I sure do get tired of the pundits, etc, commenting about what they think is essential and what is not essential when it comes to the government and contractor work force. I wish they'd call this what it really is - a work place lockout.

In the last few years, the government changed terminology and moved away from using the word "essential" to "excepted". Yea right, Huh?? The explanation was that people who are "excepted" during a government shut down have to report to work in order to perform basic life and property preserving tasks. As in "all employees shall remain home EXCEPT ..."