By: Daniel Nardini
I myself have not had a vacation in five years. It will probably be longer before I have any money to go anywhere for anything resembling a vacation. Our neighbors John and Laura cannot think of having a vacation. They have two boys to support and money is still a big issue (especially when one of their sons needs a whole bag of medications for health conditions I will not go into). Our other neighbors Steve and Lori are on welfare and barely eating at all. Their kids are working, but even then things are pretty rough for them trying to pay their utility bills and car insurance. Then there is Joe at the deli store. His business is fortunately doing well—people after all need to eat, especially during breakfast and lunch times. Since many of his customers are people going and coming back from work, he has no end to demand. Plus he is a great guy in my book. Sadly, he cannot think of taking vacation time either. He may have the money but he definitely does not have the time. Now that I think about it, I do not know of too many people personally who can take vacation time when they want and when they can afford it.
This is especially true now in these economically stressed times when many people consider themselves lucky to have jobs at all. So I find it sick and disgusting that U.S. President Barack Obama and his family and congressional officials can take vacation time when they want and let the whole country go to hell in a hand basket. While the sequestration cuts are still kicking in and affecting the lives of ordinary Americans, the politicians can go wherever they want, and enjoy what they want to do whenever they want. Obama’s family this year went to the Bahamas for vacation. Fine, they had fun. But look at what is happening to millions of Americans! Not only are they unable to have fun, but they are struggling to live and take care of their families. Members of Congress can likewise go wherever they want, and enjoy all kinds of privileges we cannot even begin to dream of. While they have had no problem letting Americans suffer from sequestration cuts and losing their jobs or benefits, they have money to go where they want and do what they want. What is worse is that they are able to go when the country needs these clowns to do things to keep the country running.
Their pay is immune to sequestration cuts, and so are their benefits. The president’s pay and benefits are also immune from sequestration cuts. Fine, the politicians pay for their own vacations basically (but not entirely) out of their own pockets. But they have money—funded from our tax dollars—to do this. The politicians claim that they must do what they must as part of their work schedule. That argument may have worked in, say, 1948, when we had only telephones and radios. Now we have high-speed Internet, smartphones, and iphone computers where things can be done in minutes and hours that once took days or weeks. Politicians can communicate with their constituents more directly and instantly than was possible over 60 years ago. But what is troubling is that the politicians, or most of them in Washington, D.C., do not seem to be interested in sharing the same amount of sacrifice that ordinary Americans must endure because we have no choice. Since their vacation times are considered a part of their work, these politicians get paid for it—whether it deals with the national interest or their own. While the average American is supposed to get 14 days of vacation time a year, and then in too many cases not even that, the politicians get time off whether they do anything for this country or not. If there is any suggestion I can make to those who are supposed to be our representatives, I advise them to be more conservative in how they spend their money. Maybe they can travel locally or see tourist attractions in their state. Maybe they can travel by more modest means, and show to ordinary Americans they are actual human beings. The politicians should keep in mind that they are in office to serve the people. They can do well by helping to make vacation time a right so that ordinary Americans will not be worked to death.
Vacation Time of the Politicians
By: Daniel Nardini
This is especially true now in these economically stressed times when many people consider themselves lucky to have jobs at all. So I find it sick and disgusting that U.S. President Barack Obama and his family and congressional officials can take vacation time when they want and let the whole country go to hell in a hand basket. While the sequestration cuts are still kicking in and affecting the lives of ordinary Americans, the politicians can go wherever they want, and enjoy what they want to do whenever they want. Obama’s family this year went to the Bahamas for vacation. Fine, they had fun. But look at what is happening to millions of Americans! Not only are they unable to have fun, but they are struggling to live and take care of their families. Members of Congress can likewise go wherever they want, and enjoy all kinds of privileges we cannot even begin to dream of. While they have had no problem letting Americans suffer from sequestration cuts and losing their jobs or benefits, they have money to go where they want and do what they want. What is worse is that they are able to go when the country needs these clowns to do things to keep the country running.
Their pay is immune to sequestration cuts, and so are their benefits. The president’s pay and benefits are also immune from sequestration cuts. Fine, the politicians pay for their own vacations basically (but not entirely) out of their own pockets. But they have money—funded from our tax dollars—to do this. The politicians claim that they must do what they must as part of their work schedule. That argument may have worked in, say, 1948, when we had only telephones and radios. Now we have high-speed Internet, smartphones, and iphone computers where things can be done in minutes and hours that once took days or weeks. Politicians can communicate with their constituents more directly and instantly than was possible over 60 years ago. But what is troubling is that the politicians, or most of them in Washington, D.C., do not seem to be interested in sharing the same amount of sacrifice that ordinary Americans must endure because we have no choice. Since their vacation times are considered a part of their work, these politicians get paid for it—whether it deals with the national interest or their own. While the average American is supposed to get 14 days of vacation time a year, and then in too many cases not even that, the politicians get time off whether they do anything for this country or not. If there is any suggestion I can make to those who are supposed to be our representatives, I advise them to be more conservative in how they spend their money. Maybe they can travel locally or see tourist attractions in their state. Maybe they can travel by more modest means, and show to ordinary Americans they are actual human beings. The politicians should keep in mind that they are in office to serve the people. They can do well by helping to make vacation time a right so that ordinary Americans will not be worked to death.