Virginia government shutdown threatened

[PotomacCyclist]

While the deadline is still weeks away, the battle over Medicaid expansion could lead to a shutdown of the Virginia state government this summer. Maybe the parties will wait until the last moment before negotiating a deal. If not, the gov’t could close down.

What does that mean? Good question. I’ve read differing opinions about the scenario. But I haven’t read anything about what effect it might have on cycling in Northern Virginia and the rest of the state. The Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail is operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA). From the NVRPA website:

“Today’s Regional Park Authority represents three counties and three cities — Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, the City of Alexandria, the City of Falls Church and the City of Fairfax. Regional Park Authority staff, volunteer board members appointed from each jurisdiction and many friends of the regional parks working together have preserved more than 10,000 acres of the rolling and wooded Virginia countryside for you and created a priceless legacy for future generations.

Through your regional parks, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority provides almost two million citizens with some of the finest recreational facilities in the country. By pooling their funds, these local governments find that each dollar they contribute to NVRPA is multiplied by contributions from other member jurisdictions and sometimes augmented even more by state and federal grants and private donations.”

https://www.nvrpa.org/park/main_site/content/general_info

It seems that operating funds come from the local member governments, but state and federal grants are also involved. Is there any possibility that the W&OD could be closed? How important is state assistance for the budget? Even if the trail were officially closed, there would be almost no way to enforce the closure, except perhaps in a few locations. But that would cost money for officers. I don’t think that would qualify as a vital emergency need, the enforcement of a trail closure solely due to budgetary gridlock (as opposed to safety concerns).

Anyone have more detailed info about this? It’s possible that the shutdown never happens. It’s possible that even if the shutdown happens, no area trails would be affected. But just in case, I think it could be useful to explore what could happen with a shutdown. Even if it’s just to confirm that no area trails would be affected.

[dasgeh]

From what I’ve heard, Dems aren’t going to blink, so it’s a question of whether Reps will allow Medicaid expansion (providing health care to hundreds of thousands of low income Virginians) or shut down the government.

If you don’t get answers here, you may just email Patrick Hope – he’s pretty responsive and knows about such things.

[Terpfan]

To be perfectly honestly, I don’t think I will even notice if they shut down except in the media. I highly doubt they would shut down any trails to commuters because even NPS in their let’s piss off the world mentality didn’t do it.

[mstone]

note: the situation with the trash cans and portajohns will be grim

[dasgeh]

@Terpfan 83374 wrote:

To be perfectly honestly, I don’t think I will even notice if they shut down except in the media. I highly doubt they would shut down any trails to commuters because even NPS in their let’s piss off the world mentality didn’t do it.

You must not rely on things like food stamps or medicaid. And live in a region (NoVa) where the schools don’t rely heavily on the Commonwealth.

[lordofthemark]

I presume the school systems will be able to shuffle funds around (spend more local funds now, and their state funds later – ditto for the public U’s) to get by. Maybe ditto for NVRPA, Im not sure.

But I guess VDOT will shut down everything non-essential – so all road construction, repaving, etc will stop dead. Should create a lot of pressure to get past the shutdown.

Not sure what happens to Medicaid – I guess docs won’t get paid. Will they let patients run up a tab? I thought food stamps were USDA – but is distribution state administered?

[TwoWheelsDC]

Of course the shutdown would come AFTER finals…

j/k, I’ll take a fully functioning government, even if that means my papers still have to be turned in, thank you very much.

[baiskeli]

@lordofthemark 83390 wrote:

Not sure what happens to Medicaid – I guess docs won’t get paid. Will they let patients run up a tab? I thought food stamps were USDA – but is distribution state administered?

FYI, Medicaid is a huge source of support for people with disabilities and mental health impairments, so it could be a major problem for many of them. For many, Medicaid pays for more than health care, it covers housing, daily support like aides or nursing care, etc. I don’t know if a shutdown would affect them though.

[dasgeh]

@lordofthemark 83390 wrote:

I presume the school systems will be able to shuffle funds around (spend more local funds now, and their state funds later – ditto for the public U’s) to get by. Maybe ditto for NVRPA, Im not sure.

My understanding is that some school systems in the Commonwealth don’t have enough local funds to shuffle around, and will have to issue pink slips (even if they will rehire those people if/when the money comes in)

[DismalScientist]

And it’s all the Republican fault because the Democrats won’t blink and Republicans don’t have the right to take a similar position.

[lordofthemark]

@DismalScientist 83401 wrote:

And it’s all the Republican fault because the Democrats won’t blink and Republicans don’t have the right to take a similar position.

Can we talk about The Rules instead?

[Steve]

@TwoWheelsDC 83395 wrote:

I’ll take a fully functioning government

[insert joke about the less than full functioning of the current government]

[baiskeli]

@DismalScientist 83401 wrote:

And it’s all the Republican fault because the Democrats won’t blink and Republicans don’t have the right to take a similar position.

I don’t want to hijack the thread, so let’s talk this over with a few beers some day, like we were when the shutdown happened.

[n18]

The trial are unlikely to be shutdown, just not maintained, like tree or grass trimming around trials. But you won’t see an effect unless the shutdown takes too long(unlikely).

[Terpfan]

@dasgeh 83387 wrote:

You must not rely on things like food stamps or medicaid. And live in a region (NoVa) where the schools don’t rely heavily on the Commonwealth.

You’re correct, I don’t receive SNAP (food stamps is a fairly dated and some would argue, non-pc term) or Medicaid/CHIP benefits as about 12% of Virginians do. I think those on SNAP will certainly notice the difference as the distribution points are toward the beginning of the month. But that’s all the state’s cost is–distribution. It’s a federally funded program. On the Medicaid side of the equation, it’s the providers that will feel the pinch because their payments will be delayed (in theory, non-existent, but in almost all government shutdowns the services rendered are retroactively funded). I doubt those currently seeing patients will turn them away under the premise that Medicaid currently isn’t funded. And those providers will notice the impact depending on their billing timeliness toward the end of the month as the system has never paid out instantaneously. There is also the question of the legality because providing Medicaid requires a state match (50% I think for VA).

The schools in NOVA actually rely on Commonwealth aid significantly less than schools Commonwealth-wide. In FFX’s case, it’s 15.7% of their budget versus 34.8% average statewide (I say state here because FFX’s guide refers to it as state aid, but I tend to agree with your use of Commonwealth as that’s what it is). The dedicated revenue from the sales tax to the school system won’t be affected because it’s a statutory provision (ie, a dedicated fund). And we’re talking about July, when I suspect many systems aren’t in full swing. It’ll have ancillary effect on their facility usage and of course on employees, but on the student body the impact will be largely negligible unless it draws into mid-August.

I think you mistake my honesty for being crass. I feel bad for those impacted, but I don’t think my statement was inaccurate in any sense and I think my feelings toward it are inconsequential. And in another life, I’ve been involved heavily in the budgeting process (albeit, not in VA) so far from aloof, I’m quite aware of the mechanics. The flip side is knowing how you can play around with transfers from various funds, not pay the unfilled pins, and any number of gimmicks that routinely buy you weeks. Anyway, so, I return to my original point in posting in that I do not expect the paths to be an issue.

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