Covered at Reason 24/7: White House May Reverse Decision on Suspended Tours

Reason 24/7

Remember the sequester? It's in effect but the effects so far have been far from the dire scenarios predicted by President Obama and his administration. The largest outcry so far has been over the suspension of the White House's self-guided tours (estimated savings: about $74,000 a week). The president may now apparently reverse his decision.

From Fox News:

In the face of a public outcry, President Obama opened the door in an interview broadcast Wednesday to resuming White House tours -- after they were suspended in a decision purportedly meant to save the Secret Service money while it deals with sequester cuts. 

The decision, announced earlier this month, was decried by Republican lawmakers as over-the-top and unnecessary. School groups and others who had planned to visit the White House got disappointing news when the tours ceased this past Saturday -- a group of sixth graders in Iowa even took to Facebook to vent their frustrations in a widely viewed web video. 

The federal government spends more than $100,000 a second on average.

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Comments

[The Late P Brooks]

$74k? Holy fuck. They spend more than that to go out for cheeseburgers.

What a fucking clown show.

[Anonymous Coward]

$74,000. American dollars.

Just to compare:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/.....le/2510864

the rail service lost $84.5 million alone on its food and beverage services in 2011.

That's some pretty rarified air (and not in a good way) you breath when you're incompetent enough to LOSE money on running a snack bar.

[LTC(ret) John]

And with a captive audience too.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

Have you ever been to an Amtrak snack bar?

No, I'm still amazed, because captive audience + outrageous prices mean you should be making money even on terrible, terrible food. I guess they are paying the guy who microwaves your cheeseburger a living wage though or something.

[Killazontherun]

Not only have I never been at an Amway snack bar, I have never been in an Amway coach, nor have I gazed directly at an Amway transport going by lest it taint my vision. There is a monocle ap for that, you know.

[John]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....ml?hpid=z1

Looks like that whole Washington Monument strategy isn't working out so well.

[Paul.]

That article is pretty depressing. If you read it carefully, majorities of Americans both disapprove of the budget cuts growth dampening, and would like congress and the president to hold hands, stare longingly into eachother's eyes, and restore the cuts debt throttle to 'full speed ahead'.

[Paul.]

Americans largely support the administration's stand on new measures to curb gun violence, but on basic trust on the issue, the president and Republicans in Congress fare about evenly.

Please don't post any more WaPo polls, John. I'm depressed enough as it is.

[R C Dean]

I would say that Youtube of the kids whining about "the White House is our house" embarrassed them, but I don't think they are capable of embarrassment.

[alan_s]

I'm sure they're all being raised to have zero self respect. I'm eternally greatful to my parents that I didn't spend my childhood in public schools.

[Question of Auban]

I love it when socialists claim that government property is "ours". I reply "so, can I sell my part of it?"

[LTC(ret) John]

It appears these self-referential "Covered at Reason 24/7" posts will be a daily occurrence, yes?

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

It looks like they're making an effort to being the 24/7 feed more into the stuff we, you know, actually read.

[Shine on, Nikki Diamond]

*bring

[wareagle]

how does anyone NOT burst out laughing, or cying, every time that fucker speaks. Good lord; how the dogwashers keep polishing this turd is beyond mystifying.

[The Late P Brooks]

It appears these self-referential "Covered at Reason 24/7" posts will be a daily occurrence, yes?

You have only yourself to blame, for not fully embracing 24/7 of your own free will.

[c3po]

Did no one point out to him the obvious, that canceling WH tours would blow up in his face? Or did they try to tell him, and he ignored them?

[Tim]

Taking the kids hostage usually works. Like when the local school board loses a vote on a tax increase and they immediately announce that they will have to remove all the seats from all the busses.

[Paul.]

Look, guys, Obama had to cut something, and he sure wasn't going to cut $250,000,000 in aid to Springtime for Arabs Central Egypt.

[Randian]

It's pure and simple petulance combined with an obsequious media.

[Question of Auban]

A family friend said the Blue Angels were also suspending flights. So ? all manner of government propaganda has been halted. I hope this goes on longer!

[Killazontherun]

So the White House tours come out of the Secret Service hooker stash, who knew?

[CampingInYourPark]

"White House: Tours are 'labor intensive operations,' will remain closed"

"'These are labor intensive operations that require thousands of man hours by the Secret Service,' Carney said, 'and the decision was made that given the unhappy set of choices sequester presented to the Secret Service, that this was the best option.'"

http://dailycaller.com/2013/03.....z2NRTTGwBB

[Brandon]

Why not just charge for them? How many people per week do they get for that 74k?