Congress' Members-Only Gym Deemed Essential, So It Remains Open During Government Shutdown
from the out-of-touch dept
While the government shutdown continues, I've joked that it seems like all of the parts of the government that I think should be closed have remained open, while the parts that I actually find useful seem to have been shutdown. The whole "essential" vs. "non-essential" distinction often seems fairly arbitrary. Now, ThinkProgress has shown what may be the most ridiculous of all: the "members-only" gym for Congressional Representatives has been deemed "essential" and thus remains open. Apparently the gym for Congressional staffers is different, and that one is closed. But, of course, the Members get special treatment, and that includes having a nice clean gym while the rest of the country suffers.So in case you were wondering if the government shutdown was cutting into your Reps' treadmill time, rest assured that your taxpayer dollars are helping to keep them in shape.A House aide confirmed to ThinkProgress that the House member’s gym is open. The House gym features a swimming pool, basketball courts, paddleball courts, a sauna, a steam room and flat screen TVs. While towel service is unavailable, taxpayers remain on the hook for cleaning and maintenance, which has been performed daily throughout the shutdown. There are also costs associated with the power required to heat the pools and keep the lights on.
According to the aide, the decision to keep the gym open — even while other critical government services were shelved — came directly from Speaker Boehner’s office. Meanwhile, the staff gym available to Congressional staff has been closed.
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Filed Under: congress, essential, government shutdown, gym
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I mean... no towel service!!! That's a horrible punishment for a bunch of rich spoiled congress people used to aides and servants doing that kind of stuff for them!
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-- George Orwell, Animal Farm
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* you're
* they're
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http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/shutdown-congress-staff-paid/index.html
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Yes their salaries don't suffer any interruptions in this congress term anything they do however would affect the next.
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Replace everything they do with alternatives created by the people, reducing your dependency on their "services", make them irrelevant, do not waste this opportunity to do it.
Observe where it affects you and find alternatives so you don't ever again need to endure such nonsense.
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About the government shutting down, people are looking at this in the wrong light.
This is an opportunity, this is not bad at all.
The more it extends the more you can see what was really essential and what was dead weight, what people should concentrate to create private alternatives.
Yes it may be painful in the short term but long term this is just great.
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If one desires a law to be revoked, they need to get a majority to support the effort and get their new law passed.
The idea that, out of all past legislation, they get to pick and choose what to fund and what to not fund is contrary to what was intended and certainly results in voter disapproval.
Possibly your post was sarcasm?
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Re: Private Alternatives
Why?
Because none of the MIC companies works on a non-profit basis.
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Gosh, this is SO techy! And what an exclusive!
Meanwhile, this sounds LOTS more exciting:
Bald eagle terrorizes neighborhood, attacks pets...
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non-essential = anything the American people depends on.
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Bend over
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Re: Bend over
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Oh yeah take that!
Seriously, I bet some of the congress critters use that facility to shower.
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Re: Oh yeah take that!
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Re: Oh yeah take that!
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They have to!
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The truth about Congress
"He think his life if very precious, it is not precious to me -- he may return to that vile dust from which he sprung, I do not care."
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But of course
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