Porter Goss: “as Los Angeles dug out from under earthquake rubble and the Northeast and Midwest dug out from under snow and frigid…”

“as Los Angeles dug out from under earthquake rubble and the Northeast and Midwest dug out from under snow and frigid cold--loyal employees in the House mail-room tried to dig out from under mounds of outgoing, taxpayer funded, member newsletters. Recently, the Mayor of the District of Columbia declared an emergency, shutting down the Federal Government and instructing all but essential personnel to stay home. But somebody redefined the word ``essential'' to include workers in the mail folding room and they were ordered to work. Just what is so essential about the masses of self-promotional, newsletters Members of Congress churn out to their constituents? Could it be that election day cycles are upon us again? This is not about delivering mail through rain and sleet and snow in the best tradition of the postal service. It is about the high priority Congress assigns to taking care of itself first under current leadership. It's time to stop election abuse of the franking privilege. It is an expensive fraud of the taxpayers.”