*UPDATED* The List: Unnecessarily Shut Down by Obama to Inflict Public Pain
by John Nolte
While
our president still enjoys his essential employees and locations: the
White House chefs, Camp David, and a military golf course, there doesn't
seem to be any question that in mercenary pursuit of a political win,
this White House is determined to unreasonably punish as many everyday
people as possible. And this includes children sick with cancer. That
might sound like hyperbole, but it is not.
Although
Barack Obama's chefs have been deemed "essential," employees at the
National Institutes of Health who offer last-chance experimental cancer
treatments for children suffering from cancer have not. Worse still,
House Republicans have offered to compromise with the president and single the NIH out for funding. The White House has threatened a veto.
Using
children sick with cancer as pawns is community organizing on steroids.
And the media are covering for him. When the media thought they could
emotionally blackmail the GOP with these sick children, telling their
story was all the rage. Now that it is Obama and Senate Democrats
wrist-flicking refusing treatment for these children, suddenly the media
aren't too interested in telling their story.
There
are many other examples of this president's cold-hearted fanaticism and
willingness to punish people for reasons that seem to have much more to
with spite than what is and is not "essential." In fact, there are a
number of examples where Obama seems to be spending more money and using
more resources to close and block and inconvenience than to just leave
it alone.
The
media may or may not report on these individual occurrences, but what
they will never do is provide the American people with the full context
and scope of Obama's shrill pettiness.
Below
is a list of illogical, unnecessary, and shockingly spiteful moves our
government is making in the name of essential and non-essential.
This list will be regularly updated, and if you have something you feel should be added, please email me at jnolte@breitbart.com or tweet me @NolteNC.Please include a link to the news source.
--
1. Treatments for Children Suffering From Cancer -
The GOP have agreed to a compromise by funding part of the government,
including the National Institutes of Health, which offers children with
cancer last-chance experimental treatment. Obama has threatened to veto
this funding.
2. The World War II Memorial -
The WWII memorial on the DC Mall is a 24/7 open-air memorial that is
not regularly staffed. Although the White House must have known that
WWII veterans in their eighties and nineties had already booked flights
to visit this memorial, the White House still found the resources to
spitefully barricade the attraction.
The
Republican National Committee has offered to cover any costs required
to keep the memorial open. The White House refused. Moreover, like the
NIH, the GOP will pass a compromise bill that would fund America's
national parks. Obama has threatened to veto that bill.
3. Furloughed Military Chaplains Not Allowed to Work for Free - Furloughed
military chaplains willing to celebrate Mass and baptisms for free have
been told they will be punished for doing so.
4. Business Stops In Florida Keys - Although
the GOP have agreed to compromise in the ongoing budget stalemate and
fund the parks, Obama has threatened to veto that funding. As a result,
small businesses, hunters, and commercial fisherman can't practice their
trade. While the feds have deemed the personnel necessary to keep this
area open "non-essential," the "enforcement officers" to ensure no
business is done are "essential."
5. Obama Blacks Out Sports, Entertainment Programming to Overseas Troops -
The American Forces Network (AFN) that provides American sports and
entertainment programming to our troops stationed abroad, has been shut
down. For some reason, though, AFN News will still broadcast news, just
not any of the popular and fun stuff.
Camp David is essential, but popular programming for heroes overseas is non-essential.
6. Obama Closes D-Day Memorial - The
GOP have offered to compromise and fund the National Parks. Obama has
said he will veto this compromise legislation. As a result, along with
24 other military cemeteries, the D-Day memorial in Normandy has been
barricaded.
7. Obama Tries to Close Privately-Funded Mt. Vernon -
Although George Washington's Mt. Vernon estate is privately funded, the
feds blocked visitors from entering the parking area because the Park
Service maintains the lot. Apparently, the New Media publicity resulted
in the feds backing down.
8. Obama Closes Over 100 Privately-Managed Parks That Cost No Money to Run -
The U.S. Treasury actually makes money from the rent paid by a private
company that "employs about 400-500 camp workers and managers across
about a dozen states." No federal money is used to operate these parks.
No federal employees are used to staff these parks. Taxpayers make a
profit from these parks. Still, Obama had them closed and as a result
400-500 employees and a private business are taking it in the neck.
9. Obama Closes Self-Sustaining Colonial Farm It Hasn’t Supported Since 1980 - "For
the first time in 40 years, the National Park Service (NPS) has finally
succeeded in closing the Farm down to the public. In previous budget
dramas, the Farm has always been exempted since the NPS provides no
staff or resources to operate the Farm.”
10. Obama Tries to Close State-Run Parks in Wisconsin -
"The park service ordered state officials to close the northern unit of
the Kettle Moraine, Devil's Lake, and Interstate state parks and the
state-owned portion of the Horicon Marsh, but state authorities rebuffed
the request because the lion's share of the funding came from state,
not federal coffers."
11. Obama Closes Vietnam Memorial - The
GOP have passed compromise legislation that would fund national
memorials and parks, and open them to the public. Obama threatened a
veto. Apparently, the "essential" government employees are those
erecting barricades, not those who could keep the memorial open.
12. Obama Closes Privately-Owned Hotel, Police Block Parking Lot -
"The operator of a 51-room inn located on U.S. government-owned land in
North Carolina abandoned his defiant stance on Thursday to keep the
property open despite being ordered to close as part of the federal
government shutdown."
October
is this inn's prime season. The GOP have offered compromise funding
opening the parks. Obama said he will veto that compromise.
State troopers blocked customers from entering the inn's parking lot.
13. Park Service Ranger: 'We've Been Told to Make Life As Difficult For People As We Can' - “It’s
a cheap way to deal with the situation,” an angry Park Service ranger
in Washington says of the harassment. “We’ve been told to make life as
difficult for people as we can. It’s disgusting.”
14. Obama Forces Residents Out of Private Homes -
"The government shutdown is being felt close to home for some locals.
They say they're being forced out of private homes on Lake Mead because
they sit on federal land."
The GOP have agreed to fund the parks. Obama has threatened a veto.
15. Acadia Park In Maine Shut Down -
'"We’ve been training for two years at CrossFit for this hike — no
kidding,” Hart said. She added that the shutdown should be as
inconvenient for the Washington politicians who caused it as it is for
average citizens.'
The GOP have agreed to fund the parks. Obama said he will veto.
16. Historic Restaurant Open During Last Shutdown Forced to Close -
"An iconic Philadelphia restaurant has been forced to close its doors
and turn away booked parties because of the government shutdown. …
"Restaurant
public relations director Molly Yun said they were notified there was a
possibility a closure might happen, but they were allowed to remain
open during the last government shutdown 17 years ago."
The restaurant is part of the federal park system, which the GOP have agreed to fund. Obama said he will veto the funding.
17. Obama Shuts Down a Road Tha Goes Through CO Park: "The
Forest Service announcement, in turn, led the Pitkin County
commissioners to order that Maroon Creek Road be shut down at the height
of the colorful leaf-changing season. Ahead of what is to be one of the
busiest weekends of the fall, the road is to be closed to vehicles at
T-Lazy-7 Ranch, pending a resolution to the government shutdown."
The GOP have agreed to fund the parks. Obama said he will veto that compromise funding.
18. Residents Plan Protest of Cape Hatteras Closing -
"Businesses and residents on the Outer Banks have planned a peaceful
protest of the closure of Hatteras Island's beaches due to the
government shut down.
"The U.S. House Wednesday passed a measure to reopen national parks and monuments. It will now go to the U.S. Senate."
In
the unlikely event the Democrat Senate passes the bill, Obama has
threatened a veto of any compromise legislation opening the parks.
19. Obama Blocks People From LOOKING at Mt. Rushmore -
"Blocking access to trails and programs at South Dakota’s most popular
attraction was one thing, but state officials didn’t expect Congress’
budget stalemate to shut down a view of Mount Rushmore.
"The
National Park Service placed cones along highway viewing areas outside
Mount Rushmore this week, barring visitors from pulling over and taking
pictures of the famed monument.
The
cones first went up Oct. 1, said Dusty Johnson, Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s
chief of staff. The state asked that they be taken down, and federal
officials did so with some of them. The state was told the cones were a
safety precaution to help channel cars into viewing areas rather than to
bar their entrance."
20. Crucial USDA Websites Taken Down -
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture has turned off its entire website
in response to the government shutdown, leaving farmers, reporters and
others with no way to access any of the agency's information online. …
"USDA's
total website shutdown goes far beyond the response of other federal
agencies, and seems to be part of an effort to make people feel the
effects of the shutdown. Thursdaymorning calls to USDA's press office
seeking an explanation were not answered."
This website is down and yet the ObamaCare and White House websites are up.
21. St. Louis Gateway Arch Closed - The GOP have agreed to compromise legislation funding the parks. Obama has threatened a veto.
22. Park Shutdown Bounces Rowers from Potomac - "The ripple effect of a government shutdown has pushed rowers from the Potomac River.
"Multiple
high schools rent space at the Thompson Boat Center in Georgetown. But
like other places controlled by the National Park Service, it
closed Tuesday morning."
The GOP have agreed to compromise funding opening the parks. Obama has threatened a veto.
23. Thompson Boat Center Closed In DC - The GOP have agreed to fund the parks. Obama said he will veto.
24. Obama Closes Military Commissary -
"Military members, veterans and families who shop at local tax-free
store are shocked to discover the store's doors locked; no progress to
end stalemate in Washington."
While
the government has deemed the White House chefs "essential," working
class military personnel have lost their tax-free store privileges.
Military personnel and their families tell me that they have never lost these privileges in previous shutdowns.
25. Arizona Offers to Fund Grand Canyon, Obama Says 'Drop Dead' -
"Obama has ordered the Grand Canyon to stay closed, even after the
state of Arizona and local businesses have offered to cover the costs
necessary to keep it open. In other words, the shutdown isn’t about the
money — it’s about hurting the American people just because he can."
26. Amber Alert Website Taken Offline - CNN reported that bad press was a factor in the site going back up.
Why
would White House chefs and Obama's golf course be categorized as
"essential," while the government classified as "non-essential" the
Amber Alert website?
Of course, this is the same Obama threatening to veto cancer treatments for children.
27. Miramar Air Show Canceled With One-Day Notice -“The
emotional and economic impacts of losing this year’s event are great,
and I’m extremely disappointed in the political dysfunction that brought
us to this point,” Gloria said.
"Proceeds from the event go to programs that support families of military personnel, he said."
28. At Start of Peak Season, Shutdown Closes Peaks of Otter Lodge -
"Although the Blue Ridge Parkway remains open to travelers, the Peaks
of Otter Lodge cannot stay open while the National Park Service is not
operating during to the government shutdown. With no Congressional
compromise reached by the end of the day Monday, the lodge’s restaurant
shut down and guests were given 48 hours to find somewhere else to
stay."
The GOP have agreed to compromise and fund the parks. Obama has threatened a veto.
29. Federal Prison Guards Not Getting Paid, Inmates Are -
"Most of the employees at the federal prison in Forrest City are
working without knowing when they will get a paycheck because of the
government shutdown, but some of the inmates who get paid for the work
they do inside will have no problem collecting their money."
30. Family that Paid $2,000 for Permit Not Allowed to Raft - "Sorry for the inconvenience," it read.
That's when rangers told them they wouldn't be able to put in on the river the next day, despite having paid $2,000 for a permit to do so. The news was shattering, Scott Lee said.
The GOP have agreed to fund the parks. Obama has threatened a veto.
31. Although Privately Funded, Historic Ford's Theater Closed -
"Ford's Theatre, which is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization,
does not use any federal funding or federal employees for its
performances. During previous government shutdowns, the theatre has
continued performances."
32. King Crab Season Threatened by Government Shutdown -
"The Alaska king crab season is set to start soon, but all the fishing
boats will have to stay docked because the government must sign off on
permits and quotas.
"Fisherman stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars unless lawmakers make a compromise."
Obama's golf course is open. So is the website for Michelle Obama's "Let's Move."
33. Children Might Lose School Lunches -
"Minnesotans are adjusting to the partial government shutdown, but if
it lingers too long, there is a chance the 300,000 kids who rely on free
or reduced lunches at school could go hungry."
The White House chefs have not been furloughed.
34. Feds Shut Down Major Roadway, Puts Children's Lives at Risk - "Nearly
a third of Blount County is inside the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park. So when the federal government shut down the park, it also shut
down one of the area’s chief sources of revenue.
"The
children live in the eastern Tennessee community of Top of the World –
serviced by School Bus 49. Normally, the bus travels along the Foothills
Parkway. Other roads leading to the isolated mountain community are
impassible by bus.
"“It’s
dangerous,” said Nancy Kemp, the spokesperson for Blount County
Schools.”It’s very curvy and straight up the mountain. It’s just not a
safe route.”"
The GOP have offered compromise legislation funding the parks. Obama has threatened a veto.
35. Road to Brasstown Bald Closed During Peak Season -
"It's not unusual for the road to the top of Brasstown Bald, the
highest point in Georgia, to be closed in the winter months but in early
October, with "leaf-looking" season just around the corner?
"The
Georgia Department of Transporation (GDOT) announced Monday, though,
that it is, in fact, closed. Why? At the request of the U.S. Forest
Service and because of the government shutdown. The forest service
operates the facilities on top of the mountain as well as the visitors
center at its base."
The GOP have offered compromise legislation to open the parks. Obama has threatened a veto.
36. Columbia Island and Washington Sailing Marina Closed -
Email from reader: "My husband received an email from WSM saying that
boat owners could only go to their boats to remove items. If they leave
the slip with their boat they are not allowed to return to their (paid
for) slip the government re opens."
37. IRS Collections Operational, Taxpayer Advocate Office Closed - Per an email from reader.
38. Eleven Hundred Square Miles of Florida Ocean Closed -
Email: "You omitted the ban on Florida charter boat captains taking
fishermen into an 1,100 square mile section of ocean of the coast of
Tampa. Apparently, government resources patrol it."
39. Iwo Jima Memorial Closed, Barricades Erected -
"Another open-air memorial in the Washington area is closed and
barricaded off: the Iwo Jima Memorial, just across the bridge from D.C.
in Rosslyn, Virginia. A source sends along this picture of the barricade
set-up at the memorial, which is also called the U.S. Marine Corps War
Memorial."
40. Police Remove Vietnam War Veterans at Memorial Wall - "Via William Jacobson, NBC's
affiliate in Washington, D.C. reports that police ordered tourists and
Vietnam war veterans who were visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Wall to leave the memorial at one point on Friday."
41. Shutdown Denies Death Benefits to Families of Fallen Soldiers -
"The families of five U.S. service members who were killed over the
weekend in Afghanistan have been notified that they won't be receiving
the $100,000 benefit normally wired to relatives within 36 hours of the
death. The “death gratuity” is intended to help cover funeral costs and
help with immediate living expenses until survivor benefits typically
begin."
42. Priests Risk Arrest for Offering Sacraments to Catholic Troops During Shutdown -
"Some Catholic priests under contract or GS (general schedule) to the
military are not allowed to offer the Catholic sacraments--including
saying Mass, consecrating marriages, or performing baptisms--on military
property during the government shutdown, and if they do, even on a
volunteer basis, they risk being arrested, according to the general
counsel for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA."
Meanwhile, the White House chefs, Obama's golf course, and the First Lady's "Let's Move" program remain essential.
43. Priest: Obama Admin. Denied Mass to Catholics -
"Apparently, a priest was denied access to a military chapel this
weekend. Father Ray Leonard serves at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in
Georgia but because of the government shutdown, he wasn’t allowed to go
to celebrate Mass this past weekend.
"He
is contracted by the Defense Department to meet the spiritual needs of
Catholics, but not now. The chapel doors were locked and the sign said,
“Shutdown: No Catholic service till further notice.”"
44. Yellowstone: Tourists Locked In Hotel Under Armed Guard Thought They Were Under Arrest -
"Vaillancourt was one of thousands of people who found themselves in a
national park as the federal government shutdown went into effect on
Oct. 1. For many hours her tour group, which included senior citizen
visitors from Japan, Australia, Canada and the United States, were
locked in a Yellowstone National Park hotel under armed guard."
45. Man Jogging in National Park Fined $100 -
"A Pennsylvania man who went jogging in a national historic park was
slapped with a $100 fine because the area was closed due to Washington’s
budget impasse, he said Tuesday."
46. Private Restaurant Owners Defy Govt. Shutdown Order, Fed Drop Hammer -
"After a two-day return, the Cliff House will be forced to close
again on Wednesday, and according to the restaurant, will remain closed
for the duration of the shutdown."
47. NIH Stops Therapy Dogs from Visiting Sick Children - "It should be noted that on the list of
the top 1000 salaries in the federal government in 2011, 23 of the top
28 were officials at the National Institutes of Health; all made over
$290,000 per year."
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Thursday, October 10, 2013
RESTORE AMERICA 10/10/2013 (lengthy)
Submitted by: J
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