If you are a low income employed single Mom in Minnesota who relies on child care assistance in order to be able to work, it is a very bad day. It seems child care subsidies were not covered under necessary "core services", which would be protected during the government shutdown.
So what would do you do? Leave your kids home alone and go to work, so as to not lose the job you will probably not be able to replace?
I raised two kids on my own. Any single parent who has knows how you get torn in two between needing to meet the expectations of employers, and still meet the needs of your kids for safe and loving care. You are caught in a Catch 22 vise you cannot escape , because you are "it": you are the only parent and totally responsible for the 24/7/365 care of your kids.
I just watched a funding request hearing (live streamed) before a "Special Master" who is charged with reviewing funding requests that are flooding in since the shutdown. It seems that the monies that were being used to help these single parents with child care, come from a combination of federal and state funds that are all mixed together before being distributed by the state and counties.
No one seems to know how to deal with this, or which laws from what sources would allow or prevent any funds, even federal ones, from being used during shutdown. I can't even imagine this being untangled in time to keep these Moms from losing their jobs. And how many of these will be able to even find another one?
Yes, it's hard on those who wanted to holiday camp in our State Parks, to have to make alternative plans for celebrating the 4th of July. Yep, it's terrible for those who might miss the Horse Races, or can't visit the Zoo, or might need to pee and be unable to find an open roadside rest area, or buy a fishing license.
But the only picture I have in my head was the single mother who, when asked if she had anything to say, dropped her head and said in a subdued voice, "If I don't have child care, I can't go to work.", her body language portraying fear, resignation and defeat.
I don't want to feel hatred in my heart, for anyone. I really don't want to harbor that emotion inside of me. But right now, I have to tell you I feel hatred for the soul-less, heartless wealthy elite of this state, hell, of this whole country, who don't give a single damn shit about anyone but their own greedy, narcissistic selves. Selfish ass wipes who would drop in their damned tracks if they had to walk in the footsteps of a working single parent for even one full day.
I thought I'd feel better for writing this, but I don't, I feel worse, and I need to leave this machine and go find a strong oak I can lean against awhile till I can feel grounded again..and can breath past this hatred.
I'll check back in a bit...