NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Mayoral candidate Dick Alcombright addresses his qualifications:
"Dick Alcombright is Too Nice of a Guy to be Mayor."
First, apparently I am 'too nice of a guy' to be mayor. It is rumored that I am not tough enough to do the difficult things and make the difficult decisions required of a mayor. 'Tough' is an interesting word. It can mean harsh and unpleasant or it can mean strong and durable. I believe that many I have worked for and with would probably describe my leadership style as strong and durable. I firmly believe that as we move our community forward, tough in the sense of strong and durable is what our city needs.
There is no doubt that, as your mayor, I can dispense with unpleasantness and still make the tough decisions. In all my years of managing people and performance in both the public and private sector, I have had to make many tough decisions about contracts, personnel and processes. It is important not to discount my strengths just because I can also be a nice guy. I believe many people in this community, and beyond, would prefer to deal with a strong, but professional, respectful, and yes ... nice mayor. One who will be accessible and listen.
