Art of the State

By Liz Krueger

As a state senator who represents an urban district in a populous state, I have developed keen insight into many of the responsibilities, policies and political complexities involved in running the country. I have a staff of only eight but the responsibility to enact a budget and laws that touch the lives of millions.

In this job, you come to understand the relationships among federal, state and local laws and how government provides education, civil and criminal justice, health care, tax policy, public transportation and social services like housing and child welfare. You need to do your own homework. You must be a generalist able to switch subjects at a moment’s notice. And you must keep up with a staggering volume of legislation.

Read full article at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/opinion/14krueger.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss