Editors' Notebook

As the markets open this morning, the country is already beginning to feel the pinch of the government shutdown thanks to the complete lack of the most basic sense of national duty held by our duly elected officials.

This shutdown has already stopped a number of USDA-collected reports that, in one form or another, feed tables and information pages you're used to finding on DTN products. When those who collect the information are furloughed, the information can't be collected or shipped down the cyber roadway. Hopefully this will be but a temporary issue.

Our open market system depends on access to market information. We'll continue to provide what is available.

We're also learning from entities such as the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) which services will continue and which will be on hold.

I can only assume our frustration is shared by that of the USDA folks who'd rather be doing their jobs right now. Sure, we can scoff that they're out partying given the time off, but anyone who's been through something like this knows that forced time away is only frustrating, made more so by the items piling up on desks that will have to be dealt with when individuals return to work. So I'd suspect there will be some ripples in information availability, and reliability, once things get back on track.

In the meantime, all of us at DTN sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. But I, at least, will make no excuses for the incompetence of those who led us into this mess.

A full list of government contingency plans, including those for various USDA departments, is at

http://www.whitehouse.gov/…

(AG)

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