What A Government Shutdown Means For Our Local Services

To me, it seemed like a foregone conclusion. No one wants to give an inch, and so now we have a government shutdown, and it seems like neither side is willing to compromise. So where does that leave us? 

Well, we still have what are classified as “essential services”. Border security, Military operations, Air traffic control, but you can say goodbye to whatever considered nonessential services. Anything considered nonessential is now put on pause and if you're a federal worker, this kind of sucks because you're either placed on furlough (You go home and don't get paid.) Or you have to work and not get paid until the end of the shutdown. 

Other programs and services may just be rolled back like national parks, regulatory agencies, processing of passports and visas. All of them working with reduced staff. 

There are programs that continue to work with mandatory spending like Medicare and Social Security. Basically, the government does not entirely shut down, but there are large portions of the government that will slow down or shut down. 

In terms of the US Postal Service, where does that put us? 

The US Postal Service says it will be business as usual. 

According to msn.com,
‘In a September 25 statement, the USPS said post offices will stay open and operate under “business as usual.”
“Because we are an independent entity that is generally funded through the sale of our products and services, and not by tax dollars, our services will not be impacted by a government shutdown,” the agency said.’ 

So, the US Mail will continue in its current state. You will still be able to go to the post office. You will still receive mail at your home, and for some reason if I'm sending a letter from my home to my neighbor's home down the street, that letter still has to travel through Spokane to get there. (I don't know why.) 

How long will this shutdown last? Who can say? I guess we have to wait and see who blinks first.
Is USPS affected by a government shutdown? What to know
Senate Fails Again to End First Government Shutdown in Seven Years: Live Updates - Newsweek
Full List of Democrats Voting with Republicans Against Government Shutdown - Newsweek