MONEY OFF OF THIS BOOK, YOU COULD EXPECT TWEETS BUT NOT
POSITIVE.
POSITIVE. >> THANK YOU ALL.
TODAY THE COUNTRY IS HITTING A
CRITICAL DEADLINE.
CRITICAL DEADLINE. CALL IT THE CINDERELLA DEADLINE.
WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT, WE WILL OFFICIALLY BE
BEYOND THAT DEADLINE FOR PAYROLL
MEANING PAYCHECKS TURN INTO
PUMPKINS.
PUMPKINS. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FEDERAL
EMPLOYEES WILL MISS A SECOND
CHECK.
CHECK. A PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL CRISIS
IN HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS AMERICA.
>> I’VE BEEN WORKING SINCE I WAS
13 CONSISTENTLY.
13 CONSISTENTLY. THAT’S ALL I KNOW.
I DIDN’T HAVE A PLAN B.
>> WE’RE THE ONES THAT ALWAYS
HELP THOSE.
HELP THOSE. TO BE BEHIND ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF IT IS HURTFUL.
>> ANOTHER LEAD SHOWED UP AND
ONLY THREE OFFICERS SHOWED UP.
AND ON THAT SHIFT YOU’RE
SUPPOSED TO HAVE AT MAXIMUM GIVE
OR TAKE 16 OFFICERS.
>> NBC’S TOM COSTELLO IS IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. STEVE PATTERSON IS IN WASHINGTON
STATE.
STATE. AND HANS NICHOLS IS ON CAPITOL
HILL FOR US.
TOM, LET ME START WITH YOU.
THIS IS A PRESSURE POINT WHEN IT
COMES TO TSA WORKERS CALLING OUT
SICK THAT SO MANY AMERICANS
COULD BE FEELING.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WELL, THIS IS WHERE MANY
AMERICANS HAVE THEIR ONLY
INTERFACE WITH GOVERNMENT
WORKERS ON A REGULAR BASIS AT
THE AIRPORT NEAR YOU.
WHILE IT’S A TUESDAY IN JANUARY,
WE ARE CLOSELY WATCHING WHAT THE
CALLOUT RATES ARE NATIONWIDE.
HERE’S WHAT THE TSA IS TELLING
US THIS MORNING.
FOR MONDAY, FOR MLK DAY, A
NATIONAL CALLOUT RATE OF 7.5%.
THAT’S THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
CALLING OUT SAYING THEY CAN’T
GET TO WORK AND MANY OF THEM
BLAMING FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS.
COMPARE THAT TO 10% ON SUNDAY.
THEN WE HAD 3.3% A YEAR AGO.
8 % ON SATURDAY.
WHAT’S THE POINT HERE?
THE POINT IS WE’RE AVERAGING
BETWEEN 8 TO 10% ON ANY GIVEN
DAY OF GOVERNMENT’S WORKERS
CALLING OUT SEEK, TSA WORKERS
CALLING OUT SICK.
WAIT TIMES AT AIRPORTS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, THESE ARE THE MOST
AFFECTED AIRPORTS BECAUSE OF A
LACK OF TSA STAFFING, WE’VE SEEN
IT AFFECTED AT MINNEAPOLIS ST.
PAUL AND BWA, AT CTACK AND IN
ATLANTA.
ATLANTA. AGAIN TODAY A TUESDAY IN JANUARY
SHOULD BE RELATIVELY CALM,
HOWEVER THE CONCERN IS THAT IF
YOU HAVE TSA OFFICERS MISSING
ANOTHER PAYCHECK, MANY OF THEM
MAY START TO SAY I GOT TO MOVE
ON.
ON. RIGHT?
RIGHT? I CAN’T JUST RELY ON GOODFOOD BA
AND NO INTEREST LOANS.
I HAVE TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY.
WE MAY BE GETTING TO THAT POINT
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. >> STEVE, TO YOU OUT WEST.
YOU’RE THERE AT THIS BEAUTIFUL
NATIONAL PARK IN WASHINGTON
STATE.
STATE. AND YOU’VE DESCRIBED IT AS THE
BEATING HEART OF THIS TOURIST
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. IT’S SUDDENLY STOPPED BECAUSE OF
THE SHUTDOWN?
THE SHUTDOWN? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WE’RE AT A BEAUTIFUL INN IN THIS
PARK.
PARK. WHAT’S HAPPEN SECOND DOWN THIS
IS A CONCESSIONER, CONTRACTED BY
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.
WHAT’S HAPPENED IS THAT A MAJOR
ROAD GOING INTO THE RESORT AREA
OF THIS MOUNTAIN IS JUST SHUT
DOWN.
DOWN. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
IT MEANS GUESTS AREN’T COMING TO
THIS INN.
THIS INN. TAKE A LOOK.
THIS IS WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE
THE BREAKFAST RUSH, PEOPLE GOING
SNOW SHOEING OR HIKING UP INTO
THE UPPER ECHELONS OF THE
MOUNTAIN.
MOUNTAIN. SUDDENLY AREN’T COMING.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE INN?
IT MEANS MOST OF THE STAFF, HALF
OF THE STAFF HAS BEEN LAID OFF.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> UNFORTUNATELY.
>> UNFORTUNATELY. >> YOU OPERATE THIS INN.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO YOUR
BUSINESS AT THIS POINT?
>> WELL, AT ONE POINT I’D SAY
TWO-THIRDS OF OUR STAFF WERE
WITHOUT WORK.
WITHOUT WORK. AND IT’S NOT LIKE A FURLOUGHED
POSITION WHERE SOMEWHERE DOWN
THE LINE THEY’RE GOING TO GET
MONEY, AND THEY’RE GOING TO GET
PAYMENT.
PAYMENT. THEY DON’T GET ANYTHING.
>> AND THIS HAPPENED A FEW DAYS
BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
BEFORE CHRISTMAS. RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> IT STARTED RIGHT THEN.
>> NOW WITH THE PAYROLL
SITUATION, THE PAY THAT IT IS,
HOW ARE PEOPLE SURVIVING?
YOU TALKED ABOUT WORKERS LIVING
PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK.
>> MANY PEOPLE DO IN THIS
COMMUNITY, AND SO THEY DON’T
HAVE THE MONEY COMING IN.
THEY’RE BORROWING FUNDS.
THEY’RE EXISTING.
THEY’RE EXISTING. THEY’RE PULLING TOGETHER.
I HEARD ONE STORY OF EMPLOYEES
WHO ARE ALL PUTTING IN GAS TO GO
TO THE STORE TOGETHER TO GET
PROVISIONS.
PROVISIONS. >> HOW LONG CAN THIS GO ON?
HOW LONG CAN YOU SURVIVE THIS?
>> FOR US AS A COMPANY, WE’LL
SURVIVE, BUT FOR THE INDIVIDUALS
AND REALLY THAT’S WHAT THIS IS
ALL ABOUT, I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH
LONGER.
LONGER. ONE STAFF MEMBER LEFT AND GOT A
DIFFERENT JOB.
DIFFERENT JOB. PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE REAL
DECISIONS WITH THEIR FINANCES
AND WHERE THEY GO.
DO WE WANT TO LOSE ANY OF THESE
PEOPLE?
PEOPLE? NO.
NO. THEY’RE THE LIFE BLOOD OF OUR
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. >> LINDA, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AS YOU MENTIONED, THESE ARE
PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT FURLOUGHED
AS WE HIGHLIGHTED SO MANY PEOPLE
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.