There was the son of the Hialeah police chief questioning the integrity of his opponent, the incumbent, because her mother works for the city.

Gee, wouldn't he be in the same ethical boat?

There was the mayor of Miami Beach saying she didn't speak out after recent police-involved shootings -- including one that made national headlines -- because she was told to stay mum.

And here I thought mayors are supposed to lead.

There was the Miami commissioner who's been investigated for potential misconduct who says she now goes to the city attorney to ask for an opinion for ``everything I do.''

I refrained from asking whether this included potty runs.

Ah, 'tis the season for editorial board interviews of politicians seeking office. The head spins over the choices now that I'm on the board.

Sometimes it's a pick between Twiddledee and Twiddledum. Then there are those rare times when you get a race with two, even three, stars with tremendous potential, and you wonder why the election gods don't spread the good fortune throughout a city instead of sticking all the good ones in one district.

There ought to be a law!

A PLETHORA OF EDITORIALS

For 18 years I sat in on endorsement interviews when I worked in Orlando. Everything from presidential candidates to elections supervisors -- I wrote more editorials than I care to recall.

Sometimes, the endorsement made the difference. Other times, special-interest money helped candidates snooker candidates with dreamy ads on TV and radio.

South Florida, of course, has its own quirks and special flavor. And now we've put the editorial-board interviews to video -- at least for mayoral races in Miami, Hialeah and Miami Beach. (Check out www.MiamiHerald.com/opinion and scroll down to the video player.)

Watching the 30 local politicians we interviewed for commissioner or mayor in one of those three cities, you get the sense that there are the good-hearted folks who want to help, the pols who are in it for the power trip and the unemployed just looking for a cushy job with extra-fine benefits.

Let me be clear, though, that none of the examples I've given means any particular candidate has the nod from The Miami Herald's editorial board. Just sharing the highlights -- and low points.

AN EDUCATED CHOICE

The voter's responsibility is to make an educated choice -- and not base a decision on a candidate's sloganeering or pretty boy/girl looks or the fact that the candidate's mom is calling to talk up her good son or daughter. This year, more than ever, with cities forced to cut, slash and burn good programs because of tumbling tax revenue, voters should be engaged.

Unfortunately, because there are no state or national elections, too few people will go to the polls or even ask for an absentee ballot. Yet decisions made at the local level can have the most impact. Candidates with loads of special-interest money know they can get elected with fewer than one in five voters weighing in.

The board will be meeting over the next few days to go over each candidate's positions, their voting records, their experience on other boards and their financial records and campaign connections. Oh, yes, and any criminal records and other legal filings.

It's a grueling process, but it's part of a newspaper's role as a watchdog to at least give its recommendation.

The decisions are made by board consensus. So, candidates, don't bother sending me flowers, pastelitos or other goodies to sweeten the process. Just keep it clean.

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