Government shutdown -- information and perspective from one online educator

Here are four short ( apolitical ) webpages regarding shutdowns previous and current.

[1] Metros Where A Government Shutdown Could Hurt Most

#  Metro                 % of Local Wages Going to Federal Workers

1  Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV                  18.5%

2  Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD         12.6%

3  Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC            11.8%

[2] Visualization of previous shutdowns where each year is a horizontal bar  (click the “hi-res” button for a larger image)

[3] Explanation and context of each previous shutdowns (via Washington Post)

[4] Who has been most shut down by the shutdown? (via Slate)

NASA                               97%
Housing and Urban Development      96%
Education                          94%
EPA                                94%
Securities and Exchange Commission 91%

Commerce                           87%
Smithsonian                        84%
Labor                              82%
Treasury                           82%
Interior                           81%

The Department of the Interior is responsible for the National Park Service. More information about how the shutdown will impact our national parks can be found here.

------ sources ------

[1] http://trends.truliablog.com/2013/09/metros-that-could-suffer-most-from-a-federal-government-shutdown/

[2] http://vizual-statistix.tumblr.com/post/62731422207/given-that-were-on-the-verge-of-a-possible

[3] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/25/here-is-every-previous-government-shutdown-why-they-happened-and-how-they-ended/?print=1

[4] http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/slate_labs/2013/10/federal_government_shutdown_agencies_with_the_most_furloughs.html

------ Personal note ------

This past weekend, I was invited to the Davidson Institute Fellow award ceremony by one of my previous students who earned a $10,000 scholarship for his mathematical work. While I was there I had the opportunity to chat with him and his mother about mathematics, his research, and general thoughts about the next steps in his education and study.

If I could send a message to anyone in congress is this: 

I feel it is shameful to our nation that such a phenomenal student  personally feels apprehensive in any way about funding his continuing education.  Admittedly, some of his concern can be attributed to “teenage jitters” which will surely pass and he will very likely have scholarships to whatever institution he chooses to attend. But the simple fact is, the more he is concerned about funding, the less his mind is able to focus on his studies.  My concern extends to all of my students, even (especially!) those who I taught as a public school teacher many years ago. I have genuine fear that in the coming decades, there will be a gigantic collapse caused by our nation’s inability to educate its youth and properly fund scientific research.   

Current high school students are panicking about funding college education, current undergrad & grad students must fight even harder for grant monies… all of this leaves less and less time and energy for clear and creative thinking.