One way in which the state of Maine might help during the federal shutdown is to provide interest-free loans to federal workers who are going without pay. These could be granted based on pay stubs, and deposited directly to workers’ bank accounts, to be repaid within a month of the end of the shutdown. This would not only meet a critical need on the part of workers, but also help ensure that those who are working without federal pay can continue to work and provide vital services.

Surely, legislation could be quickly drafted, passed and implemented to provide this assistance. The experience could be reviewed after the shutdown ends, and similar loans be incorporated as a permanent policy.

Franklin Anderson

Limerick