by Bob Lawrence 10/17/2103
SAN DIEGO – The barricade was taken down and the closed sign reversed to open — after a two-week shutdown the Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma was finally reopened.
“It’s good to be back,” said park ranger David Leaf.
Employees and visitors once again enjoyed the majestic views from the top of Point Loma.
“If it hadn’t reopened we would have missed out entirely,” said Fred Lanning visiting from North Carolina.
Other visitors especially international travelers such as Eduardo Estevez from Spain, couldn’t believe there was a shutdown in the first place.
“You know it’s unbelievable that this could take place in the U.S., it’s the home of democracy,” he said.
Federal employees were also back on the job downtown and here too expressed dismay over the shutdown.
“We’re simply tired of being used as pawns by politicians who wanted some other outcome,” said Malcolm Gettmann of the National Treasury Employees Union.
Gettmann was talking about the Republican effort to change the healthcare law before voting to reopen the government.
Furloughed employees were paid during the shutdown or will receive back pay.
“So what was the whole point of this,” said U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, the democratic member of the House in the 52nd District, who hopes to introduce legislation that would end gaming in the system when it comes to the debt ceiling.
Meantime, the Cabrillo Monument, which usually draws 1,200 visitors a day, hopes to reschedule events that had to be cancelled.
Original link: http://www.10news.com/news/cabrillo-national-monument-welcomes-back-visitors-after-two-week-shutdown10172013