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welcome back to world view
now imagine working in an environment with five hundred and thirty five
members of the house and senate each having huge staffs
last before we factory committee steps overworked in and see number of hours
well there's likely to be tensions work issues
and yes even a few romances
when that romance crosses the political island democrat and republican staffers
begin a relationship in the city is divided as washington d_c_
how is that handles
rebeca gail writes that hill navigator called a must read for capitol hill
staffers
she's also contributing editor for rolled home magazine
prior to joining roll call
rebecca work his press secretary communications director for senators and
members of congress on capitol hill
she's also worked
on presidential and congressional campaigns after short stories appeared
in anthologies published by box prior press and her debut novel trying was
published by box fire december twenty twelve
she joins us today via skype from washington d_c_
rebecca gail welcomed worldview
it angle
rebecca
still navigator calm as a as a relatively new fixture but by enjoyed
reading about when democrats republicans ventured into relationships
how did this column come into being
well it will close audiences primarily capital and we were talking about other
ways in which we can connect with capitol hill staffers who are primary
leaders and the gang members as well
any capital has reached meaning not what's happened at the mansion
there are a lot of members of congress they have staff anywhere from twenty two
cents i picked me up to eighty
people and there is some office says they're very ambitious they're working
very hard
and their car
there's a lot of drama and having a situation like that you put a bunch of
smart and this is kids in a small room together you're going to get
things like this and questions in terms of prominence or questions about how you
get promoted
or questions about the jobs is going to mandy l
we played out there we sort of did he say that we are going to this column
and responses would be created
a lot of people wrote in with these questions that were very specific to
capitol helping the economy is said to you
each working environment we really want to capitalize on that
with is excluded you just said more than just office romance is with the bill
is such that divided and suspicious place these days
arm-in-arm was to recognize it when i visit
how poisonous of the the relationships between
us a democratic and republican stance is this bad as between their supposed
leaders
well hiring inside hasn't helped are in
years and and i'm not there right now i'm with the newspaper
but when i was very nice at first but i don't know the difference between work
and play
and they saw colleagues as kickball leagues of soccer and democratic
elegance to get edited by in the same teens
sometimes you do about the allegation
it accurately nine democratic articulate and i respect
people are pretty good about knowing where work and saying
pena that person you've been a good person be around would begin
itself parents need witness between sap paris
backs at midnight sections in america annalise summer distance
from the same delegation to senators who don't work well together
lawyer's offices you or indifference of an issue and fighting against one
another and it's been very personal
i think there is some in fact a lot of the record is more
tried to happen in any
yeah as opposed to what they are on staff level when he put it in your
column you you can clearly had uh... one person right in
and and and mentioned that believe the supervisor says some of the effect that
you've just ruined my life
but it's starting up this relationship with someone from across the of
uh... certain talk a little bit about how how that came about
well that was interesting is somebody who works on a campaign and i do think
im campaigns the records probably a little bit higher because campaign
hypnotic between personal life and work like if they required worked long hours
you work your weekends continued
opulent where the campaign is taking place so i think advises press in the
same way
i think the supervisor had a concern about me
this information or work in our study all of our day
he's trying to you
protests here this one side of the nation and a half percent
and you're out fraction hasn't yet any
so i_d_ really encourage the person who read to address those concerns with the
supervisor directly he'll emailing each issue has come
uh... commitments etc on is committed to confidentiality
and then we got back if she can one is to provide them once they're back
government spending
no more had to be said about that but i think he did the right thing in his
closing at because on a campaign at the stakes are a lot higher
trivia
we were talking with rebecca gail who puts the hill navigator column for roll
call magazine
here on roe v_ with dennis campbell with the congress seems to be a very good job
of protecting themselves from
labor uncertain employment laws in view of your column scenes to walt a pretty
fine line there
uh... you know you were advising for a number of what i read about a supervisor
who was being abusive
uh... staff is deal with this situation and and while that was the question
they've got a response
how many others have similar issues on them
and they help because it's actually been any place to wear
is a constant struggle are you appreciate your job and how can you
mate your your work-life balance how can you make it happen in a way that's good
for you and breyer off s uh... because members of congress had very demanding
schedules
yes that is expected to his laptop
boat when i was a capitol hill lot that act arrived in active sort of
environment i think a lot of staffers do
sometimes it is a nice time
sometimes members have been supervisors unit tempers can get shorty it can be a
very toxic environment and when that happens sometimes is not the right fit
and a lot of people who are kisses and he can be agood thing he can go over
what happens to take your experience sir
and hit enter office and really expand on it
so i really want to encourage people that they shouldn't stay in something
that's classic
mission st place where the supervisor i think we'd want question or somebody
sent they were trying to get married seven times
in houston stand by me
pineapple and brown has not are instead mary
hardworking and demanding place but it can be a very rewarding experience to
help that's just in the press lobbyist but maybe at
excellent at carmel and i appreciate the work jimmy and i understand why i didn't
want that job
here today is the same somebody's uh... that situation where unwell
you don't you need to put up with that
viciously
but i thought that says it all
down happen on how they work in public service in the most visible is hopeless
and get over it
in fact i a and what i want to tell people and that some people is
back at seventy
you're watching tv
you know wanted
week may not our democracy
but unit
you have a tough situation about wet and it's not working for you should find
that perhaps that well
what what what's coming up next fall for the
though the column itself you returned just before we came on about perhaps a
newsletter coming up
yes and page parity
e email system so that we can set out to people because i know armed well college
for your help anybody but it's also
here comes that once a week we try to figure out a schedule
uh... for recess as well which is coming up with the edmark so all this national
staffers who are working very hard will hopefully get a bit of a break
well i'd have to say i hope but they hope to see the call a much more
regulators alike
i know the ones who do the real work of the staff is a bit often goes so
unappreciated or they live in hiding
because the boss doesn't so some things to put a rough scripture or whatever
so uh... it's a great service is provided by as a set of a regular reader
everyday in the newsletter here of uh... and and this still navigators jumps out
at me
i think it's excretion
thank you for joining us with speaking with rebecca gill
of roll call the congressional quarterly she writes the hill now the gator called
from roll call
and she's author of the books five recently published by box five press
you're watching world view dennis campbell
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