Have you heard about the Senate restaurants being privatized because they’re losing scads of money? Here’s the WaPo take on it:

Year after year, decade upon decade, the U.S. Senate’s network of restaurants has lost staggering amounts of money — more than $18 million since 1993, according to one report, and an estimated $2 million this year alone, according to another.
…
In the past 10 years, only 20 new items have been added to the Senate menus. So rare are new entrees that last year’s arrival of daily fresh-made sushi was treated in some senatorial quarters as if a new Nobu had opened in the Capitol dining room.

Even revenue in the once-profitable catering division has been decimated, as senators have increasingly sought waivers to bring in outside food for special events with constituents and private groups.
…
“I know what happens with privatization. Workers lose jobs, and the next generation of workers make less in wages. These are some of the lowest-paid workers in our country, and I want to help them,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), a staunch labor union ally, said recently. The wages of the approximately 100 Senate food service workers average $37,000 annually.

Feinstein made another presentation May 7, warning senators that if they did not agree to turn over the operation to a private contractor, prices would be increased 25 percent across the board.

According to this website, the average fast food assistant manager earns $32,000 a year, which makes $37,000 seem like a pretty good wage.

I also like this quote:

The fact that the government can’t manage it’s own restaurant doesn’t make me feel very good about the government managing anything more difficult. Not that I’m saying that’s the easiest thing in the world to manage a restaurant. I can see where it would be difficult. But in the grand scheme of things, wouldn’t managing a restaurant be easier than, oh let’s say, managing social security? Or national security?

Amen, sister.