The sole breadwinner in Amanda Gibbs’ family of seven is her husband, an information technology specialist with the Coast Guard based at North Tongue Point.
Her husband is one of an estimated 1,500 Coast Guard personnel locally who today will miss their first paycheck because of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
kAm“xE’D 56G2DE2E:?8 7@C FD[” v:33D D2:5] “w6 H@C<D 2== 52J[ 2?5 x 92G6 7:G6 <:5D[ 2?5 86EE:?8 52J 42C6 7@C 7:G6 <:5D :D C:5:4F=@FD=J 6IA6?D:G6] (6 =:G6 36=@H E96 A@G6CEJ =:?6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ p>6C:42] (6 5@?’E >2<6 2 =@E @7 >@?6J]”k^Am
kAm%96 r@2DE vF2C5[ A2CE @7 E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 w@>6=2?5 $64FC:EJ[ :D E96 @?=J 3C2?49 @7 E96 >:=:E2CJ ?@E 36:?8 A2:5 5FC:?8 E96 A2CE:2= D9FE5@H?] ~E96C 3C2?496D 72== F?56C E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 s676?D6[ H9:49 92D 2=C625J D64FC65 7F?5:?8 E9:D 7:D42= J62C 7C@> r@?8C6DD]k^Am
kAmp3@FE cb[___ 6?=:DE65 r@2DE vF2C5 >6>36CD 566>65 6DD6?E:2= 6>A=@J66D 2C6 H@C<:?8 H:E9@FE A2J] %92E :?4=F56D `[gf_ 24E:G6\5FEJ A6CD@??6= 2?5 `b_ 4:G:=:2?D :? E96 r@2DE vF2C5’D s:DEC:4E `b[ H9:49 :?4=F56D $64E@C r@=F>3:2 #:G6C] {@42= 6DE:>2E6D 92G6 23@FE `[d__ :? 2?5 2C@F?5 pDE@C:2 27764E65 3J E96 DE@AA286 :? A2J]k^Am
k9bm$A@FD6D DA62< @FEk^9bm
kAm%9@D6 D6CG:?8 :? E96 r@2DE vF2C5 2C6 C6=F4E2?E E@ DA62< AF3=:4=J 23@FE E96:C G:6HD @7 E96 D9FE5@H?] qFE D@>6 DA@FD6D 2C6 @A6?:?8 FA 23@FE E96:C DECF88=6D[ 2?5 23@FE 9@H E96 4@>>F?:EJ 92D C2==:65 :? E96:C E:>6 @7 ?665]k^Am
kAmy6??:76C $:6>D[ 2 DF3DE:EFE6 E62496C H9@D6 9FD32?5 :D 2? @A6C2E:@?D DA64:2=:DE 23@2C5 E96 r@2DE vF2C5 4FEE6C p=6CE[ H9:49 :D @FE @? A2EC@=[ 92D 366? DE@4<:?8 FA @? 7@@5 7@C 96C EH@ D@?D[ H9:=6 >2<:?8 DFC6 D96 92D 6?@F89 82D E@ >2<6 :E E@ H@C<]k^Am
kAm“~7 4@FCD6 E9:D 92AA6?65 2E E96 H@CDE E:>6 @7 E96 J62C[ C:89E 27E6C r9C:DE>2D[ H9:49 >62?E E96C6 H6C6 EH@ H66<D x 5:5?’E 86E E@ H@C< 3642FD6 @7 r9C:DE>2D G242E:@?[” D96 D2:5] “$@[ x H:== 92G6 2 A2J4964< 4@>:?8 E9:D >@?E9[ 3FE :E H@?’E 36 G6CJ 3:8]”k^Am
kAm%96 r@2DE vF2C5 :?E6C?2==J 7@F?5 2 H2J E@ A2J A6CD@??6= @?6 =2DE E:>6 :? =2E6 s646>36C] qFE p5>] r92C=6D #2J[ G:46 4@>>2?52?E[ 92D D2:5 ?@ >@C6 DE@A82AD 2C6 :? E96 @77:?8]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< >@DE @7 FD E@@< 2== @7 @FC =2DE A2J4964< 2?5 A2:5 2D >F49 @7 @FC 3:==D 2D H6 4@F=5[” D2:5 |:496==6 $@>6CD[ H9@D6 9FD32?5 :D DE2E:@?65 2E p:C $E2E:@? pDE@C:2] “%96? 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 >@?E9[ J@F 92G6 E@ 564:56i s@ J@F A2J J@FC 3:==D @C 5@ J@F 3FJ 8C@46C:6Dn”k^Am
kAmr@2DE vF2C5 72>:=:6D 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ 92G6 366? 56A6?5:?8 @? A@A\FA 7@@5 A2?EC:6D 2?5 @E96C 4@>>F?:EJ 677@CED E@ 96=A AC@G:56 52:=J 6DD6?E:2=D]k^Am
kAm$E246J q6?D@?[ H9@D6 9FD32?5 :D DE2E:@?65 @? E96 4FEE6C $E62572DE[ H9:49 :D 2=D@ @FE @? A2EC@=[ :D @C82?:K:?8 2 A@A\FA A2?ECJ $2EFC52J 2?5 $F?52J 2E E96 pDE@C:2 |2D@?:4 {@586 7@C 2== r@2DE vF2C5 72>:=:6D[ C6E:C66D 2?5 @E96C 7FC=@F8965 7656C2= 6>A=@J66D]k^Am
kAm$96 2?5 @E96C G@=F?E66CD H:E9 2 8C@FA 42==65 q6 E96 {:89E 2C6 4@==64E:?8 5@?2E:@?D E9C@F89@FE E96 H66<] Wu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^36E96=:89EA2?ECJQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmE:?JFC=]4@>^36E96=:89EA2?ECJk^2mXk^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 =@@<:?8 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ E@ DE6A FA[ 2?5 E96J 92G6 EC6>6?5@FD=J[” q6?D@? D2:5]k^Am
k9bmw6=A 7C@> E96 4@>>F?:EJk^9bm
kAmp =:DE @7 3FD:?6DD6D @776C:?8 7C66 AC@5F4ED 2?5 D6CG:46D — 7C@> 4@7766[ A:KK2 2?5 G:E2>:?D E@ J@82 4=2DD6D[ 4@?46CED 2?5 92:C4FED — 92D 366? 4:C4F=2E:?8 2>@?8 r@2DE vF2C5 72>:=:6D]k^Am
kAm%96 pDE@C:2 |@@D6 {@586 :D @776C:?8 2 “r@>6 DFAA@CE ~FC r@2DE vF2C5 r@>>F?:EJ” 36?67:E 7@C 6>A=@J66D 27764E65 3J E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E D9FE5@H? 7C@> d E@ g A]>] E@52J] %96 6G6?E :?4=F56D 2 EFC<6J 5:??6C H:E9 7:I:?8D 7@C S`d[ 2 C277=6 2?5 2? 2F4E:@?] p== AC@4665D DFAA@CE r@2DE vF2C5 72>:=:6D]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= 6?E:E:6D 2C6 AC@G:5:?8 @E96C DFAA@CE E@ 7656C2= 6>A=@J66D 27764E65 3J E96 8@G6C?>6?E D9FE5@H?] (2F?2 u656C2= rC65:E &?:@? :D @776C:?8 ?@\:?E6C6DE =@2?D] %96 p>6C:42? {68:@? :D @776C:?8 @?6\E:>6 8C2?ED @7 FA E@ S`[d__ 7@C 6=:8:3=6 9@FD69@=5D] x? 255:E:@?[ r@2DE vF2C5 |FEF2= pDD:DE2?46 :D @776C:?8 =@H\ @C ?@\4@DE =@2?D E@ D6CG:46 >6>36CD]k^Am
kAm%96 pDE@C:2 $49@@= s:DEC:4E :D @776C:?8 7C66 D49@@= =F?496D 2?5 H2:G:?8 24E:G:EJ 766D 7@C 49:=5C6? 7C@> 72>:=:6D :>A24E65 3J E96 D9FE5@H?]k^Am
kAm“pDE@C:2 $49@@= s:DEC:4E :D 4@>>:EE65 E@ DFAA@CE:?8 72>:=:6D 27764E65 3J E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E D9FE5@H?[” rC2:8 w@AA6D[ E96 D49@@= DFA6C:?E6?56?E :? pDE@C:2[ D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6]k^Am
kAm$:6>D D2:5 D96 2?5 @E96CD 92G6 366? C68F=2C=J 4964<:?8 E@ D66 E96 DE2EFD @7 EH@ 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 677@CED E@ A2J r@2DE vF2C5D>6? E9C@F89 E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 E96 %C62DFCJ]k^Am
kAm&]$] #6A] !6E6C s6u2K:@[ s\~C68@?[ DA@?D@C65 E96 !2J ~FC r@2DE vF2C5 !2C:EJ p4E :? E96 w@FD6] &]$] $6?] y@9? %9F?6[ #\$@FE9 s2<@E2[ DA@?D@C65 D:>:=2C =68:D=2E:@?[ E96 !2J ~FC r@2DE vF2C5 p4E[ :? E96 $6?2E6] }6:E96C 92G6 >256 :E 36J@?5 :?EC@5F4E:@?]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 36EE6C E@ ;FDE DE2J A@D:E:G6 2?5 E9:?< 23@FE H92E H6’C6 5@:?8 7@C 6249 @E96C 2?5 9@H H6’C6 4@>:?8 E@86E96C[” $:6>D D2:5] “(6 42?’E 5H6== @? H92E >:89E 92AA6?] (6 92G6 E@ ;FDE 9@A6 7@C E96 36DE]”k^Am