Posted on 04/15/2019 7:34:53 AM PDT by Liz
According to a 10-year investigation of sexual harassment into the Architect of the Capitol office (responsible for maintenance and operations) US Capitol’s overnight custodial staff allege:
<><> they were sexually harassed,
<><> exposed to pornography in lawmakers’ offices, and,
<><> overheard conversations in which others were being harassed.
In an IG report, custodial staff said they fear of retaliation. One staffer reported no one had an answer when they asked during sexual harassment prevention training, "what happens if the harasser is a member of Congress?" The report doesn't specify how many complaints about lawmakers were filed. Congress asked the inspector general in October to look into sexual harassment reports, and whether that office was handling the cases properly.
The IG found there were 57 reports of sexual harassment over a decade. The report notes this number of reports is low for a workforce the size of the Architect of the Capitol , although it also acknowledges fear of retaliation could lead employees to choose not to report experiences. The report also found there is a "widespread perception that sexual harassment is a pervasive problem” within the Architect of the Capitol and the investigators attribute that perception to "lingering cultural bias."
The report highlighted the Architect of the Capitol for appearing “to be energetic in its efforts to improve the agency culture and create an environment of civility" and that "the results of our inquiry were primarily positive, with the majority of identified gaps already receiving the attention” of department officials.
Still, problems remain. Employees said they don't trust the process to report harassment, and the avenues to report are overly complicated. One staffer said “The whole system is [designed] to protect the Architect of the Capitol, EEO, Office of Compliance or any other assistance under this Agency."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand defends handling of aide's alleged sexual misconduct
Hill investigators allege sexual harassment, cover-ups at TSA
Then, there was a congressional aide, named Costanza...
Congress America’s only permanent criminal class!
Can’t keep their hands off the char ladies!
Term Limits Now!
As part of my real estate licensee continuing education I had to complete a course about sexual harassment in the workplace. One of the examples they gave was the case of a broker-manager who had porn on his office computer screen, which offended some employees and independent contractors.
I've said that for 35 or so years now. And check my tagline.
The Congress will do nothing about this.
The Speaker of the House, of whatever party is in power, is ultimately responsible for the Capitol Hill employees at every level.
To even admit there is something wrong is to admit failure of leadership and that cannot be allowed...................
MOCs are probably exempt. /s
More than twenty years ago I got accused of harassment after mentioning "shoo-fly pie" to a female co-worker who hadn't a clue what it was, but thought it was something sexual.
Same here!
I advocate the following. Ideally I would prefer the person serve roughly a decade then go home permanently. However I realize there will always be those who want to be professional politicians. People whose egos have them utterly convinced we can’t do without them! We can never get rid of them! (They exist on both sides of the aisle!) So my Term Limits idea takes that into account.
1. Two consecutive terms in the Senate (12 years - essentially a decade!) Allow the rewarding of good work & behavior with an additional term. Then they must sit out a full term 6 years) before they can return to the Senate.
2. Five consecutive terms (10 years a decade!) in the House. Again same reason reward good work! Must sit out 2 terms before they can return to the House.
A decade is usually the watershed where even the best conservative representative\Senator crosses over. He/she becomes the representative of the beltway not the constituents back home. Most don’t know it has happened!
The key is to incentivize these professional politicians to go home! Go back to your state, district etc. Run for governor, county commissioner, mayor, etc. if you must make politics your career. (Maybe try the private sector!) Above all go home and experience the effect of your governing genius! Hanging around the beltway with a beltway political PR firm doesn’t count toward going home!
“... mentioning “shoo-fly pie” ...”
-
I went through something similar when I worked with a group that
cleaned up environmental contamination and a female office worker
overheard our discussions about the “Love Canal” in New York.
LOL! It's like people who think "Carpe Diem" has something to do with fish.
WADR, you are much too liberal with them. I've proposed two three year terms in the house, two five year terms in the senate (lifetime), pension funding eliminated (SS and private accounts only), no lobbying employment ever, and all political donations to be ANONYMOUS (Can't sell influence if you don't know who's buying).
There will be a few who do a sixteen year stint of service (the cream rises to the top), and they will be those who truly want to SERVE, rather than RULE. Those looking to enrich themselves feeding at the public trough will lose interest.
“...five year terms in the senate (lifetime), pension funding eliminated (SS and private accounts only), ...”
Give them a 401K they can take with them for each year they serve.
“....no lobbying employment ever,...”
Very very difficult to police! One way to do it is find some constitutional way (Which I think there is none!) to deny them employment/residency within 200 miles of DC. I don’t like them depriving me of my rights and neither do I want to do so to them once they leave.
“....all political donations to be ANONYMOUS ....”
The only way I can see that working is have it go to the party put in a common pot then distributed to the candidates. I don’t want the government doing it! Which would be the obvious next step!
“....five year terms in the senate ....”
Keep 6 too much violence to the Founding Fathers’ genius to change the terms! Little difference between 10 & 12.
Ask every Senator and Critter is he/she is party to any non-disclosure agreement.
A refusal to answer should constitute an admission.
And voters should act accordingly.
A "neutral" non-government agency would distribute the funds to the intended recipients. Although those commies should be OK with a common pot (Yeah, right...).
Seriously, though, Americans should be allowed to contribute any amount they wish to any party or candidate they choose...that's FREEDOM. But purchasing an outcome makes it BRIBERY, a crime. Lock 'em both up!
“...A “neutral” non-government agency.....”
There is no such thing and never will be!
Some will always try to cheat, no matter what the rules. A few violators handcuffed and frogmarched into courthouses would remedy that.
Saying we shouldn’t do it because some would try to cheat is the same as saying not to build the WALL because some will try to tunnel.
I do like your “own district” idea, but remember locals would then be strawmen for the real donors from wherever. That’s no reason to not do it. Catch ‘em and jail ‘em!
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