THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 19, 1996 TAG: 9601190024
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
While several hundred thousand federal employees were not allowed to work and earn a paycheck, our deadlocked budget talkers took a holiday, with full pay and probably expenses. Some of the talkers even had the audacity to present a bill asking the employees to work without pay!
While these same talkers were vacationing in Florida and other warm spots, our servicemen and ladies were suffering the frigid temperatures of Bosnia.
While these same talkers enjoy the best medical coverage that taxpayer money can purchase, they argue about how much reduction they can make in both Medicare and Medicaid costs! They never mention sharing cutbacks that have to be made to trim federal costs.
Is Congress sincere? Having voted itself sizable salary increases while most taxpayers' earnings are down; having included in the congressional-salary bill protection against work freezes and salary stoppage; having established for themselves pension and medical coverage that is the envy of most Americans, members of Congress take time out for rest and recreation!
There can be only one sensible conclusion to their decision to take a vacation at this time. Their vacation from Washington ought be to a permanent one.
MARK SCHNEIDER
Virginia Beach, Jan. 2, 1996 by CNB