Smelly candles, plastic flowers, and scratching posts

So, now the big news is that it looks like the government might shut down. Like that's a bad thing.

All this time, those of us on the right have been complaining about the size of government. Now, it might shut down. And I say "Good!" It could use a good shutting down.

Only, the government really won't shut down.

“National parks, national forests and the Smithsonian Institution would all be closed. The NIH Clinical Center will not take new patients, and no new clinical trials will start,” he added in a roll call of expected agency closings.

But the air traffic control system would stay up and running, the emergency management agency would still respond to natural disasters and border security would not be affected.

That means that the government will still operate to some degree, but non-essential personnel will be sent home:

...John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union... (said) "Employees are apparently going to be told to report to work Monday (then) they will be released, and those who are nonessential, nonexempt will be released and the other ones will be told to stay."

What's all this mean?

It means that those of us on the right were right all along. The government is full of people whose jobs aren't necessary. And they don't even know who they are.

There are too many non-essentials when the economy is good and the government isn't running a deficit. It's even worse during this Obama economy.

There's word that some military might not get paid. Which means what? That the Obama administration considers them non-essential? That sounds like a bunch of stupid liberals. Gotta fund those abortion clinics, but not so much the American soldier.

The military is one of the essentials. But there are plenty of non-essentials in the government today.

Now, I don't think that non-essentials are necessarily a bad thing. I'm sitting at a computer right now. Not the cheapest computer, either. I spent around $3,000 for this MacBook Pro. That's a lot of money. And, I could have made do with a $400 Dell, I suppose.

And, looking around the room, I see a fish tank. We don't eat the fish, so it's non-essential. There are some trinkets on the coffee table and shelves. Some plastic flowers. A Rubik's Cube (what's that doing on the coffee table?). Candles. A scratching post for the cat.

Non-essentials.

In tough times, we wouldn't have all them.

And that's what the government is full of: non-essentials.

Lots of people who work for the government are trinkets and plastic flowers. Some are smelly candles.

The military is more like the doors, walls, shotguns, and such: they protect us and keep us safe. Not a whole lot of smelly candles and plastic flowers there.

For the U.S. to come out ahead on this, they need to send the non-essentials home. And leave them there. Let the non-essentials get a real job.

Oh, sure, there are lots of people out of work right now. Non-essentials.

I'm not saying they aren't qualified. I'm saying their job wasn't needed when they lost it.

I don't mind so much when business hires non-essentials. They are in the business to make money. And, when they make money, they have more money to spend on the non-essential jobs. Which, after a while of being done exceptionally, gets more focus and becomes essential.

The government, not so much. The business world is hurting because it has to cut non-essentials while the government keeps the plastic flowers and scratching posts on the payroll.

The government should get rid of all those smelly candles and plastic flowers. Then, they wouldn't spend so much money.

And you could have more smelly candles, plastic flowers, and scratching posts.

Personally, I don't care about smelly candles, plastic flowers, and scratching posts. Wife likes them, though. And things are better when she's happy.