Well, I wanted to drop by my senators local field office today (see my other posts for the reason why). That would be Senator Coats, a Republican from Indiana. The local field office being the Northwest Indiana office in Crown Point.
Imagine my surprise (or maybe not) when I find the office closed on a Monday afternoon, 2pm ish. No sign, no nothing saying why the office is closed (the office is poorly marked outside, I went past it twice before finding it).
The receptionist for the other tenant in the building then drops a bombshell. That office is rarely open, and doesn't have regular hours! I haven't seen the staffer for over a week she remarks. Are there times someone is generally there? Nope, she says, and she couldn't miss someone being there, the door to the field office is in her sight.
I am guessing that Coats staffer doesn't even live locally. Coats has 4 other field offices in addition to the main office in Indy and of course DC. I am guessing the other field offices are rarely used.
Can't imagine what the rent on all those under-used offices cost taxpayers. If they don't want to run an office for voters thats fine, but why are we renting office space? Its an office in a very nice recently constructed office park. It ain't cheap.
Why can't they borrow a spot in a federal building (in my area, why couldn't they use an space at the federal courthouse, the social security office or the fbi office, all new buildings too I would add)
So the question to the rest of you. Does your senator have a staffer who has regular hours at their field offices, or is Senator Coats offices (not being open) the norm or not?
On his senate web page, Coats has the debt clock running on it. Kettle, call yourself black......... Also directions to offices that aren't open.
