Topic: Website Budget

Federal employees on furlough, including Department of Defense police and system administrators, are reportedly unable to update government websites during the shutdown. A report from KSBW in Salinas claims the shutdown costs the U.S. government $12.5 million per hour or $300 million per day. The hosts analyze the math behind a reported $16 billion weekly loss, questioning how laying off staff increases government expenses.

The Internal Revenue Service's $320 million budget to upgrade its website is criticized as excessive, especially since basic functions like electronic filing already exist. The hosts contrast this spending with the $660 million cost of handling 22 million phone calls. Additionally, a clip of Congressman Mel Watt is played to illustrate the lack of technical understanding among members of the Intellectual Property subcommittee.