Page A22
WWW.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.COM
Q&A CONTINUED FROM A1
Q
: Do you think Bainbridge High School prepared you well for your future work? : Yes. My transition to college was made easier by graduating from such a high-quality high school. Some of the teachers were truly excellent. Dave Layton had a huge impact on me because he was the
A
first teacher to ever show confidence in me as a student. Dan McLean, who taught trigonometry, and Julia Thomas, who taught humanities, also stand out as teachers who really helped me academically. : What led you into government work? Tell me about your time in college and the jobs you had that led to your work for the Vice President? : I became an economist by accident. I was an undergraduate at
Q A
Tufts University and had yet to settle on a major, but was considering political science. Tufts had a selective program where students could study policy in D.C. for a semester. The easiest way to get into the program was as an economics major, so I settled on economics and was eventually selected to go to D.C. It was a good early lesson in game theory — a branch of economics that accounts for the actions of others when deciding what’s best for you. I’ve held a slew of different
jobs over my career, mostly in economic policy. I’ve had four stints in various roles at the Brookings Institution, a reputable and well-known think tank with an especially broad focus. I was the senior economist for the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives. I spent a few years as a senior economist with the Council of Economic Advisers — which advises the President on economic policy — earlier in the Obama Administration. I’ve also spent far too much
Friday, May 22, 2015 - Bainbridge Island Review
time in graduate school, with a pair of master’s degrees from Columbia and Cornell and a PhD in economics from George Washington University, which I earned going to class in the evenings while working at Brookings. I lived for a year in Namibia on a Fulbright Scholarship working at a Namibian think tank. : What is a typical day for you as Senior Economic Advisor? How much time do you actually spend with the Vice President? : Every day as the Vice President’s Chief Economist seems to be different — there is no typical day. I spend a lot of time in meetings, often with other staff within the Office of the Vice President, but also with other White House staffers and economists from the Treasury Department or other agencies. Some days involve travel on Air Force Two, others are spent helping the speechwriters or briefing the Vice President. There are almost no quiet days, but that’s how I prefer it. : Is there anything about Air Force Two or the Vice President’s motorcade that surprised you? : On commercial flights, every passenger is assigned a seat, but I was still surprised that every staffer on Air Force Two is given a particular seat for each leg of a flight — and a person’s assigned seat can change based on who needs to be in the senior staff cabin for each leg. I was a bit surprised by how quickly the motorcade will leave a location; you have to be on your toes to make sure you’re not left behind. I’ve actually been in motorcades
Q A
Say so long to allergies 24/7, Bainbridge.
Q
Feel better fast with Harrison Bainbridge. Illness and injury don’t schedule appointments — and when they show up, neither should you. Harrison Bainbridge, a part of CHI Franciscan Health, offers walk-in urgent care for minor illnesses and injuries, treating everything from sinus infections to sprains. Harrison Bainbridge 8804 Madison Ave. N. Where New Brooklyn meets Madison. (206) 855-7510 Open 24 hours, seven days a week
A
where staff didn’t get back to the vehicle in time and had to find their way back. When the Vice President is ready to go, the motorcade is leaving. : What do you like to do in your spare time? : When I’m not working, most of my time is spent with my wife and three daughters. Sometimes on weekends I’ll have time to play basketball or go for a run. For better or worse, I am short on spare time these days. : People think economics is boring, what would you tell them? : Economics is simply the study of human behavior. To say that economics is boring is to say that people are boring. I think part of the problem is that undergraduate economics is taught in a dry, overly mathematical way. Once you get past the theory and into the research, economics becomes much more interesting. In my career, I’ve focused mainly on taxes, budgets, and retirement and saving. Issues like taxes tend to be a bit of lightning rod — nearly everyone has an opinion. In my experience, few people find fiscal policy and personal finance uninteresting, but most like to share their opinions. This can be a mixed blessing. : Do you enjoy being in Washington, D.C.? : I love D.C. In reality, life in Washington has little resemblance to shows like “House of Cards.” Most people I come across are straightforward, hardworking, and are just trying to make a difference in people’s lives. Everyone wants to help improve our country — the challenge is agreeing on a way to do it.
Q A
Q A
Q A
DONATING YOUR VEHICLE HELPS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY Since July 1, 2014, donations totaling $6,200 and have helped fund the following programs: • Camp Leo Summer Camp for diabetic youth • Lions Project New Hope Veterans PTSD program • Free all-ages open swim at Poulsbo community pool. • Sponsorship of the North Kitsap High School debate team to a national competition. • Poulsbo Community Orchestra
Please consider donating your vehicle today!
POULSBO LIONS CLUB
will come get your old or unused, running or non-running car or truck
HarrisonUrgentCare.org
FREE!
100% of proceeds stay local. Maximum Tax Benefits.
Call Kevin Hogan for more info
360-621-8548 Job/File name: CHIFH_FY15_SAB_0407_3_6_5x10_F1.pdf, Ad Code: SAB_0407_3, Publication: Bainbridge Island Review/North Kitsap Herald,