"Toilet Paper Rationing Proposed for Inmates" read the teaser headline in the sidebar of my Metro section front page for the April 25 Washington Post. "Since when did Sheryl Crow become a jail warden?" I wondered. Much to my chagrin, I found it was not such a green story after all, unless the green we're talking about is the budget for the Montgomery County, Maryland budget:
Montgomery County labor leaders are urging government officials to ration rolls of toilet paper and bars of soap for the county's inmates to help cut costs and cope with a nearly $300 million budget shortfall.
The suggestion to limit inmates to up to three rolls of toilet paper and two bars of soap each week is part of a long list of savings the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization has submitted to the County Council, which is considering raising taxes, trimming services and revising union contracts that include raises for workers.
That's hardly the earth-friendly sacrifice that Ms. Crow preaches. Inmates have long been accustomed to "three squares a day." Who's to say that should only apply to food?
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3 rolls a WEEK??!!?
April 25, 2008 - 13:04 ET by sarcasmoLet's just say I'm impressed, and leave it at that...
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Three Rolls a WEEK?
April 25, 2008 - 13:07 ET by Noel SheppardNBers,
Three rolls a week? Who goes through three rolls of toilet paper a week? Are these guys TP-ing their cells? ns
Noel, my wife goes through
April 25, 2008 - 13:11 ET by bassndudeNoel, my wife goes through that stuff like it grows on trees. I dont know what she is doing with it. So is this a female jail?
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
noel
April 25, 2008 - 13:14 ET by candanceI'm with you. If you have to struggle to contain your consumption to three rolls a week, there's something wrong.
Sadly, though, this is the beginning of TP eventually being rationed for everyone else.
Clearly the jail food must
April 25, 2008 - 13:31 ET by Ken ShepherdClearly the jail food must do a number on the, um, excretory system.
Noel,
April 25, 2008 - 22:47 ET by R D HelmWhen the jailbirds aren't using it for its intended purpose, they are backing up the toilets with it.
My dad was a mechanical and civil engineer, among other things, and did a lot of design work for prisons in the southeastern U.S.
Special features had to be incorporated into the drainage and sewage systems, as those guys would cram all kinds of stuff down the toilets and drains Tp, clothing, and even the occasional mattress would find its way into the system.
I mean, what were they going to do to them? Send them to the slammer?
Theme for Election '08: Who cares?
We could cut it down to 1.5
April 25, 2008 - 13:09 ET by ThisnThatWe could cut it down to 1.5 rolls if we would only require each inmate to use both sides of the paper....
But you're right....that's a lot of paper. Wonder what they were using before the "cutback"?
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If 3's a cutback
April 25, 2008 - 13:13 ET by sarcasmoIt's a wonder any of them has any skin left back there...
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Angry Inmate
April 25, 2008 - 14:07 ET by allanfJailers will want to steer clear of inmates at the end of the week when prisoners will tend to run out of toilet paper. The restrictions could create a rather unctuous situation for the staff.
Three
April 25, 2008 - 19:47 ET by zoro7957................rolls per week? What kinda diet do they have inmates on?
Not Just That, She Also Rips Off Peoples' Songs
April 25, 2008 - 22:26 ET by The7SticksThat's at least the story a friend of mine has told me. He was friends with one of the credited writers of her breakthrough song "All I Want To Do". His name was Kevin Gilbert, and he was dating Crow for some time before some nasty break-up. I tried searching Wikipedia about the making of that song, and it says that Gilbert was credited as one of the writers of that song. My friend, though, said that Sheryl Crow ripped off his song and that he was never able to attain the success she got. Sadly, he died a few years later. My friend has always had some digust towards Crow because of that incident.
It's now going to be very hard for me to listen to Fleetwood Mac now that Sheryl Crow has become a part of it. Kevin really should have been the one receiving that honor.
On that note about toilet paper, I'm reminded of that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine says, "You can't spare one square?" I'm just thinking about the jokes that can be made about this whole non-issue.