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Press October 17th and a Government Shutdown Don't Mix  October
17th and a Government Shutdown Don't Mix  Tuesday, 01 October
2013 03:58  The national media continue to express their disdain
for logic and arithmetic when they warn that we will face a debt
ceiling, in addition to a government shutdown, on October 17th.
That one doesn't make sense.  The government shutdown means that
much of the spending that would otherwise be going to support
the $1.2 trillion discretionary portion of the federal budget is
not being made. As a result, the government's borrowing needs
will be considerably lower over this period. Depending on how
much spending goes out the door, it is possible that the
government is not even borrowing at all during the period of
shutdown.  This means that the shutdown will extend the date at
which a debt ceiling will be reached. That would change if the
standoff is settle