Since politicians are generally known for what comes out of their mouths, one Clermont County man is being recognized instead for what he hears instead of what he says.
Tom Niehaus, an Ohio State Senator representing Clermont and a handful of other counties, was recently named by Columbus Monthly as the “best listener” in the Ohio legislature. Niehaus said that he was pleased with the recognition, but said that it more or less comes naturally.
“Frankly, my background is in the newspaper business,” said Niehaus. “I’ve always found it important to just listen to people so I can understand what their issues are. I just continued that practice when I went to the legislature. There are so many things going on that one of the ways I find to learn is to just listen to what people have to say.”
The multi-page article in the November Columbus Monthly was written by Dan Williamson, and features members of the state congress in a number of categories. Some, such as most effective and best orator, list the best attributes of some of the state’s most accomplished politicians. Others, such as worst hair and laziest, depict some members in a less-pleasing manner.