Despite worries of a federal government shutdown at the beginning of next month, local politicians and SIUC professors say government services in Carbondale probably will not be interrupted.

Lucinda McKinney, an assistant political science professor said the different agendas of the Republican-led congress and Clinton may spur the president to veto bills that he believes cut too deeply into government spending.

She said if these bills do not pass, money will not be available for many federal agencies, causing them to shut down.

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John Jackson, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said temporary shutdowns or train wrecks, as they are called in Washington, have occured before in the Reagan and Bush administrations and usually last only a day or two before compromises are reached.

Ultimately, the federal government cannot stay shut down, he said.

Simon said he thinks there will probably not be a shutdown of Carbondale government agencies, which would occur when continuing resolutions failed to pass.

I would say that’s a possiblity, not a probablity, he said.

McKinney said when train wrecks occur, continuing resolutions, which fund agencies at or around their previous budgets, are used to run operations on an interim basis until a compromise is reached.

If the agencies were shut down, she said the consequences could be quite serious.

(Government) Workers could be sent home and offices might not have the money to buy pencils, she said. Social security would probably not be affected, but there might be a delay in foodstamps.

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U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill., said he believes continuing resolutions will be needed to keep the government running.

I think there is a probablility better than 50-50 we’ll have a confrontation in some areas, he said.

The nation’s new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, but Brian Lott, press secretary for U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., said the U.S. House and Senate have only agreed on one of the 13 major spending bills. Even if the two reach agreements on the bills, the appropriations would still be subject to the president’s scrutiny.

Both McKinney and Lott said they think congress will have the bills ready for Clinton and that any stalemate will be between the president and congress.

Simon said the fight between the president and congress could take a while to resolve.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we ran on continuing resolutions until Dec. 1, Simon said.

Simon’s spokesman, David Carle, said college financial aid and the Direct Student Loan program are items that congress and the president disagree sharply on. White House officials saidClinton will try to drum up support for the Direct Student Loan program during his visit to the SIUC campus next week.

Simon said only time will tell whether there may be an interruption of federal services.

No one knows for sure.