Florida auto shop offers free or discounted repairs to federal workers during government shutdown
As the government shutdown hits just over the three-week mark with no resolution in sight, thousands of federal employees continue to work without pay. While the missed payday has added financial strain for many, one local auto repair shop is stepping in to lend a hand.
Midas Automotive Service in West Palm Beach is offering help to federal employees who are struggling to afford car repairs during the shutdown.
“The last thing I want is someone to not be able to get to work because their car broke down and compare that to putting food on the table,” said owner Ron Katz.
This isn’t the first time Katz has stepped up to support government workers. During the 35-day shutdown in 2018-19, he said the shop helped about 10 to 15 federal employees get back on the road.
“We've fixed cars for free, we've done oil changes, we helped finance people if it's a big repair. We just go above and beyond for these people who are not getting paychecks right now. I remember one lady came in with a water pump, which is a $1,200 repair, and she was working at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, and she had no way of getting back and forth. We took care of it, and it worked out with her,” Katz said. “Bring the car in and let's see what we can do to keep them on the road until they start getting a paycheck.”
Federal workers at Palm Beach International Airport say transportation costs are becoming a growing financial concern as the shutdown drags on, making small community resources like this one increasingly vital.
Katz said this time around, the shop has put a system in place to verify who qualifies for assistance.
“I am going to need to see their government ID, and I'm also going to ask for their last paycheck so I can make sure they're still employed and that it's verifiable. Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous people that would try to get repairs for free and that's not fair to us or for the other people who work for the government and who are without a paycheck right now,” Katz said.
As for who’s covering the costs, Katz said the responsibility falls on him.
“I am a franchisee; I'm paying for everything, I'll work out with the customer to figure out, depending on each repair, how it's going to be handled. But as far as when we do the oil change and it's something we can do, I will handle that,” he said.
Katz said Midas of West Palm will continue to offer help to federal employees until the government reopens.
“It's not a Democrat or Republican problem. It's a people problem right now, and we have people working who are not collecting a paycheck,” Katz said.
