What we expect from our representatives

It’s funny what you can come to expect from certain people. You wouldn’t think naturally that if a person decided they’d had it with their career and wanted to run for an office representing others, they’d completely avoid some due diligence in the process rather than simply trying to get elected straight to Congress.

Seems pretty foolish, but OK, if you must. To each his/her own.

And then the election came and went. Swing and a miss. By a mile. But hey, this is America, right? So run for something else.

How about city council? Been to any meetings? No attendance, no problem?

Understand the city and its processes? No? Oh, well.

And on the back of his name recognition from the advertised loss, he squeaks by and gets elected from a whole dozen candidates. From among a group of people entirely more qualified than him.

But hey, the people spoke. Respect the process, right?

So now, he’s on the City Council. Must be great, right? Time to show the people who voted for him what he can do. So what does he actually do in his freshman term on the council? He votes himself a raise.

This kind of thing really is a head-scratcher. But hey, it’s amazing what you can learn to expect from certain people.

And one would naturally think this might be the point at which he’d take a break from impressing people with the kind of person he is.

But no. After all, this is Awesometown!

Before his first term is up, he’s decided his newly elected office isn’t good enough. So he has decided “after much thought with his family” that it’s time to skip right over the office he just entered and throw his hat into running for state Assembly.

Because why bother actually doing the job the people entrusted to you, right?

And hey, I like to think I’m not some kind of insane voter. But some minor, itsy bitsy effort would be nice. You know what I mean?

For me, integrity comes even before issues. It doesn’t really matter to me if I agree with a candidate on everything or not if that person won’t show up to work. What good is an issue then?

He says he hates taxes and regulations, and I hate taxes and regulations. But what then? How long before he decides that isn’t good enough?

Well, I say enough with Councilman Dante Acosta. Fortunately, he’s not the only person running for office, and he’s not representative of all candidates.

Believe it or not, there are actually some candidates who start learning and doing a job before you give them that job. Like people who “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” — but actually do it.

There are people who go to City Council meetings and participate even when they’re not elected. People like Alan Ferdman.

There are people who take valuable time from their families to go advocate for our kids at our local school board meetings. People like Julie Olsen.

Julie Olsen is not only a friend, but also a fierce supporter of local education. She’s also someone I vehemently disagree with on politics.

But I’d have no issue whatsoever entrusting her to hold an elected seat on the school board for our Saugus Union School District.

Why? Because she attends meetings. She shows up. It’s because she demonstrated her integrity is intact years before anyone voted for her to do anything.

She didn’t wait to get elected to learn the job. She already knows it.

As a voter, that is what I expect. And I hope you do too.