed again this time. But the Mall itself should remain open, so at least Sunday’s Kite Festival could conceivably go on as planned.
Outrage (of the Righteous, Columnist Type): Like Petula Dvorak: “Do elected officials have any idea how many cars that eighth-grader from Nebraska had to wash to pay for his big trip to the nation’s capital next week?”
Parking: So D.C. parking enforcement has been deemed non-essential. But despite Vince Gray’s assertion that residents can “park with impunity,” the Metropolitan Police Department will still be on the case, handing out citations to those that just can’t help but block bike lanes or sit in a bus loading zone. See Cars.
Quantifying the Economic Impact: With the District already more than $300 million in the hole on its own budget, the last thing Washington needs is for a large revenue stream to dry up. But that’s what will happen if the government shuts down — D.C. Chief Financial Officer Nat Ghandi recently told Council Chair Kwame Brown that the city stands to miss out on anywhere between one and five million dollars in taxes depending on the length and severity of the shutdown.
Roads: Have you been reporting repairs to DDOT as part of this year’s Potholepalooza? Well, you can go ahead and take a break.
Smithsonian: The Institution, whose attractions were estimated to bring in 3.8 million visitors this month, would be closed down. (On the plus side: fewer chances to be enraged by 19th century breasts.)
Trash: Yes, city pickup will be suspended for a week — so make good use of those Supercans , and do your neighbors a favor and try to keep it from piling up in the District’s gutters. Or, you know, just drop it off at John Boehner’s place.
UDC: The District’s public schools might still be handing out knowledge and lunches, but classes at the city’s university will cease, potentially putting graduation in doubt for students, should a shutdown last for any extended period of time.
Volunteerism: Don’t have to go to work? Instead of bemoaning the situation, perhaps it’s a good time to do a little volunteer work in your community. The Shutdown Startup is a short-term initiative powered by volunteers from the federal government and the non-profit sector which will connect furloughed workers with service opportunities in celebration of National Volunteer Week.
Weldon, Glen: The NPR blogger has effectively cornered the market on hilariously verbose shutdown-related tweeting.
Xtra Odds and Ends: Only “emergency passports” will be handed out, Amtrak will keep running out of Union Station, the mail won’t stop (though the IRS will take a little longer to get out income tax refunds for paper-filers), and the Federal Aviation Administration will still keep flights moving in and out of local airports. (See also: Xanax, which it feels like the whole city will probably need a prescription for if this thing stretches out for any considerable period of time.)
Yum: On the bright side, at least people who work for the federal government can enjoy some discounts on beer and pizza.
Zoo: Nope, no lion cubs for anyone, which is just wrong. Come on, Congress, cut us a break here.
