You've by now noticed that I did not endorse anyone for selectman this year. In the corporate world where I work, it is not uncommon to recommend a potential hire to your boss. In other political arenas, endorsing candidates is also quite common. However, here in the world of Falmouth politics, such a move seems to be - like putting one's signs out before the spring town meeting - taboo.
Taboos are typically hard to break, and as both friends and my mother (God rest her soul) have said to me, I will be better off picking my battles. This year, I'm going to stay away from the endorsement game.
The Friday edition of the Falmouth Enterprise opines that we should "Vote For The Qualified Candidates." I disagree with that logic.
For those unfamiliar with the name, Warren Buffett is one of the richest men in the world. He has made a fortune buying businesses - in whole or in part - and yet he is perhaps one of the most down-to-earth men in the world. He lives in a small house in Omaha (Nebraska), has a Diet Coke and a steak for dinner, and hates Wall Street bankers.
Buffett's success is due to his careful selection of companies, each of which must be run by good managers. He once said, "In looking for someone to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. But the most important is integrity, because if they don't have that, the other two qualities, intelligence and energy, are going to kill you."
He further explained his statement as follows, "When you hire someone to run your business, you are entrusting him or her with the piggy bank. If these people are smart and hardworking, they are going to make you a lot of money, but it they aren't honest, they will find lots of clever ways to make all your money theirs."
When I cast my votes on Tuesday, I will be voting for integrity.
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