Hello there,
Since some of you know nothing about me, please allow me to bore you with the important formalities. My name is Zack Fazio. I've just completed my first year at Shimer College. I love the smell of a fresh rainstorm, blah, blah, blah.
I've technically been interning for the Sergeant-At-Arms office at City Hall in Chicago, but most of my time has been spent in the Legislative Reference Bureau. The LRB is an agency that operates under the committee on Committees, Rules, and Ethics. Yes, I know that it's hard to believe that such a committee exists in the bare knuckle political arena we call City Hall. As I've said in the title, no, I don't carry a firearm. But, what I do do is sit in an office above Lasalle and Washington with the most gorgeous view of Roger Brown's "Daedulus and Icarus," a tile mosaic(pictured above) that spans the sheltered entrance of 121 N. Lasalle
Lately I've been reading and summarizing legislation for Alderman Dick Mell's Legislative Director, writing resolutions, and other insignificant task that any intern in any office has to do. I was able to attend the Health & Environment committee hearing yesterday. They were discussing the cleanup of the Chicago river, which if you haven't heard has been designated one of the most polluted waterways in the country by the Environmental Protection Agency. After hearing testimony from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and various environmental groups. The problem is that the MWRD isn't properly treating the water that overflows from the sewer system into the Chicago river when a heavy rainfall occurs. By the way, if you ever hear the word "effluent" don't be fooled, because it's merely a fancy word for the feces that is caked on the bottom of the Chicago River.
So far I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at City Hall and look forward to the coming weeks and the politicking that will surely ensue. Tomorrow is the Finance Committee meeting, which I'll be attending. This meeting will be interesting, because some of the most important pieces of legislation is funneled through this committee whose Chairman is the powerful and longest serving member of the council, Alderman Ed Burke.
Ta
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