Often forgotten is the fact that as voters we are really prospective employers, deciding on who to hire when we vote for elected officials. Once elected, those officials have not only a moral and legal responsibility, but also a deep trust to faithfully serve and fulfill all their duties to us, as citizen employers.
Sadly, many of us have neglected our responsibility as employers to know each candidate and select the person most qualified based upon their experience, abilities and character. And frequently, positions have been filled as a result of hyperpartisanship and tribalism either by one party or the other. Historically, this has been done by both the Democratic and the Republican parties throughout our state.
Far too often, persons are elected who are incompetent or who are unwilling to fulfill the trust and responsibilities for which they were hired/elected. In the private sector, they would be fired, but as elected officials, it is often too burdensome to remove them while they are in office. The consequences have been extremely painful and very costly to all citizens. In the end, the blame rests largely on us citizens when we failed to act diligently as employers in voting/hiring.
The takeaway lesson for each of us is to diligently inform ourselves regarding each candidate’s qualifications, abilities and character and vote accordingly, regardless of party affiliation. As employer voters, we must hire the most qualified candidate and hold them accountable to fulfill the responsibilities for which they were hired.
Jim Piacitelli
Price