I can see now the head of the National Park Service – John Jarvis – is more than happy to confiscate the public’s national treasures and honored dead for political purposes. His excuses fly in the face of common sense, common decency, public stewardship and fiscally responsible spending.

And if this arrogant prince in Barry’s Court is going to stay the course, then the only answer beyond a Congressional investigation is to take the guy to court. Because while the head of the NPS can hide behind red tape and process with Congress, in a court with an independent-minded judge, his political arrogance won’t play well so well and he will be more personally exposed.

Look at what this idiot closed off – PLAYGROUNDS!

Capitol Hill playgrounds

One of the best things about Capitol Hill is the plethora of parks, most of which contain playground equipment. But these outdoor spaces, including Lincoln Park, Stanton Park, Garfield Park and Marion Park [shown below; AJStrata], are maintained by the National Park Service, which means that the toddler-friendly play spaces have been padlocked shut, leaving families out in the cold.

Can you believe it? This Scrooge actually stole fun from neighborhood kids! This is “good” government at work?

Do government death panels now sound so impossible now? I mean, even Harry Reid admitted he could care less about 1 kid with cancer when there are 1400 people sitting idle someplace in New Mexico! Of course, Harry should know furloughs are not terminal diseases – but he. Does. Not. Care! He is obsessed with the evil “Tea Party!” (cue the dramatic music) and having to give in to them one inch.

It is costing much more to protect Tot Lots from toddlers than to just leave them open and un-patrolled (and no, trash collecting and lawn mowing is not ‘patrolling’).

Which apparently brings us to the lame-ass excuse John Jarvis, Head of NPS, is using to excuse his inexcusable actions:

“There were the same number of park police along the National Mall when it was open last week as there are now when it is closed,” Hastings wrote. “In fact, on Tuesday, when barricades were first erected and areas closed down, there were even more police than on a typical day when it is open.

…

“Congressman Hastings is incorrect in that regard,” director Jarvis fired back on C-SPAN this morning. “We run a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week, 365-day-a-year operation on the National Mall. Under normal circumstances, I would have 300 employees working on the National Mall and I currently have seven.”

That there are the same number of U.S. Park Police on the National Mall now as before the shutdown began is true, according to the U.S. Park Police officers’ union.

…

My understanding is that one of the reasons these areas are closed is because maintenance people aren’t  going to be there, [park rangers] aren’t going to be there to give information about these areas,” Officer Ian Glick said. “Maintenance also deals with trash pickup. The memorials will become very messy. We’ve had people slip and fall because they don’t know where the wheelchair ramps are. Park rangers generally direct them.”

…

We get tons of trash. Lots of trash. If it’s not picked up, it will invite rats.”

Good Lord, my 14 year old can concoct better alibis than this!

First off, trash collection must continue under the shutdown – BECAUSE funding for safety and protection of land is allowed. And there is nothing safe about rotting trash. If Jarvis is saying he stopped trash collection and instead bought thousands of Barrycades and put them up, he should be fired. And I suspect he will be fired.

Moreover, I seriously doubt those park rangers on The Mall monitor the playgrounds tucked away in neighborhoods. So this excuse is pure BS when it comes to the Tot Lots.

Just for barricading playgrounds John Jarvix should be removed from his job and his sanity assessed. He has some serious issues.

Time to put the squeeze on this guy and teach a lesson. Haul him into court AND in front of Congress.

Update: We need a lot more of this kind of civil disobedience at the National Monuments:

Tags: Barrycades, Shutdown Theater