Government Shut Down

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by glatt

It's very interesting to me how this veterans turned away at the WW2 memorial site has resounded with Republicans.

I wonder why this large group of WW II vets happen to pick that day to visit?
Smells like teaparty to me.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I wonder why this large group of WW II vets happen to pick that day to visit?
Smells like teaparty to me.

I don't think it's (all) due to the TeaParty... My wife has been taking
physical therapy for knee surgery, and several weeks ago she told me
that a elderly man in her PT group had been offered an "honor flight" to
DC (i.e., $ free) to visit the Memorial.

Besides, the TP'ers don't strike me as being that public spirited.
I think they are just taking advantage of a coincidental situation.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Looks like you're right, they're just opportunists, using the vets.

Numerous members of Congress were on hand Wednesday, ushering in dozens of veterans visiting the nation's capital through Honor Flights from Illinois and Missouri.

"We talked as members about making sure there were enough of us down here so we could get them in," said Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.

The National Park Service tweeted that the veterans would be able to see the monument that honors them. "The Honor Flights are being granted access to the WWII Memorial to conduct 1st Amendment actives in accordance with NPS regulations — Carol B Johnson (@NationalMallPIO) October 2, 2013"

Almost daily the Honor Flight Network brings groups of World War II veterans to the memorial.

[Lamplighter]

The government shut down is causing safety inspections to be omitted.

Washington braced for a prolonged shutdown, the first in 17 years,
this week after members of Congress failed to pass a budget.
The closure has affected the workforce of many climate and energy programs.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for one, lost more than
90 percent of its employees, disrupting monitoring of air and water quality
as well as potentially setting back efforts to advance the president’s climate plan.

Soon we will see industries burning off their wastes that otherwise
they would have to pay to process in hazardous waste disposal sites.

On top of that, brazen criminals are breaking federal laws by
tearing off the tags from their mattresses.

Oh, the humanity... think of the children

[xoxoxoBruce]

Campground and hotel reservations inside Yosemite were no longer being honored; visitors were issued refunds and told that they could no longer enter the park.

Authorities walked through the cluster of campgrounds in Yosemite Valley and told everyone remaining that they needed to leave the park by 3 p.m. Thursday. Hotels will serve breakfast to remaining guests Thursday, then begin shutting down.

Wednesday afternoon, Curry Village on the valley floor was almost deserted. It was silent, except for the sound of squirrels, birds and wind rustling through the trees.

Small rescue teams will still be available; this is a popular time of year for climbers to scale the park's famous "big walls," such as the monolith known as El Capitan. There will still be hikers in the backcountry for days to come; most were warned before leaving that a government shutdown was possible. And basic services — a market, a post office — will still be available to park employees who live there. "But the park will be closed," Gediman said.

link