democracy

Becoming a parliamentarian step-by-step

By Ann Macfarlane / August 2, 2021 / Comments Off on Becoming a parliamentarian step-by-step
A judge's gavel resting on its sound block with the text "Becoming a Parliamentarian" on a green background.

Updated September 20, 2023 A reader wrote, saying that he had been running a summer camp for 23 years, and would like a change of occupation. What would it take to become a parliamentarian? I had to reply that becoming a parliamentarian is not an easy career path. Most parliamentarians I know either have another…

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Municipal clerks are the unsung heroes

By Ann Macfarlane / May 15, 2018 /
A stone statue of a person with short hair and glasses, sitting on a bench and pointing at an open book resting on their lap. The background features a walkway, grass, and some trees, reminiscent of the calm dedication municipal clerks bring to their essential work.

May is the month when we celebrate municipal clerks, and Jurassic Parliament is delighted to join in offering kudos to these unsung heroes of our society. When you look under the hood of local government, you find clerks everywhere. They are the dedicated, quiet, consistent, reliable, and hard-working “go to” people who keep our country…

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Local government is a miracle

By Ann Macfarlane / July 4, 2017 /
A hanging American flag and flower basket adorn a lamp post, courtesy of the local government, with boats docked in the marina in the background.

As we head into the Fourth of July holiday, I would like to thank all my readers who are involved in local government. Whether you are serving on a city or county council, a school board, a utility district, an arts commission, a library board, or as staff, you are doing quiet work that is…

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