While there are good people and good candidates, none are without flaws and all have strengths and weaknesses.

So how does one choose from a list of imperfect individuals?  What criteria is best for judging who is best suited to serve in public office?

There are over 20 candidates running for election to the Kauai County Council.  I am clear there are 7 among this group who have the potential to serve us well.

But how to choose?

Personally, I start with a process of elimination.

First I eliminate the jerks, the bigots, the misogynists, the bullies, and the ignorant, pompous know-it-all’s.

Next, I eliminate those candidates who IMHO have clear conflicts of interest via their employer or other business affiliations.  My preference is that the candidate if elected will serve only one master, and that would be the people.

Then, assuming there are still options left on the prospective candidate list, I eliminate the ungrounded, unstable, and those without roots in the community.

I realize the above process of elimination may seem harsh, and is a personal and subjective evaluation.  But hey, it’s my vote to do with as I like in the privacy of the voting booth.

Once the negative process of elimination is out of the way, I rank the remaining candidates based on trust, core values, competence, life experience and strength of character.  Again this is a personal score card, based mostly on instinct and general observations of the candidates actions and history in the community.

I am seeking candidates whom I know with certainty will not abuse the public trust.  And who share my general world view of putting people and the environment ahead of the profits of business.  Competence, life experience, and specific skill sets are of course also important.

I look for balance.  Diversity is important.  Historically women have been underrepresented and sometimes geographical and other demographic representation is lacking.

My practice when voting for the County Council, is to only vote for those individuals I truly want to see elected, even if this means voting for only a handful of candidates and not using my full allotment of 7 votes.

Our community is fortunate to have a large and diverse field of candidates running for the County Council this year.  I encourage all to get to know them, scrutinize their records, attend the forums.  Then vote wisely on August 11 or register for an absentee ballot and submit before August 11.

First Published in The Garden Island Newspaper 6/6/18