Millions of "Non-Essential" Govt. Workers on Snow Day But Obama Insists Any Cut is Catastrophic?

Turns out the only "essential" workers in DC are bartenders and waiters!

Earlier this week Washington, DC had another big snow scare. The storm was named "Snowquester" since it shut down the federal government with employees labeled "non-essential" getting a paid day off. The big snow never materialized in the city with most accumulation falling to the west.

The snow scare raised another issue. In these times where Obama insists that the slightest reduction in the rate of growth of federal spending brings dire consequences how can most of the federal workforce be considered non-essential?

The Washington Post sent a reporter out into the non-blizzard to look into the issue of essential workers. The only truly essential workers they managed to find were food delivery personnel and the waiters and bartenders supplying the needs of workers taking the day off.


One young woman with a 2 year old child admitted she was a "non essential" employee of the U.S. Department of Labor. As her child began to cry she remarked “At least my kid finds me essential.”

Doesn't it make you wonder whether we could get by with fewer federal workers without causing the world to end? And what about other "non essential" federal spending? Why not cut the billions in wasteful spending that populate annual lists such as one from the Heritage Foundation? Do we really need to spend $200 million on a reality show in India? Or grants to study pig poop in China? Or a RoboSquirrel?

And what about those fancy conferences "non essential" federal employees take complete with wine tastings and "special guest chefs?"

Instead of cutting back on that, Obama insists he must close White House tours to school kids. I guess civic education and history lessons for the young are less essential than all that other non-essential essential spending!