LordBrownTrout
Diamond Member
When I first heard this one, I figured it had to be a joke. Come on, nobody could get that petty.
Turns out it's true. Along various public roadways with a view of Mt. Rushmore, there are wide spots beside the road where people could pull in, stop safely, and shoot pictures.
Not any more. The Fed govt has coned off many of those viewing areas, starting on Oct. 1 (the first day of the govt shutdown). Now you can only stay in the through lanes, and drive on past. No stopping.
Some wag cobbled up a "picture" of giant helicopters shrouding the carvings of the four Presidents on the mountain, with a giant sheet - an obvious photoshop job. Snopes.com says that one's a lie, in case anyone hadn't already figured it out: No giant helicopters have tried to shroud the mountain with a sheet.
They only coned off the safe-stopping areas.
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http://www.argusleader.com/article/20131005/NEWS/310050021/Mount-Rushmore-blockage-stirs-anger-S-D-
Mount Rushmore blockage stirs anger in South Dakota
Barring visitors from view an unexpected effect of shutdown
Oct. 5, 2013 |
Cones are shown along the road to Mount Rushmore. The National Parks Service placed the cones there to prevent viewers from stopping on the side of the road to view the monument. / Submitted photo
Blocking access to trails and programs at South Dakotas most popular attraction was one thing, but state officials didnt expect Congress budget stalemate to shut down a view of Mount Rushmore.
The National Park Service placed cones along highway viewing areas outside Mount Rushmore this week, barring visitors from pulling over and taking pictures of the famed monument.
The cones first went up Oct. 1, said Dusty Johnson, Gov. Dennis Daugaards chief of staff. The state asked that they be taken down, and federal officials did so with some of them. The state was told the cones were a safety precaution to help channel cars into viewing areas rather than to bar their entrance.
I think reasonable people can disagree about that, Johnson said.
The cones were down again Friday as a blizzard hit the Black Hills and plows needed access to the roads, Johnson said. He said the state would be monitoring to see whether the cones are put back along viewing areas.
Once the snows off the ground, were going to be keeping an eye on how the cones go up, Johnson said.
The Buffalo News reported that a tour group of dozens of people from western New York was unable to take pictures of the monument because highway viewing areas were coned off.
Its all closed up, the newspaper quoted North Collins, N.Y., resident Hilde Werneth as saying. They wont even let you stop and take a picture. You can only drive by.
Excuse me but you seriously think this isn't baked into the shutdown cake? I mean, please....You think Obama is actually targeting South Dakota highways? Paranoia runs rampant amongst righties.
Yes, this is on him. He has the ultimate authority on what gets shut down.