Rubio: 'No' on spending resolution unless health care funding is cut

MIAMI (Reuters) - Tiger Woods's sharp putting helped him to a share of the five-way lead at the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Thursday after he got lessons on the practice green from one of his opponents. Woods worked with Steve Stricker, one of the game's best putters, for over an hour on Wednesday and it clearly worked as he shot a six-under 66 at Doral, with just 23 putts in his round, including a 38-footer for birdie on the fourth hole. "Whatever he says, I'm going to do. He's one of the best putters that's ever lived," Woods said after his round. ...

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No federal funding for Ohio projects if shutdown moves forward (ContributorNetwork)

GENEVA, Ohio -- Yes, the mail will still get delivered and Social Security checks will still go out should the U.S. government "shut down" Friday at midnight, but there will be plenty of things to affect Ohioans. From closed parks to delayed income tax refund checks to reduced pay for military families, the government shutdown is likely to touch most residents of the Buckeye State in one way or another.

Closing national parks and monuments

If the government shuts down, all non-essential workers--around 800,000 nationwide--will be furloughed. That means that Ohio's collection of national parks and historic sites will close indefinitely. Among these parks are the 33,000-acre Cuyahoga Valley National Park, located between Cleveland and Akron; Dayton's Aviation Heritage National Park; the First Ladies Historic Site in Canton; the James A. Garfield Historic Site in Mentor (pictured at right) and the William Howard Taft Historic Site outside of Cincinnati.

Delaying income tax refund checks

For Ohioans waiting for an income tax refund check to pay bills or do home improvements, the prospect of a government shutdown couldn't come at a worse time. The Internal Revenue Service has said that they will continue to process tax returns with payments enclosed, but will suspend processing income tax refunds. This comes at the peak processing time, just two weeks before the filing deadline. (One positive note: tax audits would also be suspended.)

Reduced pay for military families

As if Ohio's military personnel serving overseas and their families didn't face enough challenges, government officials indicate that should there be a government shutdown, military personnel at home and abroad would receive less pay than they are expecting. As reported by the Associated Press, military checks next week would be for one week's pay instead of two weeks (that they usually receive.) Among those affected would be troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and North Africa.

No federal funding for Ohio projects

Another casualty of a government shutdown would be the dozens of Ohio state projects funded by the US government. Among these are road and bridge repairs, low-income housing construction, and grant funding for public workers, like some Akron firefighters. Such projects would likely be put on hold for the duration of a shutdown..

As of Thursday morning, House Republicans are pushing for a proposal that would delay the shutdown for one week, allowing House Republican and Democrats time to come to an agreement on the new budget.

Sandy Mitchell is a Ohio resident.

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