Government shutdown would hit Bay Area tourism, impact Fleet Week
SAN FRANCISCO -- There are many layers to the looming government shutdown and its potential impact with Fleet Week is just around the corner.
National parks across the country including San Francisco's Crissy Field need the manpower of volunteers to keep them as pristine as possible for visitors.
Kevin Marks is doing his part.
"Confetti and paper has been left all over the place so I think we did a pretty good job of cleaning up," said Marks.
It's not just federal employees who will feel the pinch. There's a domino effect that would impact businesses, and even groups like Kevin's company that set up a beautification and cleanup effort months in advance with the National Parks Service.
"If we had no rangers here available to guide us in and monitor our work, we wouldn't be able to do this valuable nonprofit activity," said Marks.
Gates are still open for pedestrians as of Thursday, but that could change. Everyday citizens are losing faith in a government that works for them.
"I think it is just symptomatic of this general polarization in the federal government right now. There's no ground that could be reached," said Marks.
With San Francisco's Fleet Week all but set to launch on Oct. 2, a shutdown would impact scheduled events including the Blue Angels.
"You should be down on the Marina Green where the festivities are all going to be there. And regardless of the presence of the federal government the fleet week airshow is going to happen. It's gonna be a heck of a lot of fun," said Fleet Week association Executive Director Lewis Loeven.
For Kevin and his team of volunteers, they're seeing how the work of so many can disappear.
"There's no one to clean the restrooms. There's no one to staff the food vendors. There's no one to just do general cleanup," said Marks.
If the shutdown comes this weekend, 3.5 million federal employees won't be getting paychecks.
