+- MacResource (https://forums.macresource.com)
+-- Forum: My Category (https://forums.macresource.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: 'Friendly' Political Ranting (https://forums.macresource.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+--- Thread: US House of Representatives expels all Pages (/showthread.php?tid=121633)
Pages:
1
2
US House of Representatives expels all Pages - cbelt3 - 08-09-2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/09/us/politics/09page.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
The announcement came in a “Dear Colleague” letter to lawmakers from Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, and the House Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi of California, who said they decided to terminate the program after a review by outside consultants raised concerns about its costs and effectiveness.
- - -
I would be shocked, shocked and amazed if the cost of the 'consultants' probably did not exceed the annual cost of the Pages program.
Despite all of the scandals through the years, the Congressional Pages were a special program that enabled select young Americans the opportunity to see and participate in the workings of government. I can remember applying for the program as a teen, and thinking that it would be pretty cool. I expect my record as an environmental activist probably got my application shut down, but one never knows.
It's sad.
Re: US House of Representatives expels all Pages - Spock - 08-09-2011
Congress saving money is a bad thing?
Re: US House of Representatives expels all Pages - $tevie - 08-09-2011
In their letter released Monday, the leaders said the outside review calculated the total annual costs of the program at more than $5 million, not including capital costs associated with the page dormitory and school. The annual cost of educating each of the 72 pages runs as much as $80,000 per year, the study found — far more than college tuition.
I think that in the current economic and political climate, this is an awful lot of money to run a program which is almost totally honorary and ceremonial at this point. People love to complain about Government Waste and then when someone finds a clear case of it -- $5 million dollars a year for young people to pass documents and relay messages in the age of email and texting -- they wax sentimental.
If the alumni group really can raise the money to keep it going I would imagine that Pelosi and Boehner could be reasoned with. As it is, I think it only makes sense to kill it. There's going to have to be a lot of cuts of this nature in the coming years, so get used to it.
Re: US House of Representatives expels all Pages - Dennis S - 08-09-2011
This is misdirection to take our eyes off something else.
Re: US House of Representatives expels all Pages - Gutenberg - 08-09-2011
Congress finally gives up a perk for the privileged and politically connected, and you're upset? How Republican of you. If you think the page program allowed the spawn of the hoi polloi an entree to the corridors of power, you are dangerously naive.
Re: US House of Representatives expels all Pages - RgrF - 08-09-2011
Page labor isn't the only thing Congress sticks it's nose into. (:patriot
Next time you see a post about how awful the US Postal Service is performing, ask Congress if they are willing to give up franking privileges and rewrite the postal code so as to stop underwriting junk mail costs.
UPS and FedEx don't give media discounts, why should the USPS be required to?
Congress is our own little dirty secret, our very own whore.
Re: US House of Representatives expels all Pages - Lux Interior - 08-09-2011
Why don't congressmen use bookmarks?
They like their pages bent over.
Re: US House of Representatives expels all Pages - RgrF - 08-09-2011
Barney might agree.
Re: US House of Representatives expels all Pages - Mac1337 - 08-09-2011
I thought pagers went the way of bag phones.
Re: US House of Representatives expels all Pages - swampy - 08-09-2011
I heard that only the House was doing away with them, but not the Senate. Any body else hear this?