As I left the serving line at Lubys and entered the packed dining room looking for a vacant place to sit I heard “Hey Billy, Come join us over here. We have an extra seat for you.”
It was my old friend from high school days, a purchasing agent for a local school district. “Billy, let me introduce you to my friends. This is Juan, purchasing director for the city, and this is Frank, purchasing director for the county, and this is Jose, purchasing director for the school district over at…………”
“If you guys are talking business I’ll find another table, I don’t want to interrupt your meeting” I said to their protests. “Naw Billy, no secrets here. Sit down! We’re talking about the upcoming city commission election.”
As I enjoyed my meal I listened to the banter going back and forth. I was “at the back of the room” and they soon forgot I was there.
“Things are gonna change if the opposition slate wins” said Juan. “The first thing that will go is our health insurance! It happens with every election. We change insurance every single time! Johnny Insurance (not his real name) will be their choice. He’s been making campaign contributions and hosting pachangas.”
“Look what happened last year at my school district!” said my high school buddy. “The new board immediately goes to bid on the health insurance despite our 3 year contract and ends up awarding the contract to a broker that didn’t even submit a bid! The school board elections wasn’t about taking care of our students, it was about taking care of an insurance broker!”
“It happens everywhere!” said Jose. “The day after every election I tell my staff to dust off last years RFP, change the date, and be ready to issue it under the direction of the new school board because it’s going to happen.”
Such is politics in deep South Texas. You can learn a lot when sitting in the back of the room.
In another instance I was invited to speak before a group of school superintendents at one of their functions. I got there early and entered the room. About 25 superintendents were there with staff. I stood in the back waiting my turn when the meeting coordinator announced a ten minute break before the next speaker (me) would discuss recent Texas legislative bills affecting health insurance for Texas school districts.
I recognized several to the superintendents and listened to their idle conversations. “I can’t stand insurance agents! I wish the state would allow us to join the state plan!” one said.
“Me too! Every year my staff has to deal with insurance. No one is happy. Brokers work the politics. It’s a mess!” said another.
“Yeh, our next speaker is just another one of those guys! He is going to try to sell us something and I’m not buying it!” said another.
Wow I thought. You would never hear this directly from any of these guys. They hate insurance and they hate dealing with insurance brokers. You would have never known how they really feel unless you were in the back of the room and they forgot you were there.
“The invisible man in the room gains tuition free wisdom and insight into the people management business……………”
