Ben Carson should be gone by the end of the business day

[malaise]

Last edited Wed Feb 28, 2018, 04:06 PM - Edit history (2)

$31,000 for an office dining table and chairs - no approval from Congress -good grief they are all scumbags stealing from taxpayers.

[Wounded Bear]

1. Never should have been there...

[malaise]

2. +1,000

[OhNo-Really]

45. Article link. 3 families could be housed for a year for $31,000.

https://thinkprogress.org/ben-carson-dining-room-versailles-f31f05605714/.

[TexasBushwhacker]

66. $31K could house 3 families?

That comes out to $861 a month for each family.

[dembotoz]

79. maybe not where you live but in more rural areas around here ....yes

not a palace but up to code

[sarah FAILIN]

86. I have a very nice 3 br on a half acre

The rent is $700/mo. Yes, it is in Alabama but so what.. a warm and dry home is better than a table

[dembotoz]

93. i see what rent is in some places and i gotta push my eyeballs back into my head

years ago i had a friend who worked out in dc and then she got a job back here, sold her tiny little condo and moved.

she had postcards made of the house she bought for the same money here....sent to all her buds in dc....she could not believe how cheap houses were back here

[sarah FAILIN]

103. That is our rental

We have had someone from DC start to buy it back right before the housing crash. Was going to pay 150k for it but wanted to do it SUPER fast. Now I know why, lol. They were used to losing bidding wars. A couple of days before closing their plans changed and they backed out.

[Butterflylady]

90. He also spent $161,000 for lounge furniture.

How many would that have helped?

[mucifer]

3. To me that is absolutely nothing compared to the BILLIONS that disappear in the military

Think about that for a minute. It seems to get no attention.

[malaise]

6. True

but have you seen the budget cuts at HUD?

[stopbush]

44. I think the point is that these scumbags will spend as much $ as they can get their hands on

with no regard at all for the taxpayers. They think they’re privileged.

[rzemanfl]

4. Sundown? How about the close of business? n/t

[malaise]

8. LOL

You win - but sundown looks better on paper

[Merlot]

22. Weren't there "sundown" laws?

I'd go with "end of business day" just because.

[malaise]

51. You're right

Changed

[True Blue American]

46. High noon?

[malaise]

36. Agreed - changed

Thanks

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

5. Doesnt take a brain surgeon to go furniture shopping...

But wait... what?

He is?...

[NJCher]

76. well, what if he was a university president

Here, in this Inside Higher Education article a University president in NJ spent many times that for a high tech table.

Oh, but the technology is outdated now.

Oh, and he had it BUILT IN CHINA.

And when asked about it, he told everyone they were being petty. And why shouldn't he spent that kind of money for a table.

It caused such an uproar that he had to get some political donor to come bail him out by paying for the table.

Here's a pic of the table:

[beveeheart]

7. More than many people make in a year.

Much more than many Social Security recipients get in a year!

[malaise]

11. As Stephanie Ruhle said

it's more than the salaries of teachers on strike in West Virginia

[pangaia]

32. More than MOST SS recipients get, including me, by a LOT.

[kentuck]

9. They are never "conservatives" when it comes to spending taxpayers money...

It's the way they look at government. It's money to be wasted, just like the Democrats do, in their opinion.

[Ligyron]

47. "starve the beast"

Ben is just doing his part.

That and it will also help Jesus to come back sooner too, I guess.

[bronxiteforever]

72. +1000000

[NewJeffCT]

122. I would say Republicans spend money like drunken sailors

but, at least sailors spend their own money

[lunasun]

10. sundown? Imo not an appropriate word . Just me maybe being all sensitive

[zipplewrath]

12. You're right

Hadn't thought of that, but certain people would be prone to, and for good reason.

[lunasun]

18. Gone by sundown was what all the towns would proudly claim ...or else!

Again maybe it's just me seeing this as not the best choice for Carson leaving . Some snarky media using it these days I can see

https://sundown.tougaloo.edu/sundowntowns.php

[zipplewrath]

71. Exactly

and if I was an AA, I'd probably see it that way, even if it wasn't meant that way.

[GWC58]

92. Carson won t be gone by sundown, evening

midnight. He’ll be right back tomorrow. These people don’t apologize or resign. No, they double down.

[lunasun]

99. That too None of the other hucksters wasting $$ have left. He already stated he is keeping the table

[Ferrets are Cool]

30. When did SUNDOWN become a inappropriate word?

Damn, I consider myself pretty up to date, but I missed the memo on this one.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

40. Back in the day many white communities had sunset or sundown laws

Black people were okay during the day as workers but had to get their ass out of town by sundown

[Ferrets are Cool]

57. Thanks for the explanation

[NurseJackie]

107. Additional Info ... if anyone's interested.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Negro_Motorist_Green_Book

Amazon sells reproductions: https://goo.gl/zHwBbg

[malaise]

37. Agreed

Thanks all

[SweetieD]

13. Please dont tell me I am the only one who caught the racist dog whistle in this post?

I may have to stop coming to DU period. I've seen too many of these type of posts go unchecked. And dont act all shocked and innocent that you dont understand. There was a specific reason you used the term sundown with Ben Carson. I am black and grew up in a region full of sundown towns.

[lunasun]

20. It's getting worse here I agree

I think it is ignorance or insensitivity . More of a don't care more than direct racism but who knows

[OhNo-Really]

109. I grew up in Maine and didn't pick up inuendo.

Good to see that once this information was provided, the word was changed.

I think we are all running on raw nerves. I try to see the best.

[malthaussen]

25. Boy, do *you* not know Malaise. n/t

[malaise]

62. LOL

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. I think a lot of younger people might not be aware of the implications

of "sundown." Maybe the OP should be given the benefit of the doubt and a chance to edit.

[dhol82]

53. I am an old person and dont know the implication of sundown town.

Explanation?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

59. "Sundown towns" were all-white communities

that warned black people that they had to be out of town by sundown. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundown_town

[dhol82]

67. Damn, I have lived a sheltered life!

I knew about Levittown after the war but had no idea this had been enshrined in so many areas of the US.

[spanone]

96. never heard of it either....and malaise is certainly not a racist.

[Demsrule86]

83. In the South and Midwest mostly, Black had to be out of town by sundown...or else be

attacked or even killed.

[Still Blue in PDX]

77. I'm old and didn't get it. I was thinking of maybe sundowning and dementia but was bewildered. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

80. That's what I thought of first, as well.

Except Ben Carson is like that all day.

[Still Blue in PDX]

87. LOL - All day, and all of the night! (ear worm installed) - LOL - nt

[Lisa0825]

97. I was not aware of it myself until I read a recent article about the Green Book.

I just thought it was a reference to Western movies.

[malaise]

38. Actually it was cultural insensitivity

I am a black woman

[flibbitygiblets]

54. Appreciate the info

Never heard the term except one reference to Alzheimer's. It would break my heart to inadvertently offend anyone by using such a loaded word. Thanks again!

[Capperdan]

69. Agree with you

I didn't know these terms were derogatory.

[LakeArenal]

52. I hate to repeat... but...

You don’t know malaise. If you think DU is racist, maybe you are correct, this isn’t the place for you.

There may be a rule here about calling out individuals and/or ascribing negative motivations.

[malaise]

56. Thank you

Last edited Wed Feb 28, 2018, 04:05 PM - Edit history (1)

but my choice of word was culturally insensitive. I was thinking more Western movies than overt racism.
We had our racist laws too but sundown wasn't one of them. The vagrancy act would have covered that.

[rzemanfl]

70. K.

[malaise]

73. Wicked

Sending this to all my friends for the memories

[rzemanfl]

108. You're too young for those memories. n/t

[StevieM]

100. It was an honest mistake. I didn't notice it and also thought of it in terms of Western movies.

Also, I am not normal. I feel obligated to point out that you said in your post: "$31,000 for a office dining table and chairs." You meant to say "an" not "a," since the next word, "office," begins with a vowel.

[malaise]

105. LOL

You're right - ma just rolled in her grave.

[sprinkleeninow]

114. I thot of a real estate term, 'twilight area', an area that ain't what it used to be.

Now, I'm aware.

[I 💓 ya, Malaise! Say it's auto correct/suggest that's responsible.😉]

We watch 'Wheel of Fortune' [is that snickering I hear?!] and some people ask,"Can I have a 'a' or a 'e' or a 'o'." Owww.

[malaise]

125. Hahahahahha

Hilarious post

[sprinkleeninow]

130. 'One Love.' 😍

[nolabear]

98. ...

Ignorance can be forgiven. But

[FakeNoose]

123. We're all friends here :-)

We all speak English as either our first or second language. But we don't all have the same frame of reference or word associations.

I grew up in the Midwest (Missouri and Ohio) and I've also lived in eastern states (New York and New Jersey). Now for the last 25 years I've lived in Pennsylvania, specifically the Pittsburgh area. My neighborhood is interracial, and at least half of my neighbors are black. I'm saying all of this because I know no racial meaning associated with the word "sundown" but apparently many others here on DU do have that association.

Let's give each other the benefit of the doubt, OK? It wasn't an intentionally racist comment, and Malaise apologized and changed the word.

Don't forget that some of our regular posters on DU live in other countries, and I'll bet they would have had no clue what this is about. No doubt some of the things we Americans post on DU would sound silly or offensive in another country, but we're not even aware of that when we post it.

[get the red out]

14. IOKIYAR

Especially in an administration so corrupt that this hardly makes a bump in the news cycle.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

15. Remember when Michele Bachman said that........

The Obama administration was "A Gangster Government "?

Well kiddos, she was describing the Trump Administration all this time.Who knew?

[bdamomma]

17. exactly

they are hoodlums all of them. Don is the mafia king. Jerk.

[progressoid]

16. I'd be shocked if anything at all happens.

Just business as usual for these people.

[sprinkleeninow]

116. They will do NOTHING. They DO NOT CARE.

I've resigned myself to that which is what several opined on DU. Grievous, but true.

[Adrahil]

19. That's more than DOUBLE the average family's tax contributions.

So he's basically asking 2+ families to donate their ENTIRE tax contributions to his dining table and chairs.

[spanone]

21. when everyone in your cabinet is wealthy.....this is how they roll

carson is as inept as his 'president'

[Yavin4]

23. Man, Ikea sure has gotten expensive. nt

[lark]

24. Orange assface criminal hires other criminals - who is surprised.

Every single person he's hired is on the take, every single one. They are also liars and cheats and most are total traitors.

[George II]

26. He should be working at a furniture store SELLING those, not buying them.

[sprinkleeninow]

115. 😆

[babylonsister]

28. Noon would work for me. nt

[procon]

29. This tells everyone where his priorities are.

Maybe that $31K is just a drop in the bucket to over all budget, but it would have been a big help in getting poor families into housing.

[PdxSean]

31. Buck Owens

[malaise]

84. LOL

These songs used to get a lot of airplay in the Caribbean. In fact old juke boxes in rural Jamaica still play a lot of this music.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

33. Plus sundown is his bedtime anyways. nt

[packman]

34. It's the new version of -

Let them eat cake

[Autumn]

35. Who will get rid of him? Trump? Republicans?

He should be but he won't be. He's the perfect fit for this administration and their Republican guard.

[gademocrat7]

39. Corrupt Carson

The grifting continues unabated.

[Ilsa]

41. But but but I heard he got a china hutch to go with it!

And that it is for the whole building! I guess employees can have lunch in his office now?

[Plucketeer]

42. Somewhere - out there -

Al Capone's gotta be SEETHING with jealousy!

[redstatebluegirl]

43. Think about what that could have given a poor person in terms of an apartment.

[WhiteTara]

48. His budget was for $5000 and his response to that

"That won't even buy a decent chair" Grifters one and all. Did he think he got to take it home as a prize when he left office?

[malaise]

60. They disgust me

[WhiteTara]

74. Me too. They can't be gone soon enough.

[haele]

88. I got a great solid wood table with eight very comfortable chairs at the thrift store for $300.

That was four years ago.
Solid maple oval table (~ 8' x 4.5' without the leaves, 12' x 4.5' with the leaves) with a thin cherry wood table top and a 4" deep side, wide seat cushions on the tall ladder-back solid maple chairs; two of the chairs have arm rests. The design was slightly "distressed" country manor style with "washed" scroll and leaf embellishment along the side and on the chair backs. The eight chairs easily fit around the fully extended table with space to spare and still leave room for a huge center piece and all the service for condiments and at least four entrees to pass around on the table.
The table is actually large enough to seat a dozen in a pinch with a small center area and no serving dishes, if we change out the chairs with arm rests and add six more narrower chairs.

It was an Italian designer collection from the 1990's, was easy to buff out scratches and re-finish to bring up to show-room quality, and will become an heirloom piece of furniture (my stepdaughter is drooling over it, and the grand-kids love it). I expect it to last a good two/three hundred years, with upkeep.

Without the leaves in, it's still almost too big for my 11 x 15 dining room. It would fit nicely in our 14 x 20 conference room here at the office - which is the same size as the Admiral's office conference room for the base commander, where he holds briefs and "staff luncheons" for up to nearly two dozen people at a time. And that table is also wired for laptops and other electronics, including an inset monitor with pull out keyboard and mouse at that "head" of the table, a teleconference and a projection system so the conference table can also double as a base command station, so all in all, it's pretty expensive - I believe the command spent a total of $100K, and that included the technicians and maintenance of the electronics.
All that being pointed out, according to the GSA executive catalog, a dining table is still not any sort of conference table (it would just be a table and up to ten chairs with no added electronics or functions) and would not be identified as such in an invoice.

I know I've been rambling, but my question is this - How big is Ben Carson's office "dining room" (not his conference room, but a dining room...) area, and why would he be expected to entertain enough high mucky-mucks in his office that he wouldn't be otherwise entertaining in the building's dining hall or in his larger executive (i.e., fancy) conference room that he would need a $31K dining room table and chair set? Would he have spent that much money on his home dining room table for entertaining to begin with?

Haele

Haele

[Historic NY]

49. Lordy, what else does he have a private kitchen & cook....

Now its all for a lounge, for who or whom.

[Mountain Mule]

50. I am 66 and my housing voucher is all that stands between me and life on the streets.

Ben Carson is as vile as his master. The proposed cuts to HUD would place the low income disabled, seniors and children out of their homes with nowhere to go. I'm sure that the $31,000 is merely the tip of the graft iceberg.

[sprinkleeninow]

119. And supposedly a 'doctor'? PHOOEY! 😡

[JenniferJuniper]

55. He appears to be a Sundowner anyway.

[OldHippieChick]

58. Probably thinks he can take it with him when he

leaves.

[edhopper]

61. Not holding my breath

Pruitt and Zinke are still there for and wasted more $.

[dalton99a]

64. Agreed.

[dalton99a]

63. Next Cabinet meeting: "Ben, you're a black guy. Set an example for us and resign"

while we all stay

[neohippie]

65. Let's not forget the whistle blower

She was demoted for pointing out that his purchases violated spending limits and for catching unusual accounting practices that were hiding a $10 million dollar budget deficit


https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-02-27/hud-official-says-she-was-demoted-for-not-complying-with-ben-carsons-costly-office-redecoration-report

Foster reportedly said she informed Clemmensen that no more than $5,000 could legally be spent on office improvements. However, she alleges that Clemmensen told her administrations had "always found ways around that in the past." She said she was later told to "find money" for the redecoration, according to The Hill.

Clemmensen reportedly told Foster that "$5,000 will not even buy a decent chair."

The former official says she told the budget director at HUD she was ordered to break the legal budget for the redecoration.

In her report, Foster also says she was replaced by a Trump appointee because she exposed a $10 million budget deficit and because she protested after being prohibited from handling sensitive Freedom of Information Act requests relating to Trump because she was believed to be a Democrat, according to The Guardian.

[MLAA]

68. Malaise you know that fake gold plated crap is expensive 😬

[malaise]

75. Did you see the ugly crap

Clearly someone got a nice 'custom made' contract. Follow the money - I'm betting nepotism on steroids.

[Soxfan58]

78. This is the slim thats left

When you drain the swarp

[Vinca]

81. Most people could furnish their house for $31,000.

Did Ben always have his heart set on Noguchi furniture or something? What the hell does a $31,000 dining room set even look like?

[saidsimplesimon]

82. As always, malaise demonstrates genius

in simplicity. Thanks for sharing your gender, it was unnecessary for those of US who "see" beyond the blog persona.

[Honeycombe8]

85. You mean you want him to be gone, or he WILL be gone? nt

[malaise]

89. I want him to be gone

[BoneyardDem]

91. Ahh, the guy that fails to understand or even acknowledge that others may need government help

...decides to use the tax payers help with some outrageous overpriced vanity/decor requests. Asshole.

[Wednesdays]

94. He's not going anytime soon, if ever.

Remember, IOKIYAR.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

95. Wishful thinking.

He'll be in office at least through the end of Trump's first term.

[guillaumeb]

101. Only $31,000?

A bargain at twice the price!!

[sprinkleeninow]

118. "Aaand TODAY ONLY, free stereo with any purchase!"

😝

Mon Ami, Guillaume! 😘

[poboy2]

102. I was hoping for a pyramid/grain joke in this thread.

oh well, kick.

[Blue_Tires]

104. Hell, they all should be gone...

[malaise]

106. +1,000

the sooner the better

[edhopper]

110. Well

It was Hope Hicks and not Carson.

I think he stays. Corruption is not grounds for leaving in this Administration.

[sprinkleeninow]

117. It's a required skillset for landing a position in this maladministration.

[Scalded Nun]

111. Wow! What a waste by a senior civil servant! You know what that means?

Tens of thousands of low/mid-level civil servants will spend the next 2 months taking Fraud/Waste/Abuse and Ethics training courses.

Happens every time.

[Rhiannon12866]

112. Why does he need a dining table in his office, anyway?

Is he planning to move his family in there??

[Hermit-The-Prog]

113. what would Natcher say?

Back before Kentucky became a red cesspool, William H. Natcher represented us.

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/31/obituaries/william-h-natcher-dies-at-84-held-voting-record-in-congress.html

[...]

But on Capitol Hill, Mr. Natcher was an icon, a lawmaker who educated himself on the issues rather than rely on his staff, who took no campaign contributions, who was visibly offended by hints of corruption and who honored legislative procedures and courtesies to their last jot.

[...]

Mr. Natcher was said to take more pride in his voting record, his daily entries in a diary and the weekly essays on history that he sent to his seven grandchildren than in his eminence in the House.

In his district, in central and western Kentucky, he generally campaigned by placing a few newspaper advertisements and driving from town to town in his own automobile. And in contrast to many House members, who operate publicity machines of Wurlitzer proportions, Mr. Natcher issued one press release each year, summarizing his voting record.

In 1990 he spent $6,768 of his own money to rack up 66 percent of the vote against an opponent who had spent $144,315. One Republican who tried to unseat him in the 1980's likened the race to running against God.

[...]

Natcher wouldn't even spend the postage allotment Congress members get. He never forgot whose money was being spent.

[RainCaster]

120. He's a Republican- it's expected.

Not a damn thing will happen to him.

[trusty elf]

121. I wonder how much he paid for this ! ?

That's money well spent!

[malaise]

127. Nice

[Orsino]

124. For being underqualified?

$31k is a ridiculously small amount of corruption. We should demand more from our unelected Trumpers.

[malaise]

129. Others are complying with significantly better numbers

[ancianita]

126. You can never squeeze a buffalo nickel out of 'em when there's minimal Democratic spending.

[Motley13]

128. He never heard of Rooms to Go?