The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Joshua E. during the 2007-2008 League.
Shadowing a Local Leader - Aldo Vagnozzi, MI State Representative
On Wednesday, April 23rd, I spent the day shadowing Aldo Vagnozzi, my State Representative (37th District). I had begun planning the assignment several weeks beforehand when I contacted Aldo via the Michigan House Government website. I chose a day on which he would be attending both a committee meeting and legislative session in order to fulfill multiple Ambassador League requirements on my trip to Lansing.
I set up the day with Aldo's secretary, and planned to arrive around 9:00AM at his office. I arrived in Lansing at 8:30AM and spent the next half hour looking for a parking space, which I found in time to reach the office punctually. Upon arrival, I was taken by one of Aldo's aids, Paul Martin, to the Representative's first committee meeting of the day with the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School and the Department of Education in which the lobbyists and representatives discussed a bill that would prevent the shortchanging of disadvantaged schools due to budget deficits. Violent crime and child abuse were also discussed, focusing on the positive results the bill would yield from specialized programs in these areas.
Following the meeting, I returned with Aldo to his office where we had a meet-and-greet with representatives and staff from Molina Healthcare. They discussed government subsidies and described the different services they provide, and both Aldo and the Molina representatives talked about establishing universal healthcare. It was noted that patients need to take preventative measures against disease and bad health because overdue medicine is more expensive than primary care. Aldo talked of rebuilding local neighborhood clinics for the purpose of cheap local medical care.
After that, we met with Walter Keating, the leader of a group of homes for the elderly. He encouraged Aldo to approve a $27 million grant to his programs, and noted that his homes, which are home-/community-based, cost 1/3 of what traditional nursing homes cost. Aldo ensured his support and said he would vote accordingly. We then went to a fundraiser/luncheon for the campaign of another representative (who I do not recall the name of) and then went to the committee meeting of the entire Appropriations committee, which I will also detail in my report on the legislative session and committee hearing.
After that meeting, we went to the House floor area because the legislative session was about to begin. I was finally able to grab a quick interview with Aldo in the hallway outside the House Chambers near the Dome, and ended the shadowing portion of the day when he left for the session. I then attended the legislative session, which I will detail in my report on the legislative session and committee hearing, and returned home.
I enjoyed talking throughout the day with Paul Martin, one of Aldo's aids. He told me that different Representatives give different amounts of work and responsibility to their aids; Aldo is the type who does most of the legwork himself. We also talked about Paul's career in journalism and how it got him interested in a political occupation.
Of course, I spent most of the time with Aldo himself, attending meetings and getting a sense for the type of person he is. Although he is a democrat, I found him to be a very caring person who fights to do what he believes is right. One issue he feels very strongly about is the torture of prisoners in other countries, and he is currently working to pass legislation and raise awareness to rectify the situation. His sense of humor was pervasive throughout the day. During our discussion with the group from Molina, he said "Those local clinics in the cities were great. In fact, in one of them, I had my gull bladder removed. That's why I have no gall!" Later, when we entered the Capitol building, we were told by a secretary that there was free food outside. Aldo told her that we had just eaten, and the secretary asked if we were full. Aldo responded "yes, but not of it!"
Overall, I found the day very similar to my experience at SSI. We even attended meetings in the same rooms in which I'd done committee hearings at SSI. I was able to learn several things about being a Representative; I wondered how Representatives bring up discussion topics in committee hearings, and was told that they do not testify like lobbyists but can still bring up general discussion topics. I also asked how an initiative is put into the form of a bill, and was informed of the staffing procedure (Representative to aids, aids to cosponsors and lawyers). All in all, it was a very informative and enjoyable experience and I will definitely consider a career in the political field.
