How is it that underage teens are even allowed to work as pages?

[MindPilot]

Clearly the House or Senate floor is not a place for underage kids what with Cheney's profanity and all, but now it's very obvious that it can be a very dangerous workplace as well.

Does the government violate any OSHA or labor laws by "hiring" young boys as pages?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. Yeah, because underage kids will never hear profanity or be sexually

harassed at jobs other than Congress.

:eyes:

[MindPilot]

7. In this age of freaking out over a tit on the teevee

don't you think that the halls of congress would be the the place where that exposure should be least likely to happen?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

11. The government freaked out over Janet's breast because the fundies freaked

out over Janet's breast. They were catering to their constituents, so no I don't think it'd be the least likely place for that exposure to happen. Really a church should be the least likely place for that to happen, but the world doesn't work that way, does it? Are you going to say churches are no places for minors, though?

[rocktivity]

2. Good point--why can't they college instead of high school age?

According to CNN, they live in a dorm, get up at 5:30 AM and for school before serving in the Capitol. I have no reason to believe they are paid. And how are they chosen? Are they the children of big donors, like with the interns?

:headbang:
rocknation

[Warpy]

3. Not really. Kids can usually start to work in something

besides the informal economy of babysitting and yard work at the age of 14.

Hours for minors are restricted, though. No 16 hour shifts.

I'm watching the "Conspiracy of Silence" video now, the documentary that was never shown because the rich and powerful threatened lawsuits. Apparently the rich, powerful and utterly corrupt have always assured themselves of a pool of attractive teenagers, one way or another.

What better victims than the hungry or the star struck?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7394798266998491777&hl=en

[goclark]

4. I agree, that is not a job for teens

There are too many college age students that need to work that could do that job.

[sweetheart]

5. virginity is sexy

Lots of old people like to be stimulated by sexy young things, that's what congress is all about,
they steal the energy from the powerful, (16 years olds have much more physical power), and use
that stolen energy to fuck people over, to weaken and ultimately destroy them... its a living,
and republicans love it!! gets them free sex, young pussy and assholes as much as they can screw,
and helps make up for the long hours and the meagre congressional salaries.

Plus, it helps employ more young people, so they learn the casting couch of jesus, which is all
a good thing given that the lord GWB blesses all sinners.

[SoCalDem]

6. Because it's a clever way to "pay back" their donor base

The parents can show how "influential" they are when they brag to their friends about how their little darlings have been "chosen" to work in DC..and how importnat THEY are because of it..

I wonder how many pages are chosen at random, from families who are NOT big donors..

my guess?..zero

These parents basically offer up their children in exchange for bragging rights..

reminds me of the people who took their children to hang out with Michael Jackson..

[Recursion]

14. Eh, my family had donated precisely $0

I wonder how many pages are chosen at random, from families who are NOT big donors.

It's mostly like governor's school or stuff like that; I knew quite a few pages whose families were the opposite party of the congressman appointing them. You need to have good grades, letters of recommendation, and usually have done some student government / service stuff. I'm sure friends of friends pull strings and all, but it really is mostly overachieving brownnosers, not kids of contributers. The main point of the program is to get high school students interested in being interns in college and staffers after college, or to go into local politics.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Probably won't for long now

I wouldn't be surprised if this program was abolished, after this scandal.

[Fleshdancer]

9. well when the program isn't abused...

I think it's a good way to get young people interested in politics. I would have loved to do something like this when I was 16. As for being a dangerous workplace...well sexual harassment can happen when bagging groceries or waiting tables or any other job that teenagers have. To make a knee jerk reaction and end the entire program based on the gross actions of one man would be a real shame in my opinion.

[Little Star]

10. Here is how to become a House Page

I could only find the description on a repug's site, sorry. However, it does answer some questions. Here is the link:
http://schwarz.house.gov/portal/alias__IRIS/lang__en/tabID__198/DesktopDefault.aspx

[uppityperson]

12. oh bullshit

Any profane phrase they hear in congress is probably much lighter than what they have heard in the outside world. So what if they hear a profane word? The program is intended to interest young men and women in politics. I know of people who have been aids and have had a very interesting educational time doing it. The problem is adults who cannot keep their sexuality or power in check, and the other adults who know and let them get by with it.

[Recursion]

13. I was a Page

It's a really good program when Congressmen aren't trying to bonk you (none were when I was in, but that's because they had just recently had a scandal).

Teenagers have been pages for about 150 years now and there's no great call to get rid of the program. It's an outstanding opportunity for high school students to see DC, see Congress at work, learn about the legislative process, hobnob with capitol hill types, and get some practice at dorm life (living in a dorm at 16 is pretty sweet).

The downsides are:
A) Long hours (school starts at 6am, work can drag on until almost 6am the next day sometimes)
B) Lots and lost of walking and running. Buy good shoes or expect shin splints.
C) Oddly enough, the biggest worry I had was being tricked into saying something I shouldn't about something I overheard by a reporter; they were really sneaky about that.
D) Bad food. Your options for lunch are pretty much the diner in the Capitol basement, or the Madison cafeteria if you can get to it. Pete's is good for breakfast. Most of the times you grab a snack from the snack machine; even with walking ~10 miles a day I put on 10 pounds that semester :(

It's a really great program and I do hate to see it tarnished because of a Congressman's actions (pages themselves have tarnished it too, with I believe 2 major drug busts in 10 years, not to mention the luggage-stealing scandal from my year -- long story :) ) The pay was awesome for a 16-year-old, especially given that it included room and board (they tore down the dorm a few years ago so I don't know how/where they live now).

As for your OSHA / labor question, it's yes and no. Congress has specifically exempted itself from OSHA and labor laws for all its employees, but in the case of pages they have set up fairly strict safety rules about what they can and can't do. (By the way, the program is open to boys and girls, not just boys.) Pages do work very long hours in some cases but they do make sure that they get adequate sleep the next day. None of the work is particularly hazardous in any sense, nor very hard frankly; it's just carrying notes and letters between the Floor and the offices, and running up the flag when the chamber goes into session.

From my class, about half of the students are in government service in some form now, and almost all of us have done *some* form of government service since we got in. So you could say it's a good recruitment tool.

Anyways, none of this is particularly relevant; I just don't want to see a program I really liked get tarnished because of Republicans' lack of values and leadership.