Coast Guard service members, at ease in Menemsha. – Rich Saltzberg

Updated Dec. 29

U.S. Coast Guard personnel at Station Menemsha weren’t expected to receive their pay at the end of December but things have changed. As with everyone working for the Coast Guard, their pay is in jeopardy by the federal budget impasse. However, the Coast Guard announced Friday night its payroll will be fulfilled at the end December.

“The 15th is still up in the air,” Petty Officer Andrew Barresi, a Coast Guard spokesman, said of the next pay cycle in January.

President Donald Trump has demanded a $5 billion earmark in the next federal spending bill to erect a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Until President Trump signs a federal spending bill that has passed both houses of congress, Coast Guard personnel across the country will serve without compensation.

“It’s tough,” Senior Chief Justin Longval said when no end of the month payment was in sight. Of the 25 people working under him, Chief Longval said many are married with entry-level salaries. Menemsha Coasties are paid twice a month, he said. They were last paid on Dec. 15. The high cost of living on the Vineyard already eats at their paychecks, he said. A number of his Coasties are “living paycheck to paycheck,” he said. Without month-end pay, Longval predicted several Coast Guard members could suffer delinquencies on financial obligations such as credit cards and car payments. Despite the shutdown, he said all Station Menemsha Coast Guard personnel remain on duty.

Overall, the U.S. Coast Guard is functioning in a narrower capacity, according to Petty Officer Nicole Groll.

“The Coast Guard continues operations authorized by law that provide national security, or that protect life and property during partial government shutdowns,” she said. “However, there is some impact to our day-to-day operations. We will continue to perform essential services such as search and rescue, port and homeland safety and security, law enforcement, and environmental response.”

Updated with information that Coast Guard will get final check of 2018, despite shutdown. -Ed.

46 replies on “Vineyard Coasties may go unpaid in January”

  1. hey wait just one minute here…. our service personnel are not considered essential?
    This cannot be correct. Sounds like a political spin job just to make everyone hate trump (more)
    You cannot honestly say they are on the same level as the person who answers the phone at the department of education, can you?

  3. The coast guard consist of dedicated people. They signed up for more reasons than the money. But, they work, and they should be paid. Could a trump supporter please comment here and tell these hard working dedicated people why they should not get paid ?

    1. Tell it to Schumer and Pelosi. A 4 trillion dollar budget and they cant give Trump 5 billion out of spite pure and simple. We waste billions each year on Democratic welfare and entitlement programs and Obama gave Iran billions and got nothing in return. Yes Dondondon they should get paid and they will get paid but I wouldnt lay this at the feet of Trump. Dems say no to everything Trump wants. Now they are against getting out of Syria when they were all for it with Obama.

      1. So, Andrew, I guess the part about “Mexico will pay for the wall, and “I will accept the blame for the shut down” were not truthful?

      2. For the record,the republicans have controlled the government for the last two years. To put the blame anywhere but at the feet of Trump(who claimed credit for the shutdown himself) defies reason. As too essential/nonessential. Those who are essential still work they just don’t get paid.Non essential don’t get work at all.

      3. Actually, Trump signed for $892 billion for the military in August. Trump’s wall request is a half percent of that. Let’s not miss that going into session, the GOP-led Congress was considering $717 billion for the military, a bit more than the $639 billion in the original budget.

        This is the GOP’s idea of conservative spending. And you think we should trust them with another $5 billion?

    2. In 2008 most everyone took a huge pay cut and wages still havent recovered. So if 3/4 of the government is funded and they all take a 25 per cent pay cut all these people could be paid and our budget would be balanced. It would be a win win.

  4. In the interest of accuracy, everyone WILL get paid. Congress has already agreed to that. So they get a check a week late. I’m sure they will survive. Unfortunately the coast guard is essential, and they will report to work. However the rest of the government employees who are considered ‘non-essential’ will not be showing up for work. And they will get paid. So an accurate statement that you won’t see on the fake-news media is ‘government employees will get a paid vacation until the politicians come to an agreement on the budget’.

    1. The above statement is not accurate. For example. Many low wage government workers are sub contractors and get 1099’d. This money is gone. They will not be paid.

      1. My statement IS accurate. ALL government EMPLOYEES get paid. If you are a sub contractor, you are NOT an employee. That means whatever REVENUE you get via 1099 allows LOTS of deductions for cars, phones, entertainment, and plenty of other ‘business’ expenses. So no tears shed for them. PS. IF in fact you are REALLY a LEGIT 1099 sub, that means you have OTHER sources of income and have the ability to decline an assignment.. Otherwise you are violating IRS rules. So… other than our dedicated coast guardsmen, secret service etc.. who have to work and get paid late.. the OTHERS get a PAID vacation.

        1. The number of misconceptions in your comment is impressive.Sorry but, in the real world things don’t work as you think.Due to corporate greed many people on the lower end of the wage scale are forced to become subs to find work. They have no choice in the matter. Either agree to be a sub or don’t work. As to deductions for cars etc. I fail to see how this makes up for being paid a non living wage with little recourse for the constant mistreatment at the hands of your employer. They 1099 these people to not have to pay FICA,worker’s comp and liability.

          1. Sorry in the real world an EMPLOYEE gets a W-2. A private contractor (1099) is NOT an employee. Nobody gets ‘forced’ to ‘become a sub’. We are not talking about building houses on marthas vineyard. To say that the US government acts the way a cheapskate builder on MV would not to pay FICA is ridiculous. Again. my statement is 100% accurate. Non-essential Government EMPLOYEES are getting a paid vacation, while the essential ones will get paid late. PERIOD.

  5. What a shame that Trump’s wall, ineffective and unwanted by sane people, is now being used to hurt some of the most dedicated and patriotic Americans. The Trump campaign promise that Mexico would pay for his ineffective wall was a lie, but Trump supporters don’t care. Trump just lied again when he told American soliders in Iraq that he was raising military pay by 10%. In fact, Trump lies to Americans every day and his supporters don’t care.

    1. Jackie the wall will be built and Mexico will pay for it. Money is fungible and we will get it out of Mexico through tariffs or lowered assistance or in some other financial vehicle. As for lying ”IF YOU LIKE YOUR HEALTH CARE YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HEALTH CARE AND YOU CAN KEEP YOUR DOCTOR AND YOUR PAYMENTS WILL BE LOWER’. Didnt Obama say that?

      1. Apparently reality is like money. Fungible. Tariffs are paid by those who import the goods. So if tariffs are levied on Mexican imports they are paid for by Americans.The idea that by giving someone less money you have somehow made them pay for it defies reason.”Here’s 100$.I was going to give you 200$ but, I wanted you to pay for my new jacket”. That’s not how it works.

        1. Kozak, Trump is accepting the blame for the shutdown. Mexico will pay for the wall one way or another. It will be ex post facto but they will pay.

          1. Andrew—Trump is accepting the blame for the shutdown ? is that why he refers to it as the “Schumer shutdown” ? when has trump ever accepted the blame for anything ? His motto is “the buck stops over there”

        2. Islanduh. If I give you 200 hundred this year and 100 hundred next year I have given you 100 less and therefore I am 100 richer. When I sell you something at a higher price than you expected I make more money and you make less, hence I get to keep the difference. You dont have to buy but you will so I still am advantaged.

          1. I will buy your product only if I consider it worth the price. Are you saying you have a monopoly? What if no one wants to pay your new price? How will you and your laid off employees pay for food and housing?

      2. Andrew, I can’t understand for the life of me why you aren’t bringing up Hillary’s emails as another reason to excuse Trump lies, after he announced to the entire world that he takes full responsibilty for shutting down the government. And now, after his admission, he wants people like you to blame dems and Pelosi and Schumerm and you are only too happy to comply. Why would anyone want to look as ridiculous as Trump looks? I’m baffled, but at least bring up Hillary so you can come full circle.

        1. Jackie– Give Andrew some credit– he may not have brought up Hillary’s e mails, but he did bring up the one comment that Obama made about keeping your doctor– which by the way, was not a lie, because that was the original plan, but republicans squeezed that one out of the final bill. You should hear the way Andrew defends trump’s lie about the pay raise… ( Hint– it will be 10 % spread out over 4 years, so it’s true.. )

  7. Jackie
    At the end of World War II, there were seven border walls or fences in the world. By the time the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, there were 15. Today, as President Trump pushes his campaign promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico, there are at least 77 walls or fences around the world — many erected after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon. Israel, Morocco, India and Bangladesh, Northern Ireland, Hungary–the list goes on. 51 percent of American support the Wall but I guess they are all insane and deplorable.

    1. You made a boo-boo. As recently as mid-Novemeber, it’s 41% of voters who support the wall/fence/curtain, but who cares about fudged numbers if you’re a trump supporter? Inventing YUGE numbers to mislead people is par for the course. The majority of Americans blame Trump, not dems, for the shutdown, too, just so you know. Trump promised a 30 foot, concrete wall along the entire border with Mexico, over 2000 miles, and promised Mexico would pay for it. I am sure there is a name for people who believed him. Now the baby-in-chief is having a temper tantrum and he shut down pay for government workers (merry xmas) and is threatening to close the border entirely so he can get American taxpayers to pay for 500 miles of renovated fencing and partial wall. And his supporters are still wanting to believe it’s a “wall” that will be more effective. But it’s cute that you are capitalizing the W in “wall” as if it’s a proper name for a place.

      2. Jackie– good catch on the capital “W” . perhaps he is thinking about the president nicknamed “W” or is just used to capitalizing words that do not need it — Like “god” (if it’s his god) ..

      3. Jackie did you know that Obama built a brick wall around his home in Kalorama D.C last year? Why would he do that? for what reason? would it be for safety and security> did you know that 7.6 million illegal aliens tried to buy guns this year?

        1. Obama again? Did Obama get Mexico to pay for his home security? Did it cost 50 billion dollars? Did he hire illegal aliens? Did he stiff the people who built it? You sound desperate, Andrew, having to bring up Obama as a defense for your support of lying Trump. Did you know Trump told Schumer and Pelosi that he’d be proud to shut down the goverment? Did you know he told Schumer that he wouldn’t blame him (Schumer) for it, either? It’s on video. Look it up. Then tell people again that the shut down is Schumer’s fault. Oh, also, did you know that people build tunnels under walls? There will be a compromise on this and the shutdown will come to an end. Everyone wants border security, despite the lies that Trumps tells about dems. Trump’s base will not get the 2000 foot concrete wall paid for by Mexico. Your guy lied to you because he is a liar and will say anything at anytime to suit himself, not you. Get over it and face reality.

          1. I should have known. Andrew repeated what Trump said about Obama having a wall around his house. There is no wall around the Obama residence, Andrew. There is a fence but the home is visible from the street. Lookk it up. Trump lied. You shared Trump’s lie. It’s what Trump supporters do.

        1. What a coincidence, Andrew. The same day that Trump falsely tweeted that the Obamas built a 10 foot wall around their DC home, you posted here about that “Wall” that you thought you saw in a photo from 2017 of the Obama’s entry gate and mistakenly assumed it was a wall.

    4. Andrew : East Germans built two walls: one around West Berlin, the other the length of the west border of the Soviet sector. A common view was there were two reasons for that wall: to keep East Germans in and the western economy out. What is your opinion of that wall?

      1. New Englander, the Berlin Wall and the so called Iron Curtain were barriers to keep its citizens IN. It was not a barrier to keep the west OUT since no one wanted to go to the Soviet Union and its hapless economy and terror. Trump is building a wall to keep illegals OUT and to have border safety and security. I was kept behind the Iron Curtain, became a displaced citizen and refugee and lived in refugee camps for years. I finally entered the USA legally and became a citizen 5 years later. However that wall was highly efficient. Go to the West Bank and see how one Israeli wall works and then go over to see the one with Egypt and while you are at it, look up the statistics of before and after.

        1. Hate to inform you of this, that wall was dual purpose and the other reason was like North Korea’s isolationism: to prevent western influence.

          Trump’s wall isn’t to keep out illegal immigrants, it’s against influence by any outside culture. Consider he wants to evict refugees we welcomed after South Vietnam fell. That was more than 40 years ago.

        3. Okay, Andrew, took that challenge and looked up that Israeli “security” wall. It doesn’t work as intended.
          As a personal note, the few checkpoints the IDF maintains to cross between these areas, are a joke. I am not going to list here how easy it is for Palestinians to walk through the front door, but trust me, it’s done. I wasn’t even asked for my identification, bored conscripts just assume anyone who doesn’t look Arab is safe. Yeah, the wall works.

  9. Kozak. the wall built in southern Israel with Egypt has reduced entry by over 90 percent. The wall built between Israel and Gaza strip is highly efficient. The West Bank wall has reduced terror and illegal immigration but it is true that 50000 or more Palestinians come through every day to work in Israel and the Israeli government allows it because it help the country with employment and it also helps secure stability if Palestinians are employed. You are simply making a blanket statement that the walls dont work without the specific facts. I too have been to those walls and to say they let anyone in is demonstrably false. A few years ago the Democrats supported the wall that Trump wants but they hate Trump so much they wont support it now. You know that is the shoe were on the other foot the Dems would support President Hilary with a wall.

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