General Politics Discussion [ARCHIVED] • Page 337

I donated in my mom's name for cancer research and she had lunch with me at city hall (she's the city administrator), I'm pretty sure it's the corruption scandal of the century. Heh. I don't mean to make light of what could be going on (and if there's anything the Clintons really really suck at, it's being constantly appearing to be shady as fuck), but so far this portion that we've seen of it is pretty damn weak.

So is your job basically a living example of Parks and Rec? Because my mom's is. The current fight is over the size of the off leash area in a dog park. Neighbors are up in arms. Names are being called. Threats made. It's literally like watching an episode of Parks and Rec, but it makes me sad, and not laugh.

(The real scandal in the making: What if I only talk to light blue badges in this forum now? Pay for play is real!)

 

My friend works as a a staffer to a state senator...she gets phone calls from constituents that include things like complaining about monkey balls* that fell from the trees onto the ground. Yeah.



*I realize 'monkey balls' is regional dialect, so for clarity, they're the brown spikey things that fall from certain trees.

 

I work in Administration as the Assistant City Clerk. But working in municipal government has turned Parks and Rec from a comedy to a documentary. I've had calls to the Mayor's office to complain that there were too many dandelions in the parks, someone wanted the City to get rid of the mosquitos throughout the City by bringing back the DDT fog trucks from the 1950s, I've been personally blamed for the location of the drop box for the post office and that the tree next to the drop box caused leaves to get into their car, and I've been hit on and invited over to an elderly lady's home. And I just started in January, haha!

As Leslie Knope said, "These people are members of the community that care about where they live. So what hear when I'm being yelled at is people caring ... loudly at me." Despite all that, I love my job and I love interacting with the residents everyday to help their issues get solved and improve the community.

 

The Establishment Foundation | Jacobin

 

Hahahahaha, this is incredible. Also, I've heard basically these exact same kinds of stories from city hall. I can't stop laughing at the "dandelions" one. Wow.

That's exactly what you gotta do, have to be Leslie Knope. I couldn't do it. I would be so bad at it. Even hearing the stories makes me just throw my hands up sometimes. I mean, unless someone allowed me to have a city ban-hammer.

 

Haha yeah, the dandelions one has been my favorite so far. It's on the same level of legitimacy as the episode where the lady complains that the sandwich she found and ate in the Park didn't have mayonnaise on it. I brought her up in my interview, saying despite being a TV character, her attitude towards local government is what I try and model my own approach after.

Oh, also had a sexist old guy. He wanted to complain about a Utility Billing clerk who wouldn't put up with his shouting. I referred him to her supervisor who was also a woman. He didn't want to talk to any women because "they're too emotional" and they "think he's yelling too much" and "they take this more personally than a man does." So he wanted to talk to the supervisor's director. Who was a woman. The Assistant City Administrator of Internal Services who is over that director was also a woman. He was pissed and he's been the only person I've gotten mad at and told not to contact the Mayor's office again with sexist complaints.

 

When I interned at a congressional office I was accused of personally covering up Benghazi.

 

I briefly worked in local government and I once shared a lift with someone (presumably) from a different floor who looked like Jerry

 

Shouldn't have deleted that email, amigo. Now you're complicit. I think the one victims mother blames you personally for her son's death.

 

I sorta believe this. Gonna go turn over your AP.net emails to the FBI. BRB.

 

Now I'm just gonna watch Parks and Rec clips on YouTube.

I should be working.

"Except for turnip!!"

 

i work for the parks department, they made me cut down a rope swing and i got berated for it

also witnessed this summer:
people from the dog park getting in a screaming match with a camp counselor (kids were gone)
people complaining about all the kids running around the park
someone spraypainted "make america stoned again" on a tree (no peach pit)
also got yelled at for pulling a struggling swimmer out of the water by the swimmer's father

 

Maybe I should run for office. I mean, who gives a shit, right?

 

More: Muhammad Yunus Is A Decades-Long Clinton Friend And A Nobel Prize Winner. Donations Aren't Why She Met With Him.

 

Can I be your campaign manager?

 

You have to delete all of my posts, particularly those condemning police violence. ;p

 

No, like, seriously. For local office you'd just have to make sure like 5-10% of the population knows who you are.

Of course it's easier to do that with a political party backing you heh, but still.

 

We can scrub the internet like that college did to try and remove the mace photo.

Gavin Belson style.

 

Hey, random, but a few months ago you posted a long study about spending efficiency in the public and private sector (I think with some regard for healthcare policy) wherein the private overhead was estimated at eight times the amount of public overhead.

Do you by chance remember that/have it on hand?

 

Ugh, I'd love to work for local/municipal gov't. I got to interview for a position (grant development) but have no idea why they even invited me considering I had no previous experience in grants. But boy was the pay/benefits pretty good.

 

I'd rather die than label myself a democrat.