Nice People

I have spent most of my adult life working in one city and living in another. Not a major commute, in fact most of the time now, you don't know when you leave Bryan and enter College Station. But I always chose where I wanted to buy a house and my job is just wherever it happens to be and the two didn't always agree.

The reason I bring this up is that the local government of both cities is very important to me, on different levels both professional and personal economics. I have voted in every major election since I turned 21 and pretty much in every local election. In fact in Odessa, I had a little extra time (during the oil bust) and worked as a election official. I believe it is your responsibility to vote and if you don't, then I don't want to hear your complaint about the way things are.

Anyway that's not what this post is about. College Station has a city council that is voted at-large, basically this means that all people in the city vote for each and every member of the council. Bryan has elections by member district. The city is divided into sections and a member of that district is elected by the people in that area.

Having worked for a quick printer I have met both the mayors of Bryan and College Station and each member of the College Station council. In Bryan I know our district member, visiting with her several times during the recent election. I feel that if I have issues I can approach them with any concerns. In Bryan, I also know our member at- large who I also met during the recent election. I met the mayor-pro tem and district 3 member Jason Bienski several years ago before he had aspiration of serving on the city council. He came into the shop where I work (Copy Corner) and needed some flyers. I remember him and his children he had with him. Working in the public we get a chance to see a lot of children which can sometimes be very painful. But Jason was very nice and his children were extremely well behaved.

When you meet a politician, even local, you never know if they have an agenda and are being nice because they want your vote or if they are naturally nice. But I have seen a quote, that I believe originated by Dave Barry "A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter is not a nice person." This is at the heart of what a nice person is, I work in a retail business and customers are always right, but they are not always nice. The ones that are nice always get a little extra and with a bigger smile. You can get what you want by demanding it, but you can get what you need when you're nice.