Yesterday, Dick Durbin took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to berate the people who live and work in Washington, D.C.  Durbin’s purpose was to merely draw attention to… Dick Durbin, by capitalizing on the fact that Federal offices in D.C. were shut down for four days due to back-to-back snow storms.  Unfortunately, these kinds of political gimmicks are effective among the uninformed, those who are not familiar with the details behind the stumping propagandists.  Once upon a time, “journalists” might have exposed the subterfuge, but we all know that will not happen to Democrat Durbin… and this is why we blog.

Durbin’s remarks were obviously tied to the government shutdown, and by commenting on the alleged behaviors and attitudes of individuals, he purposely impugned the character and work ethic of every person who lives in the D.C. Metro Area and is employed by the Federal Government.  Here, you can learn the rest of the story and how the “Liberal” Ass Holes roll.

The greatest irony is that Durbin, along with every Democrat and many Republicans on “The Hill,” is a significant leader of the parade to encourage, teach, coerce, and force individuals into ever-increasing dependence upon government for every function of life. Every Social Engineering and Socialist agenda item designed by Washington politicians is first and most completely imposed upon the “Washingtonians.”

It was not individuals who determined, of their own volition, to take a few days off from their Federal jobs.  This was a decision made somewhere within the bowels of the Federal Government itself, by an office funded by the U.S. Congress, an office that has as one of its assigned duties to tell people when to not report to work.  At any moment in time, one can visit a web page of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to determine the GOVERNMENT POLICY for that day as it relates to Federal workers.  For each of the days of February 8, 9, 10, and 11, OPM promulgated the GOVERNMENT POLICY that Federal offices would be closed due to the weather.

As is always the case with snow and the functions of modern civilization, the most significant challenge is transportation.  As a result of many factors, on any perfect weather day, the D.C. commute is one of the most difficult in the country.  Ah, but we have government solutions to those challenges: subsidized public transportation.  A significant number of D.C. commuters travel to work via the Light Rail of the DC Metro trains.  Many others travel via “Heavy” rail commuter trains.

Both rail options are subsidized by Federal dollars, appropriated by the U.S. Congress, for their capitalization and operations.  Several years ago, as a Social Engineering initiative, the Federal Government began to also subsidize (at a partial rate) Federal employees for their purchase of tickets to ride these rail systems (same for Metro buses as well).  Certainly, one intention is to get cars off the roads in order to lesson traffic congestion.  Perhaps a noble idea, but, as usual, executed poorly since subsidies always decrease incentives for real improvements in efficiency.  So, the rail systems are subsidized through two portals into their balance sheets: first, through direct infusions, and second, through transfer payments in the form of subsidized tickets for Federal employee riders.  These are heavy incentives for Federal employees to become solely dependent upon these transportation modes to get to work.  To use other means would put them and their families at an economic disadvantage.  There is one more twist of Big Government dependency before we get to the punch line.

As part of the Obama “Stimulus” plan, the subsidy to Federal employee rail riders increased to 100% of the ticket price.  Yes, dear private sector tax payer, to “stimulate the economy,” the Obama administration took more money out of your pocket in order to support larger transfer payments to Federal employees who hold the most secure jobs on the planet.  This is not chump change.  Subsidies to individual riders consist of amounts around $200 per month for each rider.  If you work for the Federal government, in D.C., there is a free ride.

Now, back to the story.

The Federally subsidized Metro trains are incapable of operating in the snow.  When snow of more than a few inches accumulates, above ground operations of the Metro are suspended until work crews manually clear the tracks.  Metro tracks in the city center are below ground and may continue to operate, but the greatest utility of the Metro system is to provide transportation from the inner suburbs into the city.  On snow days, this is a complete FAIL.

For the heavy rail commuter trains, decision makers within the Federally subsidized entities chose to contribute to the shut down of the city.  Heavy rail has a long history of working well in wintry conditions, if the operators chose to operate.  However, the management of the Virginia Railway Express (VRE), and Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) entities, citing the OPM decision to shutter Federal offices, chose to not operate their trains on each of the government snow days.  With these decisions, and because many private sector employees ride the rails at their own expense, the Federally subsidized heavy rail operators expanded the impact of the snow to include private sector and other non-Federal workers who normally use the commuter train.

Those who absolutely had to get into the city had no other option than to take to the roads, roads that were clogged with snow.  Many of the roads were certainly impassable by the cute little Politically Correct putt-putt cars that Dick Durbin and his party would limit us to.  Further, for the commoners, there is no place to park in D.C., especially when every on-street parking spot becomes a snow storage location.  Drive to work?  Don’t even go there!

Meanwhile, where the real people live (the little people, that is), neighbors were helping neighbors dig out.  Those who own 4X4 trucks and SUVs were helping others out of snow drifts, standing ready to transport others in cases of emergencies, and plucking “walkers” from the middle of the roads to safely carry them to where they were trying to go.  Amazingly, all of this happens without government direction, control, or funding.

Supposedly, the U.S. Senate has a reputation for ultimate polite discourse among mortal enemies who spar over government policy that will lead America either to prosperity or ruin.  However, in Dick Durbin’s moral and political calculus, respect and politeness are not things to be extended to the American people, particularly when the little people can be used as the fall-guys, derided and put down in order to make Durbin look big.

People; please look beyond the superficial “for-TV drama” that Durbin and his cohorts promote.  Work to select men and women of character to represent you in our Republic.  Please send the thugs, bullies and Statist sycophants packing.

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