Anonymous wrote:What is closed and what is open seems to be completely arbitrary. The GOP might have a point about this. Closing the three parking spots at Tulane Drive on the GWP is as dumb as it gets.

I agree -- I think NPS has done a poor job of communicating ahead of time what will be closed, and of having the reasons behind its decisions made known.

It's unfortunate that the closure of parks and monuments is the first visible sign of the shutdown, so they've been in the hotspot.

They might be able to do a better job of communicating if they weren't, you know, shut down. I'm pretty sure their communications people, whoever they are, are non-essential.


The whiners who say, the President shut down this, the President shut down that--you need to understand: when you shut the government down, stuff, you know, shuts down.

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NIH isn't turning away 200 patients a day who need experimental treatment to score PR points. They're doing it because a minority in Congress decided it was more important to make sure Americans who don't have health care stay without health care than it is to let NIH patients get potentially lifesaving treatment (and the 3 million other things that the US government does).

i am assuming the reason for the barricades was because of this idea I am reading and hearing over and over again -- that these open air monuments are not really things that are ever "closed" and therefore, a simple sign saying "closed to visitors" won't be enough. Obviously, a metal barrier or some caution tape doesn't actually deter anyone -- it's not a tall locked gate, nor is it barbed wire or snarling guard dogs. But most law abiding citizens look at a metal barrier and think -- oh -- they really mean "closed".

I do hear you and understand the concern about being disrespectful to elderly veterans, but have you considered that OTHER government services that had to be curtailed also likely affect elderly veterans? For example Meals on Wheels being cut off from funding... not because the administration wants to be disrespectful to the elderly, but because Congress didn't approve the budget so money could be dispersed?

I am reading news reports that many Meals on Wheels programs get the majority of their finding from the federal government, and if funding isnt authorized soon, they only have a week or two of reserves before they will need to curtail or cancel services.

Not only that, but there have been cuts to programs like Meals on Wheels due to sequestration and funding that has not kept up with inflation. There's an issue of concern, that surly affects some of our elderly veterans as well as other elderly; and I hope your concern over respect for our elderly extends to them.

I think you are seeing deliberate disrespect, when what happened was the government had a shut down, and in the process, memorials, and lots of other things, were in fact, shut down. Get the government back to work, and get funding back in motion, so these programs can be funded and ALL our elderly can have help.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Actually, closing the WWII Memorial involved staff being sent there to put up the barricades. I have never seen barricades at night or on weekends at any monument, ever, unless there was some construction happening. "Closing" the open air monuments was a conscience decision by the administration.
Some idiot 20-something in the White House probably said to close the WWII Memorial but didn't realize how unbelievably disrespectful it would be to our elderly veterans and that it would make their man look even worse. idiots, all of them.

They don't close them because they have staff there at night. The NPS does a fantastic job of picking up trash on the mall every single day. I illegally went through Hains Point today and there were places were trash was accumulating even when it is closed. If it were open with no trash pick up, it would be a huge mess.

By the way, not only is the WW II memorial closed. The whole mall is supposed to be closed.

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.

Actually, closing the WWII Memorial involved staff being sent there to put up the barricades. I have never seen barricades at night or on weekends at any monument, ever, unless there was some construction happening. "Closing" the open air monuments was a conscience decision by the administration.
Some idiot 20-something in the White House probably said to close the WWII Memorial but didn't realize how unbelievably disrespectful it would be to our elderly veterans and that it would make their man look even worse. idiots, all of them.

PP again -- obviously I meant 24 hours later, not 224!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Uh, no he did not. The vets had to push past the Barrycades.

Right, but 224 hours later this was ordered:

Hundreds of veterans are being granted access to the shuttered World War II Memorial on the National Mall Wednesday, a day after members of Congress pushed aside barriers to allow another group inside.

The mall's memorials are closed as part of the government shutdown, with barricades placed around them after the government shutdown took effect at midnight Tuesday.

But the National Park Service said Wednesday that it's allowing access to WWII veterans -- many of whom are in their 80s and 90s, with some in wheelchairs -- so they can exercise their first amendment rights, reported News4's Mark Segraves.

The memorial remains closed to the general public.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Monuments-Closed-Shutdown-Vets-Allowed-into-Closed-World-War-II-Memorial-226152471.html

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.

The height of hypocricy was when some of the publicity-whore Teaparty congressmen rushed from the Hill to the WWII memorial, when they were the ones that have put us in this mess. Evenn by the bloviating standards of today's Twitter-blow-dried poliics, it was breathtaking.

Anonymous wrote:https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BVws4O-CAAExiJA.jpg:large

must see picture

Would have been better if they stormed the Rayburn building.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BVws4O-CAAExiJA.jpg:large

must see picture

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Uh, no he did not. The vets had to push past the Barrycades.

14:52 How would you know the OP "Keeps finding ways to complain about McClean" if you don't know how to spell it?

I hope it's just the OP who keeps finding ways to complain about McClean. I never see this except for DCUM.

Anonymous wrote:What is closed and what is open seems to be completely arbitrary. The GOP might have a point about this. Closing the three parking spots at Tulane Drive on the GWP is as dumb as it gets.

I agree -- I think NPS has done a poor job of communicating ahead of time what will be closed, and of having the reasons behind its decisions made known.

It's unfortunate that the closure of parks and monuments is the first visible sign of the shutdown, so they've been in the hotspot.

What is closed and what is open seems to be completely arbitrary. The GOP might have a point about this. Closing the three parking spots at Tulane Drive on the GWP is as dumb as it gets.

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

Get some Tea Partiers to go clean it up. They seem to think there's no cost to keeping parks open.