Congressman Confronts Park Ranger

[dentarthurdent]

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/lo...226209781.html

Republican Randy Neugebauer, who voted to delay the Affordable Healthcare Act, confronted a park ranger over people who weren't World War II vets not being allowed into the closed World War II memorial (the Park Service was, earlier, allowing WWII vets in, saying it fell under the first amendment).

From the article:

""How do you look at them and... deny them access?" said Neugebauer....<snip>

"It's difficult," responded the Park Service employee.

"Well, it should be difficult," replied the congressman...<snip>

"It is difficult," responded the Park Service employee. "I'm sorry, sir."

"The Park Service should be ashamed of themselves," the congressman said.

"I'm not ashamed," replied the ranger."



I just...this fills me with rage.

[Greenday]

Park gets shutdown because the government can't get their shit together. Then a Congressman gives a park ranger crap for not being open and tries to blame the park ranger for it?

[mikoyan29]

Park gets shutdown because the government can't get their shit together. Then a Congressman gives a park ranger crap for not being open and tries to blame the park ranger for it?

Sounds about right.

It sounds roughly like the Republican line these days.....they want their cake and eat it too. They want low taxes but they also want all the nice toys for the military. They want low taxes but will bitch about the roads. They want tax reform as long as it doesn't affect the parts they like. They sound like the hippies from the sixties that would pay a percentage of their tax arguing that they were paying for the parts of the government they like.

[Panacea]

I'm sure what the park rangers WANTED to say to the Congressman was, "I'm not ashamed sir, but you should be."

[Andara Bledin]

Well, some of the crowd yelled at him about how she was only doing her job. The moment he realized that the crowd wasn't going to rally behind him bullying her, though, he quit the field. Grandstanding coward.

[Rapscallion]

The fact that he thought he had a valid point to make is disgusting. I can't see this and the other shite the GOP are perpetrating as being their death throes, but you've got to wonder what people have to do to become unelectable in the US.

Rapscallion

[Andara Bledin]

I'm thinking that if we treat our mentally unstable, it might all just sort itself out in the wash... >_>

[mikoyan29]

Well, some of the crowd yelled at him about how she was only doing her job. The moment he realized that the crowd wasn't going to rally behind him bullying her, though, he quit the field. Grandstanding coward.

Yeah, imagine that, she's doing her job. It would be nice if he would do his job instead of berating park employees. I wonder who else he bullies....

[HYHYBT]

you've got to wonder what people have to do to become unelectable in the US.

No amount of horrible governing seems to do it, but misuse of a Twitter account is another story.

[Tanasi]

While there's plenty of blame to go around the park ranger isn't one to blame and the congressman should have known that. I do think he was making a play for the press and it seems to have back-fired on him a little.
What I know is that several memorials and tourist sites are normally unmanned like the WWII and Vietnam memorials as well as the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. So why were gates hauled in to block off these sites???
I think the Obama administration did it for not other reason that to piss off folks hoping they'll blame the house republicans. What the congress-critter should have done was shake the rangers hand and say "I know you're only doing your job as order by the President" and then patted her on the back and walk away.
Most of GSM-NP is still open but those parts are also unmanned and folks around here would push the barriers out of the way if they were put in place. The park service can't charge to use the park here so they're really not needed except for their visitor center and LE duties, but the local counties SOs do most of that anyways. I've heard that Cade Cove is closed from the Townsend entrance but the cross-country motor trails are still open.

[lordlundar]

What I know is that several memorials and tourist sites are normally unmanned like the WWII and Vietnam memorials as well as the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. So why were gates hauled in to block off these sites???

Not visible does not mean unmanned. Between security and maintenance crews there's a number of employees around that wouldn't be there in a shutdown scenario.

[Andara Bledin]

As regards places being closed:

What a lot of people fail to realize is that the staff do a hell of a lot more than just serve the people who interact with them directly.

At the very least, they prevent mischief by 1) their very presence and 2) being able to call security when that's not enough.

[Hyena Dandy]

What I know is that several memorials and tourist sites are normally unmanned like the WWII and Vietnam memorials as well as the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. So why were gates hauled in to block off these sites???

Those aren't unmanned. They still have operating costs. You have people cleaning stuff up, you have security, you have plainclothes guys trying to watch out for terrorist attacks. My dad's with the park service, and the truth is, it takes a lot of money to run something that's 'unmanned.' And, under the 1870 Antideficiency act (The reason that shutdowns occur) it's a federal crime for an official to spend money not related to "emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property,"

While the opening of these monuments to the public is a good thing for all Americans, and the Vietnam War and WWII memorials are vital to our history and a good thing... You need to make a hell of an argument that keeping them open is an emergency involving the safety of human life and protection of property. Gates were hauled in for "the protection of property" part.

[mikoyan29]

While there's plenty of blame to go around the park ranger isn't one to blame and the congressman should have known that. I do think he was making a play for the press and it seems to have back-fired on him a little.
What I know is that several memorials and tourist sites are normally unmanned like the WWII and Vietnam memorials as well as the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. So why were gates hauled in to block off these sites???
I think the Obama administration did it for not other reason that to piss off folks hoping they'll blame the house republicans. What the congress-critter should have done was shake the rangers hand and say "I know you're only doing your job as order by the President" and then patted her on the back and walk away.

The Government is shut down. And it is pretty much due to the House Republicans. And I can't see Congressman Bully doing that anyway.

[Gravekeeper]

I think the Obama administration did it for not other reason that to piss off folks hoping they'll blame the house republicans. What the congress-critter should have done was shake the rangers hand and say "I know you're only doing your job as order by the President" and then patted her on the back and walk away.

I'll add that to the list of ridiculous Obama conspiracies. Did you come up with that yourself or did you get it from Fox? -.-