Such clubby exclusivity oozed from a letter written by Senator Don Benton, who apparently was incensed at learning that while the Capitol undergoes a $100 million renovation, senators will not be provided with the private dining room--or the French chefs--to which they have become accustomed. The building is being closed on June 1 and is expected to be under wraps until November 2004. That means squeezing into temporary digs that have no room for a separate eating area for senators. Thirty-six out of 49 senators signed the letter, saying it was unacceptable to have to share a dining room with House members.
Stories in the local newspapers were not sympathetic, describing tight economic times, $685 million worth of budget cuts and the layoffs of hundreds of state workers, while senators were griping about losing their private dining room.
Brad Hendrickson, deputy secretary of the Senate, tried to explain about the desire for a senators-only dining room. "It allows them to go to a place where it's private and they're not being seized by lobbyists and staff." Moreover, since their schedules don't permit them to take an hour-long lunch, he notes, having to fight the lines means they may not get lunch at all.
Henderson also points out that although their chefs may have been French, it's not as if the senators were dining at a fine restaurant with white tablecloths and candles. "The food service was cafeteria style," he says. "There was one daily special and members pushed their trays along, paying per diem for the meals they got."
