Due to the sequester, some entrances to Capitol Hill Congressional building have been closed. But in a sign that these entrances are merely being closed for the theater of it all, the closed entrances are still receiving regular maintenance. Odd.
Here’s a picture of one of the closed entrances being painted:
Photo Credit: Roll Call
The closing of the entrances is merely a way to put pressure on members of Congress and their staff to reverse the sequester. Seeing this closure reminded me of something that Thomas Sowell recently wrote:
Back in my teaching days, many years ago, one of the things I liked to ask the class to consider was this: Imagine a government agency with only two tasks: (1) building statues of Benedict Arnold and (2) providing life-saving medications to children. If this agency’s budget were cut, what would it do?
The answer, of course, is that it would cut back on the medications for children. Why? Because that would be what was most likely to get the budget cuts restored. If they cut back on building statues of Benedict Arnold, people might ask why they were building statues of Benedict Arnold in the first place.
Whoever cut the number of entrances to the Capitol building knew that those cuts would be most painful to those who come and go from the building–the same people who control all Federal spending and have the power to reverse the cuts. The sequester cuts were so miniscule that it is hard to believe that in the budget where the funds for operating the entrances come from, that some other item could not be scaled back or eliminated all together. It’s hard to believe that all other waste in that budget had been found and eliminated and all that was left to cut back on was the entrances while funding their upkeep and routine maintenance…
People on Capitol Hill call a lack of doors (while keeping them in tip-top shape) sequester pain. I call it theater worthy of Tony awards consideration.
