Indiana

A Few More Simple Rules

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

My counterpart Jennifer Wagner has posted a few simple rules that people in politics should follow that can same them a lot of grief and hassle. 

In that spirit, and in the wake of the news of the arrest of City-County Councilor Doris Minton-McNeil, I figured a few more rules might be in order for those who didn’t get it the first time.

1.  If you ever start a sentence with “Do you know who I am?”  you a guaranteed a bad result.

2.  Never do anything with anyone who doesn’t have as much to lose as you do.

3.  Discretion really is the better part of valor and never take anything personally.

4.  It’s okay to say you don’t know, but you’ll find out and get back to the media later.

5.  It’s also okay to change your mind about an issue as long as you have a well-thought out reason for doing it.

6.  Someone who you disagree with 20-percent of the time is with you on the other 80-percent of the time.

7.   Every elected official should have to spend time in both the majority and the minority so they can know how life feels on the other side of the fence.

8.  Stupid really is a stupid does and no one has a monopoly on it or bright ideas. 

9.   It’s not your money.

10.   Be mindful of the toes you step on today because they will connected to the rear end you may have to kiss tomorrow.

If more people would follow these rules, we’d get a lot more done in this country, granted my job would not be as interesting,  but we’d still get more done.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on June 23, 2008 (boomark / email).