One of the latest cuts due to the sequester: No more White House tours until further notice.
“Due to staffing reductions resulting from sequestration, we regret to inform you that White House Tours will be canceled effective Saturday, March 9, 2013 until further notice,” an email from the White House Visitors Office reads. “Unfortunately, we will not be able to reschedule affected tours.”
While canceled White House field trips will surely disappoint hundreds of school children, the government still seems to have enough money to hire other new employees.
The U.S. Forest Service advertised as recently as Monday for “recreation aides.” The Internal Revenue Service needs a new secretary. The U.S. Mint requires 24 new staff members to make coins, and if you wanted to grow bollworms in Arizona, the Agriculture Department is looking for three “insect production workers” right now.
So, claiming the government can’t afford staff to lead White House tours seems suspicious.
The federal government cutting out something that affects average Americans, such as the White House Tour, is most likely a ploy to fire up people about the sequester.
Maybe the POTUS could just charge citizens $500,000 for White House tours to pay for the staffing requirements.
