By Meredith Webb | WeaponizedNews.Com | February 26, 2016
Yesterday at work we all got an email about how a “Government VIP” was going to be staying at the Hotel Monaco, which is directly adjacent to my building that night. We were informed that the surrounding roads would be blocked off and if we were planning on parking in the parking garage there would be a vehicle search that would slow down traffic a ton so the recommendation was that we park somewhere else or use public transportation.
I take the train/bus to work but I know that it costs over $100 for a parking pass for that parking garage and that day parking elsewhere would be $4 or more (and include a 10 minute walk). My coworkers figured out that the Government VIP would be Joe Biden (by some google searches) and that he was here to lead a roundtable discussion on cancer research at the Huntsman Cancer Research Center.
So, this morning as I was riding the bus, the driver announced that the next stop would be canceled because the road was completely blocked off. Most of the people on the bus got off and we all walked to our building past all the police officers. The road was filled with cop cars, cops, other security personnel, and a long line of motorcycles. There was also the long line (as promised) of cars waiting to get into the parking garage. Each car had to undergo a vehicle search (bomb sniffing dogs). Luckily, I wasn’t late to work, but I thought it was strange that so much would have to be altered to accommodate Joe Biden coming to salt lake for less than 24 hours to do so little.
I immediately realized how much of the taxpayers’ money was being spent to host the Vice President. And I wondered whether or not it was actually worth it. The article I read online said he was leading a roundtable discussion on cancer research at the request of President Obama. I don’t think that Joe Biden appearing at this research center will really do anything to progress cancer research. The research could have been progressed a lot further if the government had just donated the money spent to bring Biden here.
It seems ridiculous that the government continues to send officials all over the place to do basically nothing and the resulting effect is that as a country we sink deeper and deeper into debt. Not to mention the people who actually go to work everyday are inconvenienced (I travel 3 hours a day and work 10-11 hours). I shared my thoughts on Biden’s visit with a coworker and she said “True, but sometimes it helps to have someone come over and show support for the foundation”. Are you kidding me? How much does it “Help”?
Let’s get a petition going to stop government officials from traveling when it doesn’t actually help its citizens and costs millions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_d6-Sbbqgg