Community Building in the Washington, DC area!!

SFP Editor: How did you become interested in politics? Laurel Collins: IIt was way back on the Dukakis Campaign where I first cut my teeth on politics and campaigning. I started working as a volunteer with my Grandfather and then ended up with a paid position. I got totally hooked and addicted. It was very exciting working at the National Headquarters for a presidential candidate and devastating when he lost! I was hoping to go with him to D.C. Instead, I went to UMass/Amherst, rowed crew for four years and majored in Political Science and History and moved to DC after graduation. I think my interest in politics is genetic; I inherited it from my grandfather who was a democratic activist and served as National Vice President of American Federation of Government Employees. Our system of government fascinates me. It is not perfect but, it is the oldest democracy in the history of the world and so is the Democratic Party!

SFP Editor: What does state delegate do and what was it like to run for office?

Laurel Collins:In Massachusetts, Democratic candidates for governor, treasurer and Lt. governor need to receive 15% of the votes of the Delegates at the Dem. State Convention in order to qualify to be on the ballot. In non-election years, the delegates go to the convention and vote on issues to be included in the party platform. Running to be elected as a Delegate from my hometown of Cohasset was fun! It helped that my mom acted as my campaign manager and called all her friends! I enjoyed asking people to come out and vote for me too. The best part was that we got people to register to vote! Citizens were appreciative of an opportunity to be involved in the democratic process at the grass roots level. Everyone who participated found it interesting and learned something about the candidates and the process. Low voter participation is an issue so it felt good to encourage and motivate people to tune in and vote.

SFP Editor: What is it like working on Capitol Hill?

Laurel Collins: Working on Capitol Hill is fast paced and exciting. It was exhilarating and there’s nothing like it. It was an honor to work in such distinctive bodies as the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Politicians tend to get a bad rap but, I found that the majority of them are principled, patriotic and totally dedicated to public service. If one has any interest in government and public affairs, obviously, it’s the place to be and it makes you feel as though you are at the center of the universe. However, all the glory comes at a price; long hours and low pay are the sacrifices one must make to have an experience of a lifetime.

SFP Editor: You worked for the first female Speaker of the House in U.S. history. What did you learn from the experience?

Laurel Collins: I learned that women must work a lot harder than men to get ahead. The old boys network is still alive and well. Rep. Pelosi worked tenaciously for three years to get elected. I have never seen anyone work with such focus and determination. Her persistence was dogged and she is a champion at what she does. From prolific fundraising skills, to working out bi- partisan compromises to bringing together diverse groups of legislators and having great political instincts, Rep. Pelosi is a dynamo. It was great to help make history in the House with her election as the highest ranking female in U.S. history!

SFP Editor: Which issues do you feel are important to women today?

Laurel Collins:Pay equity and economic security are two very important issues impacting women. Women Legislators in Congress have worked to improve the economic security of women. For example, they continue to promote legislation to guarantee equal pay for equal work. Women earn 75 cents to every dollar a man earns and this leads to a large loss in wages over a woman’s life time of work. They also lose wages during the years they take off for child rearing.

Protecting Social Security is another important issue. It is especially important since women make up 2/3rds of all minimum wage workers which means they are less likely to work in industries that provide private pensions. (38% of women receive employer based pensions benefits. Compared with 57% of men.) Therefore, women end up relying on Soc. Sec. for retirement. Since women live longer than men on average, this leads to women facing poverty in old age.

As the number of women in government increases, so will the quality of life for women. Its not that men don’t care about issues affecting women, they are just not generally as aware of them. Since women can legislate based on personal experience as mothers, heads of households etc, they are important advocates for issues impacting women, children and families such as economic security, healthcare, child care, and reproductive choice. When women have increased access to education, job training, good child care, and reproductive health care, our country is strengthened. Investing in women and families is an investment in our children, our country and our economy. Head Start and The Family and Medical Leave Act, to name a few, are examples of programs which have improved the lives of women and their families.

SFP Editor: What was it like going back to school to study women in politics?

Laurel Collins: I loved being back in school. It is so much easier and fun when you are studying subjects in which you are truly interested. I also liked being with a group of diverse, progressive like-minded women. It was empowering to be in a supportive environment. Sometimes, the work world can be dog eat dog so the academic world seemed more palatable. My focus this year was to foster my personal and professional growth while preparing for further graduate work and to substantiate the experience I have gained from working in the public sector. It helped me to increase my knowledge in the field of public advocacy by providing an academic and theoretical foundation in policy studies. I am utilizing this break from work to explore different employment opportunities within the public/non-profit sector. I also completed an internship at a National non profit called Women in Community Service and completed a case study interviewing 66 female candidates who have run as publicly financed candidates, otherwise known as “Clean Elections candidates” from Maine, Arizona and Massachusetts. Fundraising and incumbency are huge impediments to more women running for office and my research showed that 92% of all women interviewed believed that public financing of elections would provide opportunities for more women to run for office. 72% of the women interviewed said they would not have run for office had it not been for the availability of public funding for their campaigns.

My program (Women in Politics and Public Policy) reinforced my belief that there is a need for more women in leadership positions. Women make up over 50% of the voting population yet we are under represented at the local, State and Federal levels. In the United States Congress, there are 435 Representatives, only 62 of which are women – just 14% of the U.S. Congress. In the United Sates Senate, only 13 of 100 Senators are women – only 13% of the U.S. Senate. Women make up only 20% of State legislatures.

SFP Editor: What do you find more interesting, local or national politics?

Laurel Collins: After working at the national level for 7 years, I thought that local politics may seem boring but, its actually fun to work more at the grassroots level and be closer to the people and the issues. I think both are equally important and interesting. Local is just obviously more hands on.

SFP Editor: When you are not serving the public, what do you do?

Laurel Collins: I like to run, row, dance, cook and spend time with my friends. I also enjoy babysitting and volunteering with at risk youth.