Anyone else (possibly) getting a mandatory vacation come Tuesday?

[regexcellent]

Uh no they didn't negotiate which is why you are claiming Obama has a spine now. If he were negotiating in good faith he would do the smart thing and offer to delay the individual mandate by a year (oh no we don't collect the $75/year from people without insurance). That would be a huge political victory for him but he's too ****ing stupid to take it. I bet he pays sticker price on his cars.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yep, the Dems haven't compromised at all.

While I am glad Obama and Reid have gained a spine; its sad that the spine stiffening comes AFTER they've given so much. At least they won't give any more, thank God.

[Sava]

Don't bring facts into this discussion Imran. Those talking points just feel good.

[The Mad Monk]

A few days ago, a joke...



Today, not a joke...

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 Mad Monk]

Blue Ridge hotel defies Park Service shutdown

By Stephen Dinan

The Washington Times

Friday, October 4, 2013

UPDATE:


Park rangers on Friday were turning away people who want to visit the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway in an effort to enforce the National Park Service’s decision to shut down the private establishment during the government shutdown.

Inn owner Bruce O'Connell confirmed to The Washington Times that rangers were parked at the entrance to his inn and denying people entry — a move which Mr. O'Connell said makes it much tougher if the rangers had to respond to an accident or another safety call elsewhere on the parkway.


The Pisgah Inn, a private hotel that holds a concession on the Blue Ridge Parkway, has become a national sensation as it defies “intimidation” and a National Park Service order to close its doors.
Park rangers on Friday were turning away people who want to visit the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway in an effort to enforce the National Park Service's decision to shut down the private establishment during the government shutdown. A Times reader sent in photos of the rangers blocking the entrance. (Image provided by Sloane Salzman)


Park rangers on Friday were turning away people who want to visit ... more >

After a tumultuous few days, inn owner Bruce O'Connell told The Washington Times on Friday morning that he had just reopened his doors for customers, despite the park service telling him he had to shut down. He says he’s essentially private property, on a road that’s still open, and uses no government personnel, so he sees no reason to quit operating.

“I’m questioning their authority to shut me,” Mr. O'Connell said.

The National Park Service is involved in several high-profile battles during the shutdown, including having barricaded open-air monuments and memorials in Washington. Veterans busted through barricades at the National World War II Memorial earlier this week, gaining national attention.

But the Park Service closures extend throughout the country, shuttering parks — and many of the private businesses that run concessions in them, such as City Tavern in Philadelphia, and Nauset Knoll Motor Lodge on Cape Cod.

Pisgah Inn, which Mr. O'Connell described as one of the last mom-and-pop places along the Blue Ridge, is just southwest of Asheville, N.C. And while most national parks are closed, the Park Service has deemed the Blue Ridge Parkway a thoroughfare and has left it open.

Mr. O'Connell said since the road is open, and he uses no federal personnel — even his fire and police services would come from town — he isn’t drawing on federal resources and sees no reason he should have to shut down.

Michael Litterst, the Park Service’s chief spokesman, said they have no choice but to shut down concessions.

“It’s a matter that we consider the National Park System to be a single entity, and without an appropriation, the entire system is closed and cannot reopen until funding is restored,” he said. “We do not believe it is appropriate or feasible to have some parts of the system open while others are closed to the public.”

Mr. O'Connell said he made the decision to keep open early in the week, posting a Facebook message saying he was doing so for the safety and health of those traveling the parkway. But on Thursday, he reversed his decision and said he would close. By Friday morning, he said he had reversed course again and was reopening.

“The level of intimidation and coercion became such that we backed down. Then after sleeping on it, our own convictions took front and center and we decided to reopen,” he said.

Asked about the intimidation, he said that may be too strong a word, but “when you’ve got uniformed rangers directing you to cease operations, that’s what I call intimidation.”

He said he didn’t question the rangers, who he said were doing their jobs, but did question the way the park service handled it. He said he never heard from the park superintendent nor has he gotten a certified letter, but rather was sent an email from someone in the park business office telling him to close.

“I don’t even know it’s official,” he said.

The park superintendent’s office didn’t return a message left seeking comment on Friday.

For Mr. O'Connell, the fight is about taking a stand.

“If not now, when? If not me, who?” he said.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...rvice-shutdown

Google Map, so you can see where this is and how close it is to the main thoroughfare.

[Sava]

9 million people being affected by programs that stop giving food assistance to the poor... including Meals on Wheels which services 500,000 veterans.

And Republicans care about parks.

This is why you fail.

[Captain ******* Kirk]

Yep, the Dems haven't compromised at all.

I hope this isn't directed at me, as I pretty clearly just criticized the Republicans for not entering budget negotiations with the Democrats after the Senate finally passed its first budget in four years.

[DinoDoc]

Yep, the Dems haven't compromised at all.

While I am glad Obama and Reid have gained a spine; its sad that the spine stiffening comes AFTER they've given so much. At least they won't give any more, thank God.

Given how this has drawn out, they are going to have to give more given how close we are to the debt ceiling. It might be time for the President to dust off the report he previously ignored from the Bowles-Simpson commission. A week ago they probably could have been bought for scrapping the medical device tax and a removal of the Congressional exemption to Obamacare.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I hope this isn't directed at me, as I pretty clearly just criticized the Republicans for not entering budget negotiations with the Democrats after the Senate finally passed its first budget in four years.

No, not everything is about you .

[regexcellent]

Sava the issue with the parks is that it's childish bull**** by the National Park Service that amounts to openly admitting that it's not interested in actually fulfilling its mission, only retaining its employees. It's actively trying to prevent people from enjoying parks outside of its remit purely as a matter of protest. That's wholly inappropriate for a government agency. It's also a completely transparent means by which the administration is trying to actually make the shutdown affect people, since fairly few people outside of Washington or a few niche sectors of the population are experiencing any consequences at all. It's a desperate bid to make people actually give a **** about not having a funded federal government when it turns out that almost everything the government does just doesn't ****ing matter.

Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and the military, which are the four largest segments of the budget and make up something like 70% of total spending are continuing as normal. The remainder is mostly stupid pork bull**** and programs that shouldn't exist. So who gives a ****? Not me.

[DinoDoc]

Sava the issue with the parks is that it's childish bull**** by the National Park Service ...

According to the Park Service, the orders for this childishness came from the WH.

[Dinner]

Link? Hopefully from a creditable source.

[MrFun]

Sava the issue with the parks is that it's childish bull**** by the National Park Service that amounts to openly admitting that it's not interested in actually fulfilling its mission, only retaining its employees. It's actively trying to prevent people from enjoying parks outside of its remit purely as a matter of protest. That's wholly inappropriate for a government agency. It's also a completely transparent means by which the administration is trying to actually make the shutdown affect people, since fairly few people outside of Washington or a few niche sectors of the population are experiencing any consequences at all. It's a desperate bid to make people actually give a **** about not having a funded federal government when it turns out that almost everything the government does just doesn't ****ing matter.

Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and the military, which are the four largest segments of the budget and make up something like 70% of total spending are continuing as normal. The remainder is mostly stupid pork bull**** and programs that shouldn't exist. So who gives a ****? Not me.

Why aren't you just as passionately angry about food stamps cuts, and cuts for veterans?

[regexcellent]

According to the Park Service, the orders for this childishness came from the WH.

Well I guess it's childish bull**** from the White House then. Throwing a temper tantrum because Congress won't give 'em a credit card.

Why aren't you just as passionately angry about food stamps cuts, and cuts for veterans?

I don't care about food stamps and the VA is still running, not to mention that veterans' benefits are way higher than they reasonably should be. They take workman's comp to an absurd extreme.

[-Jrabbit]

OBAMA ORDERS DRONE STRIKES ON REMAINING WW2 SURVIVORS!

Says "the first step is in play, getting them all to show up at the war memorial in protest."
He then plans to use the money saved by not paying their social security, medicare and veterans benefits to balance the budget.