Janet Yellen happens to be the chairwoman of the Federal Reserve. That means, as a high-ranking government official, she gets a ride to work and a fair amount of security around her Georgetown home. But her neighbors aren’t happy about the entourage or their comings and goings from their exclusive gated community of Hillandale. The Federal Reserve security detail has even rented a townhouse near Yellen’s home, a fact that hasn’t prompted neighbors send any Welcome Wagon gifts . . .
As wsj.com details, some Hillandale residents object to the display of force.
As neighbors tell it, earlier this year, the security detail protecting new Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen barreled through the cul-de-sac where she lives in oversize vans loaded with guns, cameras and takeout pizza. It established an “armed camp” next door to Ms. Forman’s townhome, according to a written bill of grievances presented by concerned neighbors deeming the uniformed police presence “uncomfortable for residents of various religious persuasions,” such as Quakers.
But the affronts to local sensibilities don’t end there. Yellen’s neighbors, many of whom, it seems safe to assume, have their maws as firmly affixed to the public teat as a litter of newborn puppies, have developed a new-found deep concern for the taxpayer dollar — at least when they happen to be inconvenienced.
“The government is paying $5,000 or $6,000 a month or more to rent a whole townhouse in Georgetown to put cops in,” says international attorney William Shawn, who lives down the street from the newcomers. Is this really necessary, he wonders, to protect an unarmed economist from Brooklyn?
And it’s not just the expense of it all that irks Hillandalians. It may shock you to learn that all the feds aren’t exactly ripped like Dom Raso.
Neighbors seem especially put off by the aesthetics of the security detail, in particular their blue uniforms and—in the words of one resident—”doughnut bellies.”
Tragically, the experience has left a permanent mark on their tony community, too.
Security trucks, (a bill of grievances) continued, “weighing approximately 7,000 pounds each” sit idling on the street for “approximately 22 minutes daily” at each Yellen morning pickup. When Ms. Yellen leaves her home, a second truck then “speedily pulls out of the security driveway…all the while spilling fluid onto the street, which has now left a permanent stain.” Hillandale bylaws expressly prohibit car fluid spills in the common areas.
One resident tried to justify his neighbors’ discomfort at all the hubbub and chalks it all up to their high strung personalities.
George Hill also lives nearby, and doesn’t mind the officers. “Very intelligent and articulate and expressive people live in neighborhoods like ours, and I think sometimes they over-articulate and over-express,” he says.
But at least someone who lives in Hillandale has enough self-awareness to be embarrassed about the tizzy residents have thrown over Ms. Yellen’s comings and goings.
“There are a number of people who are upset about it and an equal number who are not,” said (board President Cynthia) Howar. “It’s not fair to the neighborhood to have this aired about publicly…I’m kind of embarrassed for the neighborhood, quite frankly.”
Ya think?
Armed camp!? 7000 lb trucks – a Tahoe perhaps lol. What an extreme example of hyperbole and general idiocy.
Indeed. Anything under (I think) 8,000 lbs GVWR is considered a light-duty truck. Think F-150 or, as you said, a Tahoe or any other SUV (which is just a truck frame with a different body on it).
A blacked-out Tahoe with lights under the grille and GSA plates. Standard DC issue. You’ll see a lot more in the coming months.
Does that stand for General Services Administration? Why the increase?
The Federal Reserve is a private company. I don’t think its employees are government workers. As far as I know.
Federal Reserve property is considered federal property.
I’ve worked at one of the Federal Reserve Banks, the officers are federal officers and can stop the local and state PD from entering the building.
I’m not sure about other positions though.
I was once, in another life, a Federal employee. Federal employment is governed by the Office of Personel Management (OPM). I looked it up to make sure. Federal Reserve employees are governed by the Federal Reserve Board’s Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems (RBOPS) which has no Federal oversight. Maybe someone who knows will stop by with an answer.
Like most fascist systems, it’s a clever hybrid of public and private. And it’s quite possibly the most dangerous opponent of liberty in America today.
It’s that whole “follow the money” thing. It’s no accident that they don’t hammer home the most important lesson about compound interest in public schools.
Holy crap, someone using the word “fascist” with its actual meaning!
Last I heard, fascists were not in general big fans of usury (and the usurious).
Fascisms was originally a system where connected corporate interests and government worked together to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.
That’s the big joke. The Federal Reserve is a union of private banks. It is a private entity owned by very rich folk: the princes and princesses of America. The Fed has a ‘special relationship’ with the US intelligence agencies under the Patriot Act. The US President appoints the Chairman of the Fed Res, a nice play act for the US people. Happy 4th of July
3500 G.V.W. on the Tahoe
3500 pounds of doughnut bellied feds. I’m big but from Prednisone for back & knees not Krispy-Kreme. Haven’t even been in a doughnut shop in 15 years. Only know 1 cop personally that even eats them & it’s his 2nd job making them. Takes a bite of 1 out of a batch for quality control
A Tahoe weighs about 5500 lbs. A Toyota Sequoia can weigh about 6000 lbs.
RPP, rich people problems. Ha.
Its not so much RPP as it is that in today’s society nobody can be: bothered, annoyed, inconvenienced, their sensibilities disturbed or in general, any neighborhood by my neighborhood.
Ever see people go nuts because of a cell phone tower? After Hurricane Sandy and Irene knocked out power, the state decided to cut back trees to prevent wide areas of power loss especially in main corridors of power transmission. People went nuts over not having power for two weeks and then went just as nuts over trees being cut that would prevent future power loss.
The slightest bit of inconvenience is intolerable to some people — rich or poor. The only difference between rich and poor is the degree. Some rich people complain about a single stitch being out of place while many poor are more tolerant but both can be just as vocal for stupid shit!
This type of suburban sociopathology was well documented in the movie “Serial Mom.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_Mom
The Federal Reserve is government run. You may be thinking of the FHLB’s which are run by member institutions.
No, the Federal Reserve is a privately owned company, lock, stock, and barrel. The government only appoints the “independent (of government interference)” board members, which are paid by the company and which answer only to the company.
Again, I only know this from having known a Federal Reserve employee.
Read the damn wikipedia article already.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_System
So it’s essentially a GOCO for the money supply?
Jus Bill, call it the Congressionally-chartered, quasi-governmental national bank of the US. It is not private. If the Federal Reserve was private, the Chairman and other top execs wouldn’t need a Presidential appointment and Senate confirmation.
It’s not under any branch of government so that it can remain somewhat independent.
If you happened to read it, “lawman”, you would realize that the Federal reserve is a hybrid private/public entity.
If it was truly public, it would have more discretion and oversight. It obviously does not, working in its own self interests.
Meanwhile the only enemy nearby is the ever lurking cholesterol
Haw haw haw. High speed, low pants!
OK, “High speed low pants” made me spit my coffee. Well played, sir and/or ma’am, well played.
Take-out pizza? What kind of diet is that for a crack security force?
It’s better than take-out crack for a pizza security force.
Trucks idling for approx. 22 minutes a day? Not 20, not 25 but 22 minutes…… someone has way too much time on their hands. I was thinking at first having such a robust security detail in the neighborhood would be a good thing. Then I realized that these security agents would sit in their truck and watch me get shot, gutted, cooked and eaten before ever thinking about leaving their seat. They are there to protect just one person, and I ma sure the rest of the neighbors are considered expendable.
Given the number of potentially violent, anti-Fed groups out there, the neighbors just did a lot of pre-attack recon (22 minute wait time? …are these people writing a pre-op intel breif or what?) and blasted it out to the world. Hopefully the security teams are smart enough to know they should alter their routines now.
They work for the same people that keep making your $$ worth less. Bet there’s only 1 way in or out. Likely means a helo on standby to evac her.
They are “altering their routines.” From now on, Wednesday is Subway sandwich day!
As for the gentleman commenting about the PSDs diet…..
do you expect them to be eating Paleo haha?
I like how nosy opinionated douchebags with so much time on their hands that they can use a stopwatch on a parked truck are described as intelligent and articulate.
Yeah, kick them out of that townhouse. Put them in RVs parked curbside, the neighbors would stop complaining about the townhouse pretty quick.
Just wait until the Occupy folks get a burr up their cracks and decide to camp out in front of her digs. Then see what the neighbors say.
She is one of the most powerful women in the world.
She is a target.
She needs the security.
Her neighbors comments are just f-ing dumb beyond repair and show themselves to be acting like little whiny little entitled NIMBY b*tches.
Yeah, seriously judging by the amount of surveillance the neighbors conducted, you’d think they were planning a hit on Yellen.
-22 minute wait time
-second truck pulls out
-security camera on roof
-guards out of shape
-security team a block away
If I’m not mistaken, that’s enough for most hit men/teams.
They are definitely not government owned, but they have federal government tags on their SUV s parked all over DC and any other bank town. Go visit DC and tell me the whole thing isn’t out of control. Entire convoys to escort someone you wouldn’t recognize, or care to.
Worse than that, try visiting NY city when the UN is having one of their meetings. Land of 1000 suburbans and the rudest bodyguards. They will drag you out of your elevator so some foreigner and his concubines can have it.
Definitely not what the founding fathers were thinking.
Ben Franklin didn’t make out too badly in France.
Wait’ll they get a load of the MRAPS, SWAT teams and drone fleets the rest of us in Occupied America have to live under. Hey, sweetheart, our streets are stained, too, and it ain’t hydraulic fluid.
“Very intelligent and articulate and expressive people live in neighborhoods like ours, and I think sometimes they over-articulate and over-express…”
hahahaha. George Hill and i. we’d be mates, i reckon.
WAAA Freaking WAAA, cry me a river. Don’t like it? Move. Can you tell I am starting to get annoyed with all the MDA crowd (meaning anyone with like thoughts)?
““approximately 22 minutes daily”
The horror the horror, the people in this neighborhood are the problem in this country. We should just strap a ‘chute on all of them, give them a butter knife and drop them into Syria to fight ISIS, good riddance.
They complain about the expense of her security detail while most of the Hillendale residents are on the government tit themselves. Nice.
Well now this gives me hope. If the ruling class ever does manage to take over, they will promptly implode from infighting.
7,000 lbs??? Pffffft. My wife’s daily driver is 7,400 lbs, before fuel and passengers.
Whatevs, the neighborhood goyim just kvetchin’ ’bout her tuches ‘cuz they can’t control the gelt like Yellin. Gay avek!
Whatever. SS protection detail has been extended to many people who until Obuma would not have received this. Including the ____________ Val Jarrett. Obuma can send them to do anything he wants.
From SS website
By law, the Secret Service is authorized to protect:
•The president, the vice president, (or other individuals next in order of succession to the Office of the President), the president-elect and vice president-elect
•The immediate families of the above individuals
•Former presidents, their spouses, except when the spouse re-marries
•Children of former presidents until age 16
•Visiting heads of foreign states or governments and their spouses traveling with them, other distinguished foreign visitors to the United States, and official representatives of the United States performing special missions abroad
•Major presidential and vice presidential candidates, and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election
•Other individuals as designated per Executive Order of the President and
•National Special Security Events, when designated as such by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
“Neighbors seem especially put off by the aesthetics of the security detail, in particular their blue uniforms and—in the words of one resident—”doughnut bellies.” … “Very intelligent and articulate and expressive people live in neighborhoods like ours, and I think sometimes they over-articulate and over-express,” he says.” OH THE HUMANITY!!!! (Might I suggest that Ms. Yellen hire the waitresses from Shooter’s Grill in Rifle, Colo? A far more aesthetic group.)
I’m sorry, I can’t help myself: ROTFLM effing AO. Exclamation mark repeated many times.
Shut up and welcome the added security to your walled up little fiefdom.
The USSS does not protect Yellen. The Federal Reserve has its own law enforcement arm, the Federal Reserve Police and the Federal Reserve Office of Inspector General. It is absurd that Yellen needs a protective detail. This is clearly nothing more than a ego boost for Yellen as well as a way to avoid traffic jams. I would even suggest that there is no legal basis for the Federal Reserve Police to perform this function as it is not authorized by law since her residence is not Federal Reserve property.