When we saw in The Villager that Senator Tom Duane, who represents a fair chunk of the West Side, had released a new episode of his podcast on the legislative process, we got excited.
Unfortunately for us, Senator Duane’s monologue was more for the layman than for policy wonks. He spoke for several minutes, periodically interrupted by catchy, upbeat jazz, giving a quick overview of the structure of the legislature and responding to the charge that minority members are ineffective when it comes to legislating. He admitted that it isn’t easy for members of the minority party to get legislation passed with their names on it, but he contends that the most important factor in pushing an issue through the Senate is passion, not party.
We think it’s great to see a politician using new(ish) technology to reach out to New Yorkers who might not be hit by traditional media. The podcast format has the potential to help rank-and-file members of the legislature to participate in a dialogue with their constituents and disseminate information that would not otherwise be available to the public. We hope to see Senator Duane keep it up and others catch on.
Just don't let Senator Kruger catch you crossing the street listening to Senator Duane's podcast!
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