Anxious citizens pay the tab during federal budget squabble

For Kelley Franks, the 11th-hour deal to avoid a government shutdown was preceded by anxiety for her family.

That’s because Franks has four sons in the military, three of whom have seen combat in Iraq č twice.

Last week, Franks called the Washington Daily News to express fears her sons already had lost some of their pay because of a shutdown that appeared imminent.

That didn’t set well with her, she said, and people in the White House and Congress were to blame.

“I’m beyond-livid mad,” Franks said. “It’s just not the military, it’s teachers and law enforcement. They always cut them back on the wrong things, but still they’re living a life of luxury.”

Asked how she’d like to see the big players in Washington, D.C., tackle deficit reduction, Franks pointed to the players’ own bottom line.

“Personally, if you ask me, I think they need to do some cutbacks to the people themselves that work in the White House,” she said. “Cut back their pay.”

But a government shutdown was avoided. Franks’ sons didn’t lose their pay.

Catherine Fodor, spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., said Jones’ staffers personally researched Franks’ issue, adding someone from the congressman’s district office contacted the Beaufort County resident.

“A lot of things are up in the air,” Fodor acknowledged, soon after saying Jones’ staff had pledged to work without pay in the event of a shutdown.

For millions of other public employees, and ordinary residents in the private sector, budget-induced angst lingers, and grows.

Teachers and teacher’s assistants are fearful of losing their jobs.

Local taxpayers are tense because the Beaufort County commissioners could raise the property-tax rate, though that’s not certain at this point.

Amid all the hand-wringing at home, North Carolina’s two U.S. senators issued statements that read like sighs of relief after a temporary deal was brokered in the nation’s capital.

“Last night, Congress avoided an irresponsible government shutdown,” U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., said Saturday. “Now Democrats and Republicans must work together to chart a new, bipartisan course that puts our fiscal house in order.”

“I applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming together to make real spending cuts and prevent a government shutdown,” said U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.

“Our national debt has surpassed $14 trillion and we currently borrow 41 cents of every dollar we spend. We cannot continue to ignore the severity of our financial situation and the need to spur private sector job growth in order to get our country on the right track.”

But questions linger: What would you cut to achieve budget savings? What service would you scale back? Who would you lay off? Whose job would you eliminate?

These questions haunt officials from the halls of Congress to City Hall.

It appears there are no easy answers.

To Franks, though, some decisions are easy, like supporting America’s overburdened military in a time of war.

Even getting close to a situation where her sons would lose their paychecks was a step too far for Franks č an insult to the troops.

“Don’t cut back things that are going to crush us,” she said.

Kelley Franks’ military-aged sons

• Cory Paniagua

Age: 27

Army – Fort Bliss, Texas

Rank: Staff sergeant (E6)

Time in service: Six years

M-1 Abrams tank system maintainer

Deployments: Iraq – 2006 and 2009; Afghanistan – August 2011

“Cory joined the military because he wanted to make a better life for his family.”

• Brandon Paniagua

Age: 26

Army – Fort Rucker, Ala.

Rank: Second lieutenant (O1)

Time in service: Nine years

Job: Aeromedical evacuation officer (helicopter pilot)

Deployments: Iraq 2003 and 2006

Afghanistan – Spring 2012

“Brandon wanted to join after 9/11 because he wanted to serve and protect the freedom of his family.”

• Michael Paniagua

Age: 23

Air Force – Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

Rank: Staff sergeant (E5)

Time in service: Five years

Combat airman skills trainer

Deployments: Iraq 2007 and 2009

“Michael joined the Air Force because he really enjoyed ROTC and wanted a good life for his family.”

• Dominic Franks

Age: 20

Army – Fort Lewis, Wash.

Rank: Private 2nd class (E2)

Time in service: Six months

Horizontal construction engineer

Deployments: Afghanistan July 2011

“Dominic joined the military because it (was) something he always wanted to do and to keep the family tradition going.”

Biographical information courtesy of Kelley Franks.