Taxpayers fleeced in bailout of Senate barbershop ‘institution’

The Daily ^ | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2012 | MARK STRICHERZ

[HenryArmitage]

America’s most distinguished leaders get their hair cut at the Senate barbershop, but taxpayers are the ones really getting clipped.

The barbershop ran almost $300,000 in the red last year but received an infusion from Senate coffers that is keeping it in business, the Senate sergeant at arms, Terrance Gainer, told The Daily.

A federal bailout isn’t that unusual since the economic downturn, but some senators didn’t even know their salon was in hot water — and don’t think it should be, considering what they pay for a little off the ears.

A shampoo, cut and blow dry is $27 and highlights are $105, according to the barbershop’s website. A trim costs $20, more than double what Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., gets charged when he goes to his barber back home.

“I give him $12 with a tip,” Leahy said.

When Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., learned about the shortfall, he said, “It did? It shouldn’t. It should pay for itself.”

A Senate barbershop subsidized by the government is a sore point with GOP members, too.

[HenryArmitage]

shave and a hair cut, two bits?

[jimmango]

We’re the ones who are really getting clipped.

[KarlInOhio]

$300,000 is somewhere between $2631 and $3000 per senator. That's on top of its revenue paid for by the senators. Just how much hair do the senators grow?

[Iron Munro]

If congress could only find some ways to
cut spending, anything - anything at all.

[Recon Dad]

I think these numbers are well within reason considering whom we’re dealing with here.

The shoeshine guy probably gets $200 per shine and can’t make it either.

[Vigilanteman]

It sounds to me like the barber shop is charging market rates for market services, at least on the surface. I never paid more than $15 for a haircut in my life, but I'm not one to purchase ordinary services in premium locations.

Still, I'm betting that there is far more to this story than meets the eye. If the Senate barbershop is running this size of a deficit for these types of prices, I'm betting that there is far more than traditional barbershop services being provided.

[Buckeye McFrog]

There are thousands and thousands of barbershops on Main Streets all over America. Some have been there for more than half a century. Obviously all are profitable or they would not be there.

Only Government could f***-up this model.

[HenryArmitage]

I guess all we are told from the article is -
280,409 in salary
230,000 in benefits
so a cost of 510,409 for four employees before any costs of running the shop are added.
Although in a slight defense I am told my salon working relation that licensed barbers are harder to find than licensed hair dressers, so maybe there is a premium in the demand?