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About this blog: I was a "corporate brat" growing up and lived in different parts of the country, ending in Houston, Texas for high school. After attending college at UC Davis, and getting an MBA at Harvard, I embarked on a marketing career, mai... (More)

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Where Do US Senators and Reps Live While in DC?

Uploaded: Mar 5, 2010

My impression: many of them cannot afford to keep a house in their home district and another place of residence in our Nation's capital. DC is not a cheap date, rent or mortgage wise.

Some of them literally sleep in their offices. Many of them rent rooms in tounhouses and the like, as many of us did as we were getting started as adults and eventually moved on from such an experience. (I am picturing a "Friends" sitcom, where the folks in the show are elected officials, not the people that were actually in the program when it was on the air/cable.)

I can't help but wonder how this affects how they vote on things before them.

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Posted by Sharon, a resident of ,
on Mar 5, 2010 at 4:24 pm

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

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Posted by Peter, a resident of ,
on Mar 5, 2010 at 5:18 pm

Several legislators and other commentators talk about this as a symptom of deeper problems. Before the advent of cheap air travel, legislators usually brought their families to D.C., and travelled to their home districts much less frequently. That meant that they socialized more, and often across the aisle, which led to friendships or at least respect and/or deeper working relationships. It's a little harder to demonize someone you just had dinner with last night or went to church with.

Further reducing the socializing after work is the advent of instant personal communication, so when people are together they're often on their BBerries or iPhones, texting or talking, checking the news or the latest scandal or talking point -- not paying attention to others.

Face it, government works better when legislators take the time to sit back and ponder whether what they are doing might actually help or harm the nation and not just serve partisan purpose.

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Posted by Sharon, a resident of ,
on Mar 5, 2010 at 5:22 pm

Politicians work for us and are paid by us, they should live in officer military quarters in DC and be subject to the same rules.

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Posted by Sharon, a resident of ,
on Mar 5, 2010 at 5:36 pm

clarification

there has been corruption on both sides, Barney Frank got a slap on the wrist.

In these times it makes security and economic sense to house politicians in DC in officers quarters.

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Posted by Truth is life, a resident of ,
on Mar 5, 2010 at 8:10 pm

- PA online

Why was Sharon's first comment deleted?

It was 100% factual. There are many many sources to verify the matter.

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Posted by Walter_E_Wallis, a resident of ,
on Mar 6, 2010 at 4:08 am
Walter_E_Wallis is a registered user.

Sharon, you put another one over the fence! Editors, I score you a balk.

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Posted by R Wray, a resident of ,
on Mar 6, 2010 at 10:17 am

Here's one example: Paul Ryan usually sleeps on a cot in his office.
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