Yeah, Bernie, you’d BETTER be paying $15 an hour…

bernie15

This kind of cracked me up.

I still get emails from some job-posting services from way back when I got laid off, all those years ago. They are occasionally interesting, even entertaining.

But I don’t recall ever hearing from this one before. And weirdly, it came in on my ADCO email address rather than my personal one.

And as I said, it drew a smile. Yeah, Bernie, you’d better be paying that intern $15 an hour!

In case you’re interested, here’s the job description:

Senator Sanders is seeking a full-time legislative intern for the fall and spring semesters in his Washington, D.C. office, starting immediately. Interns serve a valuable role in the office assisting in legislative and administrative tasks while gaining insight into the inner workings of the Senate. Responsibilities include assisting staff with constituent phone calls and requests, processing messages, attending briefings and committee hearings, conducting research and drafting memos, leading U.S. Capitol tours and providing responses to constituent letters and inquiries. Interns are paid $15/hr. Those with Vermont ties or a demonstrated interest in progressive politics are a plus. The office is seeking a diverse pool of applicants. As such, all prospective applicants are encouraged to apply.

I suppose it could be educational, and look good on a resume (especially if your prospective future employer is a socialist), but really, don’t count on getting much face time with the boss — he’s planning on being out of the office a lot over the next couple of semesters…

14 thoughts on “Yeah, Bernie, you’d BETTER be paying $15 an hour…

  1. Brad Warthen Post author

    By the way, most of those job suggestions seem to be keying off my experience last year with the campaign:
    Government Relations Director
    Vice President, U.S. Government Affairs
    Public Policy Manager
    Senior Legislative Advocate

    … although some are related to ADCO experience:
    Director, Public Affairs and Communications

      1. Bill

        I remember seeing him years ago(OK,Decades… at Carolina Coliseum (in the early 70’s…;a really special performer,and there’s this one song of his that’s always new.One of the best pop songs(hello,”Tom”?) ever written:”Bluebird”-

    1. Brad Warthen Post author

      Here’s the job description:

      The position of Legislative Director in the office of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez is currently open. We welcome you to apply.

      Job Description: The Legislative Director will manage the legislative team and, in coordination with the Congresswoman, craft the legislative agenda for the office. They will also be responsible for overseeing all committee work, executing the correspondence program, and serving in a senior advisory capacity. We are looking for a candidate that is collaborative, creative, progressive, and eager to work in a fast-paced environment.

      Location: Washington, D.C.

      Salary: $80,000 annually

      Of course, she lost me when it referred to the Legislative Director, singular, as “they…”

      1. Brad Warthen Post author

        This is a far lesser sin, but as long as I’m criticizing the writing, you don’t say, “We are looking for a candidate that is collaborative…”

        You say, “We are looking for a candidate WHO is collaborative…”

      2. David T

        $80,000 in Washington, DC is like $30,000 in Columbia. I had a coworker take a job in Washington about 20 years ago for $80,000 who moved back because he couldn’t find a decent place to live on that salary that didn’t involve driving for two hours each way.

        1. Brad Warthen Post author

          I’m reminded of the shock some Carter administration people encountered when they moved from Georgia to Washington after winning the 1976 election.

          There was a report that one of them told a Realtor he was looking for something in the $50,000 range — which back then would have bought you a nice, middle-class home in most of the country — and the Realtor sniffed, “We don’t handle rentals…”

        2. Brad Warthen Post author

          My great-grandfather built nice homes (and schools and other buildings) in the Kensington, Md., area a century ago. He built a home for each of his kids when they got married. The one he gave my grandfather, where my Dad grew up, was just two doors from Connecticut Avenue.

          I really wish the family had kept that home, or some of the homes A.C. Warthen built. Each of them is worth a fortune now…

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