Pelosi pushes gourmet menu
Newly ascendant Democrats may have hit roadblocks on Iraq and fiscal issues, but they have revamped congressional menus, replacing fatty, pre-made foods with healthier, gourmet alternatives. The once dreary congressional cafeterias now abound with haute cuisine.
The menu transformation is part of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “Greening the Capitol” plan to make the House campus more environmentally friendly and socially progressive.
But there can be a downside to delicious. Not everyone is happy with the enhanced offerings. Many congressional employees have complained that as the food quality has increased, so have the prices.
“It’s a big jump from high school cafeteria to fancy-pants gourmet. I just wish my pay improved,” said Caryn Schenewerk, a staffer for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). A fruit and cheese side dish with two small wedges of brie and cheddar, six grapes, two saltines and one strawberry cost $4.95, for example.
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House officials explained that the fresher and more varied foods were indeed more expensive but that they had tried to preserve low-cost alternatives such as pizza, sandwiches and prepared salads, which remain around the same price. Higher prices weren’t the only complaints.
One House Republican aide lobbed attacks at the Democrats over e-mail.
“I really don’t like Nanny Nancy telling me what I can and cannot eat for lunch. If I want to eat unhealthy, I should have that choice!” the aide fumed.
Republican aides have raised questions about why the cafeterias now stock Stonyfield Farm yogurt, speculating that the move would line the pockets of the company’s CEO, Gary Hirshberg, a significant player in Democratic politics.
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And the recycling stations, oh, the recycling stations! They are veritable shrines to a renewable Earth, with four differently shaped slots to sort garbage and lengthy directions on proper sorting. Soup containers go into the square-shaped “compostable” slot, but soup lids end up in the rounded “landfill waste” slot.
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Ventura said customers would have to change their behavior to accommodate the environmentally friendly products.
Questions and answers for a better you!
1) Dems can't create meaningful legislation? Go haute cuisine and brie!
2) Dems can't create meaningful legislation? Go green on campus and be socially progressive!
3) Dems increase the cost of living? Too bad. It's good for you whether you like it or not.
4) Citizens complain about price increases? Even though you are being forced into our better life style, we've kept some of your disgusting choices around to placate you. For window dressing and only for awhile.
5) Nanny Nancy? How dare you, you sexist! Go to your room! And no tax relief for a month for you buster!! Scoot! Go! Wait until you father gets home!
6) Dems build a better world in a bubble for show? Well, why not reward those that donated huge sums of money to make all this possible for us?
7) Dems build a better world in a bubble for show? How better to show our passion, our dedication to silly science than building a shrine to our blessed Mother Earth?
8) If you have a different opinion? Better modify your behavior or we will do it for you.
9) Thank us for a healthier life style for you. Don't we feel better?
10) Iraq, taxes, immigration and health care? We hope Bush and Cheney get clogged arteries.
