Richmond mayor blends church and state (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Julian Hayter, a historian and assistant professor of leadership studies, is quoted in an article about the relationship between political leadership and churches in Richmond.
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“I wonder what it looks like when you go down in the ranks?” said Julian Maxwell Hayter, a historian and an assistant professor of leadership studies at the University of Richmond. But he cautioned against portraying Jones as an anomaly.
“Unfortunately, we’re living in a particularly cynical political age,” he said. “This sort of cronyism is part and parcel of American politics. It happens everywhere.”
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“I think the bigger question is a question of quality,” Hayter said. “Are you hiring the best person for the job? If you made one hire based on cronyism rather than who’s best for the job, you’ve made a grave mistake. It’s a particularly big issue when you’re hiring people who aren’t qualified for those positions who have a direct influence on taxpayers.”