European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Adm a Sara assistant Daniel Buck has worked for Colorado sep. Patricia Schroeder Tor 14 years and Heads her Washington stall. Government from the University of Virginia. No one gives orders Zhang says. Ii s More i disorganized in a Way Bufil s boiler. Very a1 the end of the year. Zhang says hell go Back to the Institute of american studies in peking and resume t leaching and research on Haw the american i government works or As lie puts it. How the american government does t Congress does not really work hat Well says Zhang warming to his subject. In s Loo slow. They Are never on time. They never keep to a timetable from an efficiency Point of View it s cumbersome it for a minute he relents. From another Angle it s Good because it s a democratic process. It s nol meant to to of Lucienl. All those checks and balances he sighs shakes his head. Bui in really is slow. It s not like 3 China during this conversation Schroeder arrives at the copying machine and snarls to duplicate some documents. A congresswoman doing her own copying they re 1 so mean to me she says of her staff smiling. Later in her spacious Quill draped Ollice she looks up rom a pile of letters and says see. I even sign my own a lot of in is because i m female people Are a lot More willing to wait on adds Schroedor. Only Hall joking most people have somebody pick i hem up 0 drive them in Cany stuff around. There s probably going to be less and less of that More of ficus Are going to look like mine As Gramm Rudman lakes members of Congress initially were authorized to spend up to $296,010 for As Many As 22 employees in Washington and districts during the lint three quarters of this year. However funds available for the period were Cut to 1273.748 under the new Gramm Rudman cafe Hacif Rcd Clion Law. Published figures show Hal Daniel Buck Schroedor s 43 year old administrative assistant earns ins maximum �68,700 pc milled by Law Andrea Camp. Gusts 1986 30. Was listed Al $35.637, the office manager Al s26.024. The scheduler at $25.000. And legislative aides in the mid-20s Buck has Boon Wilh Schroeder for 14 years and shares her Quirky sense of humor his office which con noels directly to Schroedor s. Is filled almost to burst my with books on South american travel and adventure myths and curiosities of Ine animal world politics and poetry rain robbers and Holdup men. Calvin Trillin and Huckleberry finn some of Buck s arcane references to Frog Rains for example work their Way into press releases species and dear colleague letters where they receive a mixed reception from other members. But 1he bearded bespectacled Buck is clearly on the same Wavelength As his Boss. He started with her in Denver and has spent 10 years heading her Washington staff an unusual Strelch on the Hill where pay is relatively Low and burnout is High. Buck compares the Hill to melodrama every Issue has to have a villain and a last minute Rescue and his Job to that of a ringmaster. "1 keep the ads running through the rings he says. Thai includes making sure the mail is answered and constituents Are served smoothly seeing visitors when Schroeder in t available in Long and reviewing testimony and speeches Given by the congresswoman huddling with her to discuss crises min crises and lesser annoyances in one typical session. Buck and Schroeder muttered Over a proposal to charge the Public Tot Bills and reports and bemoaned Tho elimination of pay for pages and interns All consequences of the ubiquitous Gramm Rudman act. They also Well Over a response to people who had written a Ellers about the libyan bombing explaining Why Schroc Dur fell the action was premature. You run a mini stale Lor your constituents says Buck. Ollice manager Lily Clark who has been with Schroc Dei for 11 . Describes herself As the inhouse i Nancian manager Appam Leonls Secretary receptionist doctor and Clark greens guests answers the phone and enlists interns in sorting 800. To 900 pieces of mail daily a haul that often indies dozens of identical postcards from organized lobbying groups All of which get answered. One letter was accompanied by a Jar of Oil shale another contained what the writer wrongly insisted was Adi Laclive dirt irom the Rocky Falls nuclear weapons Plant near Denver. When agriculture and real Clale Bills were before the House. Schroedef received Rice loaves of bread and two by fours when the mail is finished at Aboul 11am, claim gels on with the rest of her work. She pays Bills for telegrams. Coffee service printing and the Lamg of Schroeder s monthly Cable television show she Renews subscriptions to some 20 publications including Denver Magazine Alrica news digest. Tho Wilson quarterly the army times and Usa today she arranges Library of Congress Book Loans for aides who need to write speeches on women s suffrage or revolutionary was heroines. Dark also keeps the office stocked with supplies and Louril brochures types Sellers Lor Buck Andrj Schroedor. Handles constituent requests for hags gels House gallery passes for thousands of visitors and runs the intern program sometimes she or her Stafl will even try to make hotel reservations for constituents i will Stop in the Middle of even Lhing and Lake a break in the Middle of the Day because in s just too wild nol Clark says from behind the Large yellow silk Rose on her desk. When Congress is in recess and is members scattered across the country. The Hill Lurns languid lunches Are Long the usual 10 hour Day shrink s and Many office television sols Are switched irom a Spain to soaps during sessions. The Pace sails slowly on members return from weekends Al Home picks up on tuesday and reaches a frenetic Peak on wednesday and thursday Belores Coaling Down again on Friday As the members depart the stars and stripes Page 15
