Those who promise too much without a proven track record may be fooling the people.
My dear friends and readers, I have always heard that it is with feet under the table that the best friendships and the best business deals are often made. But it is also at the table, over good conversation, that we often get to truly know a person.
I, as many of you already know, do not hesitate to speak my mind. I may not always be right, but I try to pay attention to what I hear and, above all, to understand well what is being said to me.
Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting someone with a profile many would wish to have: upfront, simple, cautious with words, possessing a broad vision, and deeply attentive to the interests of the people and public accounts.
We spoke about poverty, employment, and the responsibilities of those who govern. One idea became crystal clear: you cannot promise everything to everyone without first thinking about who will pay for it and where the money will come from. The role of those who govern must also be to create the right conditions so that people can work, progress, and build their own future.
We also discussed employment. The reality is that difficulties exist, but there are also sectors lacking labor where greater investment in training, preparation, and the willingness to work is needed. We cannot build a society where everything is presented as a right without also talking about individual duties and responsibilities.
My friends, all this to say once again that politics cannot just be a race to make promises. Any day now, we’ll hear someone claim that we all have a right to win the lottery. Or better yet, that we deserve to win and that someone has an obligation to hand us the winning ticket.
Great leaders aren’t necessarily those who promise the most. They are those who know how to explain what is possible to achieve, how it can be done, and, above all, who is going to pay for it.
During our conversation, I even mentioned to him with a bit of humor that, despite being elected by a left-leaning party, some of his ideas seemed closer to social democracy. And he smiled.
Above all, I saw a person who is very careful with spending, concerned with balancing the accounts, and committed to ensuring quality of life for his residents. A person who seems to understand that quantity is not quality, and that governing cannot simply be about handing things out without thought for the next day.
I particularly liked one point he made: in politics, not anything goes. Those who govern must also remember that, all too often, some run up the debts while others are left with the responsibility of paying them off.
And this isn’t just about politics. It’s a reality we all recognize, whether in a family, a business, an association, or a country. We cannot spend today without thinking about the consequences tomorrow.
My dear readers, are you curious to know who this person is that I had the privilege to meet?
His name is Eng. Frederico Furtado de Sousa, Mayor of Lagoa, in the Azores.
It was a pleasure meeting him. I found a humble, intelligent, straightforward, and measured person, but above all, someone who conveyed to me the idea that, in politics, party colors should never stand above the responsibility of governing.
Mr. Mayor, I hope you continue to be the person the people of Lagoa chose to manage the future of their municipality, with calmness and without euphoria. You came to Toronto and, perhaps without even intending to, ended up giving many of us a little lesson: there are rights, but there are also duties; there is support that is necessary, but there are also responsibilities; and public money is not bottomless.
It was a conversation over a meal, with feet under the table, but it left me with one certainty: sometimes, you need to know the person before you judge the politician.
Now you know who this person is that I met with feet under the table.
Look up and listen to the Mesa Redonda program from September 25th, and see what a good politician truly looks like.
Have a great weekend!
Augusto Bandeira/MS
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