It seems to me that the election process is flawed. We are hiring these people to serve all the people within the designated political boundaries of their respective districts. In all my years of voting for candidates for office I have never received a complete truthful resume from any candidate. All I have ever received is pretty pictures with a bunch of promises that can’t be kept because they do not understand that any political promise entails cooperation and compromise which makes the promises made to get into office half truths and lacking integrity and simply pandering.
Therefore, I would suggest that as in any hiring practice, complete and thorough resumes be required of all candidates. The resumes would contain all the usual standard data and a complete write up of experiences related to the proposed position. Tell me, in detail, what is your perception of the position you seek. What do you bring to the table that will make you successful in this position? What qualities do you have and have demonstrated that will make you an effective representative of all the people of your district? Can you show us your successes and your failures (we all have them)? What are your strong points and where will you need help and where will you get it? Do you think you can make decisions that will make some enemies and provide a reasonable defense when the vote is for the long term best interest of the majority of your constituents? Are you willing to do the hard work of analyzing the details of many decisions, including the unintended consequences of making such decisions? Are you willing to risk your job for the better interests of the community?
Are you willing to submit to criminal or other background checks and provide the information to the voters before election day? Are you willing to vote against your party’s position if it does not reflect the best outcome for the majority of your constituents?
I’m sure that there will be no perfect candidates, but for the responsibility we lay upon our elected officials it is important that we get the best information possible before we vote.
George Mason
Hamilton