CHEROKEE — Florida resident Joe Bresnahan was among campers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park who learned that their vacation had been cut short by the government shutdown.
He had a message for Congress.
“When everybody goes to the polls next year, if there is an incumbent, regardless of party, vote for the other person,” he said. “Get them out. Fire every damn one of them. They need to be gone.”
The shutdown caused headaches across the nation Tuesday as nonessential government agencies closed in the wake of the political impasse over the Affordable Care Act. Congress failed to agree on a budget late Monday, meaning many federal workers were off the job.
Park rangers closed Smokemont campground near Cherokee, where Bresnahan was staying, around noon.
The shutdown, which also closed campgrounds along the Blue Ridge Parkway, could mean an economic loss for places like Cherokee and Asheville that depend on tourism revenue from fall leaf-lookers and park visitors.
Cathy Latham, owner of four shops in Cherokee, said the uncertainty of the shutdown is the worst part. October is her most profitable month. About 75 percent of her customers come
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