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T.M Sell explains how the many parts of government function and introduces readers to a diverse array of individuals who work in government, including how they got there and what it is they’re trying to do.

Image courtesy of interviewee. March 11, 2024

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The speaker expresses a long-standing desire to write a book that explains how government and the economy work in Washington State. They highlight a prevalent lack of understanding among citizens about their government, despite it having functional aspects. The author discusses their background in state and local government, emphasizing the process of interviewing government officials from various political backgrounds for the book. They critique some of the inefficiencies in the state's governance style, highlighting issues like a regressive tax system, and stress the importance of voter engagement and informed decision-making.

The speaker encourages citizens to educate themselves on political candidates and policies rather than making choices based on superficial criteria. They convey a belief in the value of government and the importance of civic participation, emphasizing that while government isn't perfect, it serves a significant role in society. The overall message calls for awareness and active participation in the democratic process to foster improvement within the system.

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00:00.115 --> 00:02.165
I've wanted to write this book since I worked for

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The legislature about a thousand years ago.

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And, it was finally time to get

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That done. Uh,

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I live in a country where people

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don't understand how their

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Government works, don't understand

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how their economy works, think their government is,

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I oppressively evil and broken, have never been

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to another country and still say, Marco

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best GD country on earth.

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And, I thought, well, it's not perfect,

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But some parts of it actually work pretty well.

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So Washington State government is far from perfect,

00:35.145 --> 00:38.565
but I wanted to tell people, look, here's how it works

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and what it does, and introduce them to a lot of people

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who do it, who are the end of the day ordinary folks

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who were trying to make a difference.

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One, having taught state and local government

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For a long time, having worked for the legislature

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for three sessions, having studied it at length.

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So I had a lot of background,

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But then, you know, I figured out sort of

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what the order of the book should be and,

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and began to research that online, and reading

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and then thought, well, you know, something

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that I'm not terrible at is

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Interviewing people. So

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I just started digging around

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and finding people from all over the state, Republicans

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and Democrats, urban and rural, and saying,

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Tell me how you decided

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To say become the county clerk,

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and what does that job entail?

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What do you, what do you like?

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What are you trying to do with that?

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So it was a lot of interviewing people.

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Um, a lot of that by email.

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'cause at the time I was teaching in China

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without enough to do.

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And, my partner said, why don't you ride something?

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And I was like, well, there it is.

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I can finally work on this project. And that was in 2019.

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So that's when I really got serious about it.

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Back east, they referred to us as the land of process

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because honestly, a

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Big problem can happen. And,

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and we'll talk it to death

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before we finally get around to doing something. Uh,

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Policy, you know, comes from the state legislature,

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from from the courts enforcing the constitution from a

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governor, hopefully setting directions,

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and then that's echoed

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To some pla extent by city and county councils

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and county executives and, and mayors. So,

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Uh, we do some things, well,

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there are other things we could probably jump on quicker.

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Tends to be sometimes a little bit too much management

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By crisis. You know, when

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we're forced to do something, we have

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to act. Uh, and,

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And of course, you know, there are problems

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That I highlight in the book.

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Our, our, our tax system is terribly regressive.

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It's much harder on the poor than on the wealthy.

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Uh, and, and our tax structure doesn't allow government

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to capture sort of a reasonable share

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of the state's increasing wealth. Washington

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State, the Senator Senators serve four year terms,

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and the house member serves two year terms.

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So the intention in, in

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That kind of chamber all over the world is that,

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they have to face reelection more often so

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that they will pay more attention to what the voters want.

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Uh, as, as for the voters, they need

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to pay a little more attention.

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Now, we mail every voter a voter's pamphlet,

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and it includes statements, you know, buy all the candidates

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and for and against ballot measures.

03:14.985 --> 03:17.965
And what I tell people is, look, 15 minutes,

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and you could probably make a reasonable choice just

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by reading about the, the races

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that you're gonna vote in.

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Uh, it's as I tell my students, you know, have a reason.

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Don't vote for somebody 'cause you like them.

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You know, like they said,

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well, who do you wanna have a beer with?

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It's like, who cares? You're never

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gonna have a beer with this person.

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It doesn't matter. Do they say things that

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indicate they would support policies

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that you are comfortable with?

03:45.205 --> 03:47.745
And then again, you know, you people say, well,

03:47.905 --> 03:49.225
I don't like any of the candidates.

03:49.335 --> 03:52.265
It's, it's, it's like, really don't let the perfect be the

03:52.265 --> 03:53.345
enemy of the good.

03:54.005 --> 03:57.585
If if you find a candidate that agrees

03:57.585 --> 04:00.225
with you a hundred percent, something's probably wrong.

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I mean, that's just never gonna happen, right?

04:02.245 --> 04:03.265
So you can look at somebody

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and say, yeah, I like the direction they're going in

04:05.225 --> 04:07.025
and I don't like the direction this

04:07.025 --> 04:08.265
other person is going in.

04:08.565 --> 04:12.225
So you, you have to be somewhat reasonable in,

04:12.285 --> 04:13.625
in looking at candidates

04:13.625 --> 04:15.945
and deciding how to vote, but read a little bit.

04:16.045 --> 04:18.305
You know, there's just lots of information available

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and it really doesn't take that much time.

04:20.955 --> 04:22.305
Going back to Ronald Reagan,

04:22.805 --> 04:25.625
way too many politicians running against government,

04:26.125 --> 04:27.745
you know, saying government is the problem.

04:27.855 --> 04:29.345
Well, government can't solve everything,

04:29.565 --> 04:31.265
but you know, it,

04:31.395 --> 04:33.705
there are still virtues to having government.

04:33.815 --> 04:35.705
It's like taxes. I don't wanna pay taxes.

04:35.835 --> 04:37.785
Taxes are the price of civilization.

04:38.485 --> 04:39.665
Uh, and, and,

04:39.765 --> 04:43.865
and so if you want this to work, you have

04:43.865 --> 04:44.985
to be somewhat committed to it.

04:44.985 --> 04:47.265
You have to make a, you know, some choices.

04:48.045 --> 04:49.385
You have to pay a little attention.

04:50.485 --> 04:54.265
Uh, you know, I've been to 62 different countries

04:54.365 --> 04:56.385
and I'm always amazed when I come home

04:56.845 --> 04:58.025
how well things work here.

04:58.055 --> 05:00.025
They work well in a lot of other countries too,

05:00.205 --> 05:02.625
but, you know, I can go out in the street

05:02.625 --> 05:03.945
and yell, the governor's a schmuck

05:03.945 --> 05:05.185
and nobody's gonna carry me away.

05:05.925 --> 05:08.785
So there are virtues to our system.

05:09.085 --> 05:10.265
It is by no means perfect.

05:10.525 --> 05:12.145
We, we have so many things to fix,

05:12.325 --> 05:14.225
but we're capable, you know,

05:14.285 --> 05:16.385
and we have the structures in place to do that.

05:17.925 --> 05:19.385
So you have to make your vote count

05:19.805 --> 05:21.625
by just paying a little attention.

05:22.145 --> 05:22.265
I.

00:00 - I've wanted to write this book since I worked for The legislature about a thousand years ago. And, it was finally time to get That done. I live in a country where people don't understand how their

00:14 - Government works, don't understand how their economy works, think their government is, I oppressively evil and broken, have never been to another country and still say, Marco best GD country on earth. And, I thought, well, it's not perfect, But some parts of it actually work pretty well. So Washington State government is far from perfect, but I wanted to tell people, look, here's how it works and what it does, and introduce them to a lot of people

00:42 - who do it, who are the end of the day ordinary folks who were trying to make a difference. One, having taught state and local government For a long time, having worked for the legislature for three sessions, having studied it at length. So I had a lot of background, But then, you know, I figured out sort of what the order of the book should be and, and began to research that online, and reading and then thought, well, you know, something

01:09 - that I'm not terrible at is Interviewing people. So I just started digging around and finding people from all over the state, Republicans and Democrats, urban and rural, and saying, Tell me how you decided To say become the county clerk, and what does that job entail? What do you, what do you like? What are you trying to do with that?

01:27 - So it was a lot of interviewing people. a lot of that by email. 'cause at the time I was teaching in China without enough to do. And, my partner said, why don't you ride something? And I was like, well, there it is. I can finally work on this project. And that was in 2019. So that's when I really got serious about it. Back east, they referred to us as the land of process because honestly, a

01:50 - Big problem can happen. And, and we'll talk it to death before we finally get around to doing something. Policy, you know, comes from the state legislature, from from the courts enforcing the constitution from a governor, hopefully setting directions, and then that's echoed To some pla extent by city and county councils and county executives and, and mayors. So, we do some things, well,

02:16 - there are other things we could probably jump on quicker. Tends to be sometimes a little bit too much management By crisis. You know, when we're forced to do something, we have to act. and, And of course, you know, there are problems That I highlight in the book. Our, our, our tax system is terribly regressive. It's much harder on the poor than on the wealthy. and, and our tax structure doesn't allow government

02:39 - to capture sort of a reasonable share of the state's increasing wealth. Washington State, the Senator Senators serve four year terms, and the house member serves two year terms. So the intention in, in That kind of chamber all over the world is that, they have to face reelection more often so that they will pay more attention to what the voters want. as, as for the voters, they need to pay a little more attention.

03:08 - Now, we mail every voter a voter's pamphlet, and it includes statements, you know, buy all the candidates and for and against ballot measures. And what I tell people is, look, 15 minutes, and you could probably make a reasonable choice just by reading about the, the races that you're gonna vote in. it's as I tell my students, you know, have a reason. Don't vote for somebody 'cause you like them. You know, like they said,

03:33 - well, who do you wanna have a beer with? It's like, who cares? You're never gonna have a beer with this person. It doesn't matter. Do they say things that indicate they would support policies that you are comfortable with? And then again, you know, you people say, well, I don't like any of the candidates. It's, it's, it's like, really don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

03:54 - If if you find a candidate that agrees with you a hundred percent, something's probably wrong. I mean, that's just never gonna happen, right? So you can look at somebody and say, yeah, I like the direction they're going in and I don't like the direction this other person is going in. So you, you have to be somewhat reasonable in, in looking at candidates and deciding how to vote, but read a little bit.

04:16 - You know, there's just lots of information available and it really doesn't take that much time. Going back to Ronald Reagan, way too many politicians running against government, you know, saying government is the problem. Well, government can't solve everything, but you know, it, there are still virtues to having government. It's like taxes. I don't wanna pay taxes. Taxes are the price of civilization.

04:38 - and, and, and so if you want this to work, you have to be somewhat committed to it. You have to make a, you know, some choices. You have to pay a little attention. you know, I've been to 62 different countries and I'm always amazed when I come home how well things work here. They work well in a lot of other countries too, but, you know, I can go out in the street

05:02 - and yell, the governor's a schmuck and nobody's gonna carry me away. So there are virtues to our system. It is by no means perfect. We, we have so many things to fix, but we're capable, you know, and we have the structures in place to do that. So you have to make your vote count by just paying a little attention. I.

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