I thought ( other than vaca ) getting paid for not working was called welfare.

Our government is so dysfunctional it borders on the insane, term limits would fix some of this.

JMO, but non essential means deadwood here in the private sector and here in the private sector I can't tell what we're missing with the shutdown. Maybe we ought to consider making it a regular thing.

Yeah, I figured this would pop up, surprised it didn't come up sooner. I think the term "essential" probably should be replaced with "emergency/immediate need/safety" or some other term. Ok, let's follow Warrior's "dead wood" analogy and see what will happen if all the dead wood simply disappeared overnight.

No one to process AntiGov's SS claim when he decides to finally take it delete social insecurity
No one to process Warrior's Medicare claims- I think that's mostly contracted out but fed contractors don't get paid in a shutdown either delete
No federal research of any kind (whether that's being done in house or selecting awardees of grants)- health, wildlife/fisheries, environment, earth sciences, etc delete and turn over to the states/private sector
No one to operate or maintain national parks/monuments/historic sites/battlefields etc of any kind return to states
No one to operate or maintain national wildlife refugees, national forests, national grasslands, etcreturn to states
No one to operate/approve grazing or mineral leases on federal land return to states
No one to determine & approve timber harvesting off of federal land (if they do much of that anymore) return to states
No one to approve off-shore hydrocarbon extraction in national waters return to states when in state waters
No one to set inter-state hunting seasons, such as with waterfowl return to a committee of states
No one to administer various agricultural and rural programs in all the counties of the U.S.delete
No one to process/issue U.S. passports (want to go to Canada on a hunting trip and don't have a passport already, tough ti**y) state issued passports
No one to propose specs for new weapon systems for the military (not sure on that one--may be "essential") remains federal as per the Constitution/the citizenry retains the same ability as per the Constitution
No one to issue your mail-order bride a visa to come to the U.S.
etc, etc,, etc BUILD THE DAM WALL

But, hey, who's counting...

Don't forget there would be no one to insure safe food medicine or water quality. But thats all good too

Sure, Warrior, no problem. Enjoy your fantasies.

BTW- You're not taking any SS or Medicare when you're eligible...?

Don't plan on it.

We survived for a century and and half without "govt help". Food was cheap and water was free, imagine that.