I read with interest (Dennis Wyatt's Oct. 12) editorial about the 800,000 furloughed non-essential federal employees on "an extra paid vacation on our dime." 

My daughter is one of those civilian Defense Department employees.  A few facts that you neglected to mention or research:  Most if not all of these employees are in fact back on the job without pay as of a week ago, Oct. 7. While they are hoping to be eventually paid for their time on the job they are not as you say on a "bonus paid vacation." This is their second furlough this year.  

The first and unpaid furlough was part of the sequestration.  One unpaid day off per week through this past summer, which obviously calculates to a 20 percent pay cut per week.  These employees are not highly paid consultants.  They are hard-working, middle class Americans caught up in this dysfunctional government crisis.

— Mark de la Motte

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