Dog days are great, if you’re a dog

When is the last time the boss told you to take the next two months off, with full pay and full benefits?

Before you answer that, answer this semi-trick question: Which place has the most government-approved days off?

• Fiji
• Monaco
• Argentina
• Colombia
• District of Columbia
• Thailand
• Iceland
• Malaysia
• Slovakia

When it comes to countries with the most holidays the winners are Argentina and Colombia, each with 18. Thailand, Malaysia and Slovakia are up there too in authorizing government-approved time outs for all. But nothing our neighbors to the north, south, east or west can approach the number of paid days off taken by 535 elite servants of the people who either (and sometimes work) in the District of Columbia, or in the greater D.C. area. These are members of the House and the Senate who, after a grueling first half of 2016 when they were frequently away from their offices celebrating extended holidays, spring breaks and the like, are off. Again. This time their mid-year break will last about seven weeks.

Most people who live and work in the D.C. area (or any other U.S. jurisdiction) don’t get as many vacation days as their elected leaders. But there is an upside when Congress is gone. It is that Congress is gone!

When Congress goes on leave — especially its extended summer breaks — it takes lots of people with it. It’s estimated that more than 10,000 members of the legislative branch will also take some time off. So will thousands of feds whose jobs involve direct or indirect interaction with Congress. So too will many journalists, lawyers and lobbyists who have livelihoods revolving around Congress. These are the beautiful (to some) people. For many workaday D.C. residents these are people whose extended vacations we welcome and applaud. Fewer people on the roads, more table space at local eating places, less tension all around.

Chat with Jonathan Alboum, USDA CIO, July 26 at 2 p.m. Sign up here.

While many locals (and visitors) complain about D.C’s heat and humidity in July and August, folks in St. Louis, New Orleans and Houston, to name a few, could say the same. What makes this the place to visit (or live in) in the summer isn’t the weather. It’s the people who aren’t here, thanks to congressional break times, that for many make this a less crowded, less uptight and tense place to be. So while most of us will be here over the next couple of months, there is no reason we shouldn’t enjoy it. And if you are planning a visit to the nation’s capital, now is the time.

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Michael O’Connell

The dog days of summer, which are the weeks running between July 3 and Aug. 11, are named for the Dog Star (Sirius) in the Canis Major constellation.

Source: Random Facts

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