Some of you may be surprised to learn this, but even though U.S. Rep. Julia Carson has been dead for more than two months, you are still funding a full-time congressional staff for her in Washington, D.C. and here in Indianapolis at her 300 East office in the self-named Julia Carson Government Center. Supposedly, these staffers are hard at work helping with constituent matters. But they also seem to have a lot of time on their hands to troll the Internet to view political blogs. In particular, they are looking at political blogs like this one that are writing about the 7th District congressional district race and the candidate they hope will win and save their jobs for them, Andre Carson. On a day when the Carson campaign was using a reliable Star reporter to do a hit piece on Carson's special election opponent, State Rep. Jon Elrod, based upon a surrepticious videotaping of Elrod by a long-time Carson dirty tricks operative, taxpayer-paid Carson congressional employees were busy logging into this blog site, representing 2% of the nearly 2,000 hits this site has received already today. And the Democrats want to talk about ethics. Does anyone believe these taxpayer-paid staffers are doing anything on our dime other than working for the election of Andre Carson so they can keep their jobs?
Thursday, February 14, 2008
What Have Carson Congressional Employees Been Up To?
Some of you may be surprised to learn this, but even though U.S. Rep. Julia Carson has been dead for more than two months, you are still funding a full-time congressional staff for her in Washington, D.C. and here in Indianapolis at her 300 East office in the self-named Julia Carson Government Center. Supposedly, these staffers are hard at work helping with constituent matters. But they also seem to have a lot of time on their hands to troll the Internet to view political blogs. In particular, they are looking at political blogs like this one that are writing about the 7th District congressional district race and the candidate they hope will win and save their jobs for them, Andre Carson. On a day when the Carson campaign was using a reliable Star reporter to do a hit piece on Carson's special election opponent, State Rep. Jon Elrod, based upon a surrepticious videotaping of Elrod by a long-time Carson dirty tricks operative, taxpayer-paid Carson congressional employees were busy logging into this blog site, representing 2% of the nearly 2,000 hits this site has received already today. And the Democrats want to talk about ethics. Does anyone believe these taxpayer-paid staffers are doing anything on our dime other than working for the election of Andre Carson so they can keep their jobs?
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27 comments:
Nicely done AI. What say you, Carson camp?
1. They are not Carson employees but employees of the Clerk of the House doing constituent service for the 7th District.
2. There were 40 hits from house.gov (which literally has thousands of PCs) but were they from 7th CD computers?
3. The 7th C.D. employees have been instructed sternly to avoid any participation in the Special Election.
4. It wasn't me that made the tape. I wish I'd thought of it and done it but somebody else beat me to it (darn it!).
Can't wait to see that cookie crumble!
Clerk of the House employees who are employed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who held a fundraiser for candidate Andre Carson in Washington last week. Wasn't Andre spotted at those same D.C. offices last week measuring for curtains?
In the interest of full disclosure, Wilson Allen is a former employee of the Carson congressional office. He assures us he did no political work on the taxpayer's dime in either that job or his former job working as clerk in the Center Township Trustee's office.
Of course, some of those house.gov hits might have been from Republican Congressional offices weighing how much of a loser the local GOP candidate really is...
I'm sure he's has been hitting up Burton, Pence, Souder and Buyer for campaign monies...
At least the last time I called her staff out on it, Wilson, you had the decency to admit it happened--you just blamed yourself for contacting them and telling them to check out what written on my blog about the congressional race.
Yeah, you broke the news online about Darla Williams getting poor Eric Dickerson to kick off his Congressional campaign with a township zoning issue outside their front door. How did that work out for him anyways?
Those offices provide fantastic constituent services and those needs continue while we are selecting replacement. Would you some little old lady wait for her social security problem to be corrected until after the election. I did not see anything on those websites that could not be used in helping people. There were certainly no inappropriate hits or websites...What is your point????
How does Wilson know how many hits on this site were from house.gov?
9:54 In case you didn't know it, Congressional Representatives are legislators, whose job it is to write laws. Helping some old lady with social security issues is the job of the social security administration.
He extrapolated from the 2000 hit number I used--2% of all unique hits today came from house.gov, the domain for the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Federal bureaucracy is often difficult to navigate - all Congressional offices do "constituent service" which often includes tracking down and correcting Social Security screwups hurting senior citizens. Veterans too often need help with getting their proper and full benefits. Julia Carson's office was especially noted for assisting constituents...
Melyssa..
Will you help me have an affair??
I love you!!!!
AI.. please post this, she'll know who it cxame from!!!
WILSON = FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY TROLL
Julia Carson's offices were near of top of those providing services to people in her district who were experiencing difficulties with the government red tape. Anon 9:54 you can't unravel a mess with the SS administration if the mess IS the SS administration. If you knew the duties of the office, you would not make that statement. That is why the offices remain staffed while the office is vacant.
10:41, I'm no Andre Carson fan, but you're an idiot. Congressional office employees are charged with the duties of helping district constituents navigate through federal government nonsense.
It is not a simple task.
When you have a problem with your federal pension, IRS, airlines, phone deregulations, or any number of other problems, your Senatorial and House representatives have staffs dedicated to solving those problems.
It is an extremely helpful and efficient use of federal money.
That said, I am aware that Wilson's right--the current 7th district emplooyees have bene sternly warned to avoid the Mar. 11special election campaign.
Whether they will or not, is another matter.
The only time I asked Julia Carson's office for help was 2 years ago. They acted totally disinterested. I told them its a shame as a good democrat I'd have to call Dan Burton the worst of all Congressmen to get assistance and they ordered me out of their offices. I called Burton's office and had help in 5 minutes. Go figure. All this talk of great Queen Julia makes me sick. Sicker in fact that the death bed "send my seed" makes me vomit. I dont care about a person's race, creed, religion, etc. I do care about honesty. Andre got his jobs because of Granny. Plain and simple you can't escape that fact period. If he was so academically proficient why didn't he attend IUPUI or IU or some other well known local college. No, he got his degree by correspondence. I could be a minister by correspondence. I am a democrat ashamed of all the crap I see in my party, in particular this mess.
6:44 your name calling shows just where you stand. My copy of the U. S. Constitution states that Members of Congress are legislators, who write laws...show me the part of the Constitution where is says, as you wrongfully allege: "Congressional office employees are charged with the duties of helping district constituents navigate through federal government nonsense."
Julia got her staff on tangents for political gain, not because they were charged with duties...yes, writing letters to funeral homes each time someone died (where is that a duty of congress?), contacting mayor's to whine about criminals being arrested, contacting federal judges to ask for leniency for dangerous convicts, helping people navigate through federal regulation, etc.
-Again, all nice (perhaps ethically questionable) but not required "duties."
6:44 said "When you have a problem with your federal pension, IRS, airlines, phone deregulations, or any number of other problems, your Senatorial and House representatives have staffs dedicated to solving those problems."
You got to be kidding me, 6:44! Are you an idiot?
Let's take what you said down:
1) I am supporsed to call a congressman when there is a problem with a pension? -What is a congressman going to do? Write a law for me?
2) I am supporsed to call a congressman when the IRS conducts an audit? What is a congressman going to do? Come with me? -It was congress that passed the tax code; the IRS administrates what congress ordered by law.
3) I am supporsed to call a congressman when my flight is canceled or my luggage is lost? What is a congressman going to do about it? Start a search for my luggage?
4) I am supporsed to call a congressman when I have a problem with "phone deregulation?" Well, since I am not a phone company, I just pay the bill and receive service. I don't worry about the carrier regulations. How would that directly affect me to an extent I need congressional help?
5) I am supporsed to call a congressman when I have any number of 'other problems?'
-Well, unlike you, I don't think government has a duty to legislate and regulate everything. In fact, governing least is governing best! We need to eliminate township government here in Indiana, but that is a state issue, not a congressional issue.
6:44 are you a patronage employee who has a make-work, do-nothing job, if any at all? I wonder why any educated U. S. citizen would think government legislation is the all-encompassing answer to personal problems as you do.
its been my experience that when you try and reason with hardcore political people of both parties they have blinders on.... you can't reason with wilson46201 ever. anymore than you can reason with greg garrison. they are both of the same cloth and both think only they are correct in any given situation.
I have to agree with other posters and gasp Wilson. While it may not be staffers constitutional jobs to help constituents, it is very needed. I am a disabled veteran and was living in Ohio. I had to involve my congressman due to the VA screwing up. The staff had my issue resolved in 24 hours.
I will give you this, they shouldnt have to help, but thier help, sometimes, is very much NEEDED.
Crow Knows
Constituent and outreach services have been things that elected representatives have been providing forever. There is an old family story about a great uncle who ran off to join the Navy during WW I at age 15 with forged papers and my great grandmother seeking help from the local congressman. Would you be apalled to learn that Jon Elrod regularly sends out birthday postcards to constituents? Oh my!!
11:23, no, I'm not a federal or other govt. employee. Happily private sector. I've generated all my own income all my adult life.
Whenever any of us has a problem with deregulated airlines, phone companies, etc., from which we cannot get adequate satisfaction , the federal government has some oversight responsibilities. Congressional staffers can intervene in such issues.
Pensions that are insured by the government, which is basically most of them, or a chunk of them, are equally bound by oversight and federal regulations. Often, Congressional staffers help with the myriad regulations and difficulties thereto.
There are hundreds of other issues, over which the federal government has either oversight responsibillities or direct authority. I didn't say I liked it, but it's a fact.
Congressional and Senatorial office staffs have, for decades, assisted constituents with problems that can come under that umbrella.
You are not obligated to use their services if you're in need. But many of us do, with varying degrees of satisfaction.
Your opinion is in the distinct minority. Doesn't mean it's wrong, but...most Americans accept and support these Congressional staff activities.
I am aware that both Senate offices, for example, never ask a constituent's politics before assisting that constituent. I'm beting that most Congresscritters, even ignorant Dan Burton, feel the same.
To be honest, it's one of the few things Congress does well. Don't eff with it.
2:46 ...I always remember a quote that my American Government teacher in high school taught us: "Ignorant people often externalize their failures by blaming Washington."
Sounds like you have never heard of one of the principles our country was founded on: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Government does not exist to blame for personal failures nor to solve personal problems.
I understand not wanting public employees/staffers to be spending "all day" on blog sites, however, to what extent should this be part of the job of a press office? If you have the mainstream media and print that continually produce bias reporting, much of the inner-staff press secretaries can get a well-rounded scope by reading many of the blogs.... I would be interested in your thoughts.
Good point you raise, anon 11:05. In the case at hand, the congresswoman is deceased so there really is no need for a press secretary at that point. People in the office should only be performing constituent matters.
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