The Scoop, as you can imagine, follows the news fairly carefully. Towards the end of session, especially as gaming bills took prominence, over and over again we saw articles claiming “well-heeled lobbyists with their I-Pads” were influencing legislation. Other articles talked about the high fees earned by these same “well-heeled lobbyists” and their “I-Pads.”
One morning it was simply too much to bear. I put down my Apple-created tablet, picked up my Botticello wing tips and decided then and there to write and expose this lie.
The fact is that few people who work the legislative session are well-heeled. The brick sidewalks of Annapolis exact a terrible toll on shoes. You know you are with an Annapolis regular when you see the scuffed up toe area – scuffed from the uneven bricks. You know you are with a regular when you see the shoe’s soles worn down to their nub. You know you are with an Annapolis regular when she is wearing flats because the heel of her fancy shoe was torn off by getting caught in between mortarless bricks. “Well-heeled?” Not in this town!
So the next time you read an article about who generates the biggest income during the session, bet on the shoeshine guy at the state house.