Grand Canyon Closed

There is a huge flashing sign that I am passing every day on my way home that says:

GRAND CANYON CLOSED. NO THROUGH TRAFFIC.

It's very strange and kind of apocalyptic in a way.

I've never seen that sign before. The Canyon is always open. If you want to go on Christmas Day, you can.

Our entire city revolves around the Canyon. People commute up to work there. A lot of the small businesses deliver their products and services up there. We have more outdoor outfitters than most cities our size because people stop here and gear up before continuing up to the Canyon. Our hotels and restaurants probably get about half of their business from tourists heading up. Our Walmarts and Sam's Club parking lots are always filled with RVs while people stock up on supplies before their trip.
People plan and book  months and years in advance to get a room, an RV spot or a camping spot at the canyon. The North Rim closes in two weeks. It's the most beautiful time of the year on that side of the canyon and no one is going to be able to see it.

What effect is the government closure going to have on our town and all the surrounding communities?

I can sum it up in one word:   HUGE.

The selfishness and stubbornness of the govt. is driving me crazy. Don't even get me started on the effect it's having on the WIC program. I might burst a blood vessel.
Closing public lands that actually MAKE money doesn't seem like a great idea. It seems like a very uneducated idea. I know the decisions on what to close and what to leave open as a necessary service are difficult, but who are we hurting here? The men who can't come to an agreement should be punished, not the working folk, small businesses and tourists.

Would France close down the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower? Did Greece close down the Acropolis when their govt took a dump? I don't think so. They desperately needed that money and so do we. The Grand Canyon is a money maker. Let's let it make money.

I'm not a huge Grand Canyon fan. It's a big hole and I've seen it a hundred times, but people travel literally from all over the world to see that hole. It's a big deal. Let's open it up and shut down DC.