At midterm statewide elections, most of us pay attention to the marquee races such as governor and the U.S. Congress, and ignore the other statewide offices that need to be filled. The down ballot elected positions can be critically important. That’s why I urge voters to cast their votes for Anthony Amore for state auditor. The state auditor is the commonwealth’s top fiscal watchdog responsible for overseeing government spending that should be available for vital state services, and making sure it is free of waste, fraud, or abuse. Amore has earned the endorsement of Gov. Charlie Baker, who has called him the most qualified person to run for the position in a long time. After 9/11, Amore was tasked with leading a team of 1,200 at Logan Airport to overhaul security and later audited the TSA’s national airport security programs. He has done audits and investigations professionally for 30 years while his opponent has never done an audit or led a large organization in her short career. Too often voters end up electing a candidate with no experience to lead a large agency. Mismanagement, misuse of resources, and poor performance inevitably follow. Let’s not make that mistake this year. Anthony Amore has Gov. Baker’s only statewide endorsement because Charlie Baker knows Amore will be the best person to keep fiscal checks and balances in place. The state’s tax dollars are there to serve the people of Massachusetts, and not the politicians. We need to have an independent arbiter as auditor to monitor how our tax dollars are being spent, and to keep the state government fiscally honest.
Jay Fleitman
Republican State Committee Man, Hampshire Franklin & Worcester District