The sequester and proposed budget cuts have brought out the most in partisanship, with raising taxes pitted against cutting programs. Nobody seems to be able to figure out what to cut.
Finally, the sequester seems to have brought us an answer: Haircuts.
The Hair Care Services unit – which featured marble baths and discounted haircuts, manicures and eyebrow trimmings, among other amenities for Senators – will be privatized in an effort to curb the $500,000 in losses the shop loses every year.
That amount of money isn't all that much considering the gargantuan budget of the US government, but another example of how out-of-touch the Senate really can be. The shop used to be free for Senators, back when they made very little money. When Senate salaries doubled from $30,000 in 1969 to $60,000 in 1979, they started paying a small fee for their cuts amid anger from the public.
Though they pay more now, the Senate salary has been $174,000 since 2009, during which time the median household income in America was roughly $52,762.
The freebies and perks make Michelle Bachmann's recent false allegations against President Obama's luxurious Presidency – saying the First Family had paid dog walkers and movie projectionists – all the more ludicrous. I'm not aware whether Bachmann uses the Senate's facilities, but her hairstyle has been a popular request among women.
According to NYTimes.com , public pressure rolled around every decade to end the practice. It took the self-imposed worst possible scenario sequester for it to finally go.