Shutdown has not shut off money tap for members of Congress http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/2/shutdown-has-not-shut-off-money-tap-for-members-of/ The government shutdown has placed thousands of federal workers on unpaid leave, but money is flowing to one group: Congress. Thatâs right, despite causing the shutdown in the first place, members of the House and Senate are still drawing their paychecks â and some are even going ahead with scheduled fundraisers, building up their political war chests in hopes of holding on to their jobs after midterm elections next year. âIt looks terrible to be taking care of your campaign while youâve got the government shut down,â said Bill Allison, editorial director for the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks government transparency. âThe idea that youâd be having a swank fundraiser, rubbing elbows with lobbyists and raising campaign money can really just be a terrible thing for Congress.â But that hasnât stopped several lawmakers from holding events, according to a Sunlight Foundation survey. Rep. Gene Green, Texas Democrat, held a fundraising luncheon at Tortilla Coast in Washington on Tuesday, just hours after the government officially closed its doors for lack of funding. The smallest contribution level was $1,000. If you had only $500 in your pocket, you could have gone to support Rep. Charlie B. Rangel, New York Democrat, on Wednesday night at an event hosted by several other House members...
Walker defies DC order to close down federally funded parks in Wisconsin By Rebecca Shabad - 10/04/13 02:11 PM ET Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is defying orders from Washington, D.C., to close down several state parks that receive federal funding. Despite receiving a closure directive from the National Park Service, Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has decided instead that parks partly funded by the federal government would stay open to the public. In the wake of this week's federal government shutdown, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also placed barricades by a boat launch on the Mississippi River because it was on federal land. Wisconsinâs natural resources agency reopened it. State officials said they had legal authority to remove the barricades at the boat landing because of an agreement Wisconsin has had with the federal government since 1961.... Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2...arks-remain-open-under-shutdown#ixzz2goWfiEVt Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook Good for Governor Walker. I'd like to see more and more stand up to Onazi's tyrannical rule.