Last week, my intern Paul wrote a brief bit for the Capitol Fax about the lessons he’s learned so far this year. Paul will be with us through August, but I thought it would be a good time to get his impressions about the Statehouse scene.

He did such a good job that I asked him to expand the piece and then used it in my syndicated newspaper column. Go read the whole thing, but here are some excerpts…

After four months under the tutelage of Rich Miller, I’ve been blessed to experience more of the Springfield process than many get in a lifetime. I learn a dozen new things each day. […]

Elected office still is very much a family affair. As I continue to meet more politicians, I have learned that, more often than not, their back story includes a father, uncle, cousin or close mentor who themselves were elected or were actively involved in the process. That reality is no different than in any other profession. Parents help their sons and daughters by pulling strings all the time. But correctly or not, the public outcry over political nepotism is more than that for all other occupations combined.

At the end of the day, most people involved in the process get along quite well. Republicans and Democrats share poker games, dinners, deep conversations, jokes and family vacations. Before I got here, I had bought into the notion of two distinct groups of elephants and donkeys locked in a constant and personal battle. Now I realize that party here is like eye color — often ignored and hard to determine unless looking closely.

Money doesn’t dictate everything, but it does most things. The issues that draw the most legislative bloodshed and attract the lobbying kings are those that involve cash: deciding who gets more at who’s expense. The vast majority of contentious bills are pieces of the never-ending fiscal battle royal between the big interests, from hospitals and lawyers to insurance companies and unions. The Statehouse is a large machine fueled by hundred of bills determining who wins money and who loses money.

Public service attracts more criticism and less praise than any other position. No matter what issue or official is involved, critiques will outnumber compliments at least 5 to 1; it is often even more lopsided. […]

It is genuinely difficult for the average citizen to affect policy-making. I have witnessed the steady drum of Statehouse rallies and have been struck with the pessimistic feeling that “none of this really matters.” From education funding to electric rate relief, I can’t help but notice that these decisions don’t hinge on how many posters are displayed, chants are belted or feet are stomped. The problems are complex, and the solutions are even more complex. Only a few individuals truly know why things happen the way they do. Ninety-nine point nine percent of Illinoisans will never know.

How about some feedback for Paul?