The Great Parkway Mystery

[Anonymous]

Why are the GW and Rock Creek Parkways open? They are both operated by the Park Service. Ohio Drive and Beach Drive are closed. Is it because the rich Congresspeople from McClean and Bethesda would have a fit if their federal shortcuts were closed? Maybe NPS should close these two and open the WWII Memorial. Then we will see Congress really get a bee in its bonnet. AFter blaming the furloughed Park Rangers, maybe they would actually then do something about it.

[Anonymous]

Umm, aren't highways essential?

[Anonymous]

Umm, no. Life and limb is not at risk if you have to take an alternate route. That's the standard for essential.

[Anonymous]

The bike path along the C&O is blocked at the maryland line. Why does Obama close these thing? Is he just being mean?

[Anonymous]

Obama is not personally closing things. The National Park Service is responsible for closing the national parks.

[Anonymous]

The Park Service is part of the Executive branch. You are sadly mistaken if you don't think the administration is setting the tone for this. President could have said open WWII memorial.

[Anonymous]

No, because the government who runs the memorial is shut down!

[Anonymous]

President who gives waivers to businesses and some unions for ACA can certainly give a waiver for an open air memorial.

[Anonymous]

The waivers to large corporations and unions are fine because the corporations and unions, by and large, are already insuring their employees and members.

[Anonymous]

And, an open air memorial does not require a barricade.

[Anonymous]

I know let's have a vote on it. Minority wins?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Park Service is part of the Executive branch. You are sadly mistaken if you don't think the administration is setting the tone for this. President could have said open WWII memorial.

He did open it, to veterans coming via HonorFlight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And, an open air memorial does not require a barricade.

This "open air" argument, I really don't understand. Do you believe that just because a monument is located outside, instead of in a building, that there are not costs (and employees) involved in its operation, upkeep and maintenance? That these monuments are completely self-sufficient, not just on an hourly basis, but on a daily, weekly and monthly basis? That once they are built, there are NO costs associated with keeping them in good condition and safe?

[Anonymous]

Trash is piling up at Haines Point. NPS has tried to close it, but many people are ignoring it.

[Anonymous]

This was from a news article back in 2011, when a government shutdown was possibly in our future.

http://wamu.org/news/11/04/08/dc_roads_will_be_hit_hard_by_government_shutdown.php

One piece of good news: drivers won't need to worry about the biggest NPS-maintained roads. The four major parkways in the D.C. region — the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Rock Creek Parkway and Suitland Parkway — will stay open during a shutdown. That’s according to Park Service spokesman Bill Line.

But other surface roads within the parks will likely be closed, Line says. Those include Beach Drive, Anacostia Drive SE and Fort Dupont Drive SE in D.C., as well as roads in Great Falls Park, Manassas Battlefield Park and Prince William Forest Park in Maryland and Virginia.

In Rock Creek Park, for example, only four of the many roads through the park are expected to be open during a shutdown: Rock Creek Parkway, Military Road NW, Tilden Street NW connecting to Park Road NW, and Porter Street NW connecting to Klingle Street NW.

[b]In general, the final say on whether a specific road through a park will be closed lies with the superintendent for each individual park, according to Line. Be alert for barricaded roads whenever driving through any National Park Service areas during a government shutdown.

Line also says it’s possible parts of Constitution and Independence Avenues in D.C. will be closed, although that’s less likely, he adds. All local roads in D.C. would remain open.

U.S. Park Police will be patrolling the park roads that remain open, according to Line.[/b]

I'm thinking in the future if we have any government shutdowns, the NPS list every possible monument, memorial, and highway that could be shut down, and require Congree to sign off on each individual one. No shutdown of the government until they can agree on which monuments, parks, and roads get shut down in a Shut Down. 'kay?