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Grave government shutdown leaving us all adrift a la Gravity

October 14, 2013

Will Capitol Hill and the White House come to an agreement on raising the debt ceiling and reopening all federal offices?

A meeting had been scheduled for this afternoon — actually as I type — between the White House and Senate Democratic and Republican leaders who are working on a deal. The word now, however, is that the confab has been pushed back, possibly into tomorrow.

If Congress, including Speaker John Boehner and the House Republican Party's recalcitrant Tea Party wing, can't be coaxed into a deal, we all will be left flying blind.

That feeling of fear and hopelessness was spoofed this weekend by Saturday Night Live with Taram Killam and Cecily Strong portraying astronauts left stranded a la the Sandra Bullock/George Clooney movie Gravity.

But in the television skit, the pair is left adrift without NASA's help because of the government shutdown. The only essential employee in Houston is a janitor, portrayed by Kenan Thompson.

It was funny late Saturday night. Monday afternoon, no so much.

Here's hoping we all have enough air to make it through this politically manufactured ordeal.

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

Comments
  • The entire debt ceiling/government shutdown is political theater. They will magically come to an agreement at the eleventh hour, an agreement that was probably made a week or so ago.

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