Tuesday, October 17, 2006

On Board at District 40

As revealed in my other blog, RGV Life, I have joined District 40 Representative Aaron Pena, Jr and his team for the 80th Texas legislative session. The Rep has his own blog, so this blog won't be a repeat of his work.

Here is what to expect from reading Session 80.
  • Writing from the perspective of a legislative aide.
  • Some of the issues that concern the team regarding our district.
  • Elaboration on some issues. Some issues may require further explanation.
  • Requests for information. We have a pretty sharp team, but we don't know everything. On occasion, I may request public comment on issues. Keep in mind that providing references gives you more credibility. Philosophical is good, but we need data to back us up.

Here is what you won't see on this blog:

  • Gossip. I will see and hear all kinds of things that may or may not be true. Session 80 will not be a Capitol gossip column.
  • Arguments. If you plan on commenting to draw me into a heated discussion, forget it. This is an informational site, not a debate forum.
  • Burning other officials or agencies. I'm not here to target officials and shoot political bullets. I've been hired to help The Rep get things done for his district.

I am really excited about this job because of the people working with me. Sure, being right in the middle of things and learning things before anybody else does is interesting. I'm sure you'll agree that with the wrong people, the job would not be worth it. Come on, nobody gets rich as a Legislative Aide. It will, however, be worthwhile for the relationships forged from this joint experience. One thing I have learned is that a good team makes the lousiest job a great experience. In this case, we have a good team and an exciting time ahead. I hope that you enjoy reading about all of this from January to May in 2007. Who knows, maybe we'll have some special sessions.

4 comments:

Valley Politico said...

Bite your tongue, Shaine! We don't want a special session!!! Other then that, welcome aboard the legislative train. It's going to be a fun ride, so keep your tray tables in the upright position.

Anonymous said...

Edin news posted the Rep Pena endorsed Tom Craddick. Is this true?

Anne Toal said...

Good luck and don't forget where you came from. Hey, see if you can get The Pink Lady's autograph!

Shaine Mata said...

Thanks for the advice, David. I'll do my best.

As for the legislation idea, I wouldn't want to get things rolling in that direction. As a blogger, it just feels wrong to get the government interested in regulating something they don't already.

I've turned on moderation for this site.