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JPZenger

(6,819 posts)
Thu Mar 15, 2012, 01:41 PM Mar 2012

Corbett has modeled himself after Ron Swanson - the city manager in Parks and Recreation

I finally figured out Pa. Governor Tom Corbett. He is modeling himself after Ron Swanson - who played the City Manager who hates government on the TV show Parks and Recreation. He's some excerpts from Ron Swanson's wikipedia entry. See if it sounds familiar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Swanson

"Ron is an extremely strong advocate for small government; despite working in a city hall job, he believes all government is a waste of taxpayer money. He explains his ideal government as, "One guy who sits in a small room at a desk, and the only thing he's allowed to decide is who to nuke." Ron believes the park system should be privatized and run entirely by corporations for profit, as exemplified by the business model of the Chuck E. Cheese's chain of family entertainment centers. He advocates for program cuts wherever possible, and purposely tries to hire people who are bad at their jobs so they will slow the government down.

Ron particularly despises talking to members of the public,which is why he deliberately designed his office to be uninviting to visitors, in part by mounting a double-barreled, sawn-off shotgun on a swivel atop his desk aimed at the guest chair, so it will be pointed at anyone who wants to speak to him.

In one episode, a new city-wide effort is implemented to make government officials more accessible to Pawnee residents, an idea which Ron condemns as "my hell". As a result, he seeks to hire an assistant who will shield him from the public and allow him to continue doing nothing. After interviewing several candidates, he chooses April Ludgate, convinced her constant apathy and negative attitude will suit him perfectly.

In "The Master Plan", state auditors arrive and announce that due to the city's crippling budget problems, they have to slash each department budget by up to 50 percent and briefly shut down the government completely. While Leslie is horrified, the anti-government Ron is delighted by the idea, becoming so giddy that he asks the auditors if he can watch and eat snacks while they slash staff.

The character's traits were partially inspired by a real-life elected official the creators encountered in Burbank while researching for the show, who favored as little government as possible and admitted, "I don't really believe in the mission of my job. ... I'm aware of the irony." "

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Corbett has modeled himself after Ron Swanson - the city manager in Parks and Recreation (Original Post) JPZenger Mar 2012 OP
Ron Swanson is a character played by an actor named Nick Offerman Bluenorthwest Mar 2012 #1
If Corbett is an advocate for small government, why is he imposing photo ID laws? meow2u3 Mar 2012 #2
Corbett is finally getting lots of unwelcome national attention - just close your eyes JPZenger Mar 2012 #3
 

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)
1. Ron Swanson is a character played by an actor named Nick Offerman
Thu Mar 15, 2012, 02:36 PM
Mar 2012

Just to work in the name of the man who does such good work on that show...as do the rest of the cast, I adore that show.

meow2u3

(24,761 posts)
2. If Corbett is an advocate for small government, why is he imposing photo ID laws?
Thu Mar 15, 2012, 03:42 PM
Mar 2012

If voter suppression is small government, I'm not human.

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