Election Maius MMDCCLXII (Nova Roma)/Gaius Equitius Cato

Consistency is a good thing. One hallmark of truly great service in an organization is that people who come in contact with that organization any where will recognize it and value it; the level of the quality of service is identifiable with that "brand".

The question here is whether or not the citizens of this respublica want consistency regardless of quality.

The service quality of Motel 6 is consistent; the service quality of the Ritz-Carlton is consistent; each serves its purpose for a specific need, and serves it well. Yet the difference in the *level* of the quality of service between them is striking.

I have many faults: I can be stubborn and petty and arrogant. I can even be (as evidenced by the resignation drama) impulsive. I'm a New Yorker. We can be ... abrupt sometimes.

Yet I have many qualities: I am intelligent, adaptable, and thoughtful; I will always acknowledge if someone has shown me to be incorrect using reason and logic. I do not jump from side to side in a given argument simply because one side or the other seems to be "winning"; I will not let even my closest friendships prevent me from saying what I think is right and following through on it. I will not say anything in private that I do not say here, in public. I have only one face, and that face is looking squarely into the faces of the citizens of the respublica.

In the respublica, my first thought is not to pander to what is popular but to stick with what I believe to be the best for the respublica as a whole. You may not agree with me, but I will do my best to show why I believe what I believe with logical consistency. Perhaps, as Galerius Aurelianus has said, my personal challenge is to always do so in a manner that more accurately reflects my delightful personality. Well, that's how I read it :)

I am generous and open-minded when given a challenge. Consider the latest sestertius issue; out of my own pocket I donated US$2000.00, a gift to the respublica to bring that project to completion, working with such steadfast and energetic citizens as Vipsanius Agrippa, Apollonius Cordus, and Lucretius Agricola. I hope to be involved in, and indeed start, new initiatives that make our physical presence in the "outside" world more and more evident, to the greater benefit of the whole respublica.

Even in the resignation drama, I did not pout or demand; in fact, I removed myself voluntarily from the Senate List until the situation had been cleared up.

I have worked long and hard to take the tangle of laws and edicts and create a simplified, streamlined process that both corresponds more closely with ancient Roman practice and still reflects our sensibilities as humans living in the present. I will continue to do so no matter what the future brings.

The mechanics of any job are easily learned and mastered; it is the consistency of spirit and quality level that make a difference.

Our respublica needs a new footing. New reasons to respect those in authority. New and *actual* transparency rather than simply claims to it. Responsiveness to demands for higher quality and more positive energy. I look forward to working with Galerius Paulinus in a revitalized, re-energized office dedicated to the quality of service that the citizens of the respublica should demand and receive in order to shake loose the mud of lethargy that grips us; not dragging the accumulated baggage of the past behind us, but bringing back the energy and drive that will propel us forward. We can grow again. We *will* grow again.

That is why I stand before you here as candidate for censor.

I am not asking you to like me. I am asking you to think about whether or not you believe that my desire to see the respublica grow and flourish under the rule of law and openness and responsibility will be served well by me as censor; that I can help Galerius Paulinus raise the *quality* of service to our citizens and the outside world as censor.

And I am asking all of you to put me there.

Long live the respublica!