There’s not too many jobs where someone can sleep in their office and get positive news coverage. CNN’s been running the following story on their website:
This isn’t the only time I’ve heard of politicians sleeping in their offices so they could either be real fiscal conservatives (as Utah’s Jason Chaffetz seems to be) or spend more time each day doing the work of the people they represent. Back in late 2000/early 2001, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting where I was told that this is actually a common practice among elected officials in the Indiana House and Senate.
It is sometimes easy to say that politicians are all lazy, stupid or out to benefit themselves at the cost of the public. Of course, seeing streams of North Carolina politicians led away in shackles for their criminal misdoings kind of reinforces that belief. Furthermore, it’s even easier to feel this way having politicians tell you personally that they would switch to the Devil’s side in a heartbeat if more of their constituents were ardent Satanists.
Too many people over-exaggerate the amount of influence Washington has over your life that the power it claims becomes real (if you let it). Local and state government is your best opportunity to do something good in your community (as far as government can provide solutions to any specific problem, that is). And better yet, your local and state representatives are people you can more easily get ahold of than the folks embedded in the Washington scene. My recommendation for a better local and state government: know what you believe in, go to your state’s assembly in support of your values, learn by jumping in headfirst and get in their face when you’re certain they’re making decisions based on the safety and security of their asses (and not of those they represent).
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