Update, Wednesday, Oct. 9: Government Shutdown Week 2: Bay Area Impact Widens
The latest on the federal government shutdown
Update, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday: The predicted shutdown mess is occurring. Thousands of tourists visiting the Bay Area are suddenly finding that attractions like Alcatraz and Muir Woods are no longer accessible.
From the San Francisco Chronicle this morning:
"It's quite a shock," said Emil Labossiere, 49, of British Columbia, who went to Muir Woods National Monument with his wife, Karen Irvine, to celebrate their 20th anniversary, only to be told the park was closed. "We weren't quite aware of what was going on."
The furlough of thousands of workers who work for federal agencies in the Bay Area is having some unintended consequences, too. Here's part of a pointed press release just sent out by the Stanford Blood Center:
The Stanford Blood Center currently has an urgent need for O-negative blood, and the shutdown of the federal government is affecting the center's ability to meet that demand.
A blood drive scheduled for Oct. 2 at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., was canceled because more than 1,000 Ames employees were furloughed Oct. 1 after Congress failed to agree on a spending bill. The drive was expected to collect 75 units of whole blood.
"It's unfortunate that the government shutdown is impacting the local blood supply," said blood center spokesperson Deanna Bolio. "NASA Ames employees have been tremendously supportive of the blood center over the last 27 years, having donated thousands of units to help patients in the community."
Update 11:30 a.m. Tuesday: One example of the government shutdown at work. Amanda Stupi, the online producer for KQED's "Forum," is part of a Facebook group organized around swimming at San Francisco's China Beach. The beach, a gem on the edge of the city's Sea Cliff neighborhood, is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area — thus, it's federal property officially closed to the public. Members of the Facebook group say that U.S. Park Police are warning that beach trespassers are subject to arrest.
Update, 11 a.m.: In a White House appearance today originally scheduled to herald the launch of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama called on Republicans to drop their demands to delay or defund the law and to reopen the government.
“At midnight last night for the first time in 17 years the Republicans in Congress chose to shut down the federal government. Let me be more specific: One faction of one party in one house of Congress in one branch of government shut down major parts of the government, all because they did not like one law. They’ve shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable health insurance to millions of Americans. ... As long as I am president, I will not give in to reckless demands by some in the Republican Party to deny affordable health insurance to millions of hard-working Americans.”
But GOP leaders continue to blame the president and his party for the crisis. From The New York Times:
Republicans continued their efforts to shift blame for the shutdown to the Democrats, whom they accused of intentionally letting the clock run out so they could point fingers back at conservatives.
“Well, Democrat leaders in Congress finally have their prize — a government shutdown that no one seems to want but them,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader. “House Republicans worked late into the night this weekend to keep the government open. And Senate Democrats dragged their feet.”
Update, 8:45 a.m. PDT Tuesday: President Obama is expected to speak at 9:25 a.m. Pacific time to address the shutdown and the official launch of the Affordable Care Act.