Mike Ruffin: A good name is priceless

kAm(96? >J D@? H2D :? >:55=6 D49@@=[ x 925 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ E6249 9:> 2 G2=F23=6 =6DD@? 23@FE E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 2 8@@5 ?2>6] x? 724E[ :E 6G6? 925 2 DA:C:EF2= ECFE9 H:E9 :E] s@?’E E6== 9:>[ 3FE H6 3@E9 =62C?65 D@>6E9:?8]k^Am

kAmxE :?G@=G65 @?6 @7 E96 uC:52J ?:89E 52?46D E92E 9:D >:55=6 D49@@= DA@?D@CD 5FC:?8 E96 J62C] yFDE =:<6 2?J @E96C 6:89E9 8C256C[ 96 H2D E@@ 6I4:E65 E@ DE@A 2?5 62E DFAA6CP w6 H2D H2:E:?8 7@C >6 2E E96 5@@C H96? x 8@E 9@>6 7C@> H@C<] x 4@F=5 E6== :E H2D 2 DA64:2= ?:89E E@ 9:>] %96 2C@>2 @7 4@=@8?6 A6C>62E65 E96 9@FD6Pk^Am

kAm(6 962565 @FE 7@C E96 D49@@= 2E eicd D92CA] %96 52?46 DE2CE65 2E f[ 2?5 :E’D ?@E 72D9:@?23=6 E@ 36 =2E6 7@C :E :7 J@F’C6 :? E96 6:89E9 8C256] x? 724E[ :7 J@F 5@ 2CC:G6 =2E6[ E96C6’D 2 8@@5 492?46 J@FC 8:C= >:89E 36 H:E9 2?@E96C 8FJ] %96C6’D ?@ 9@?@C 2>@?8 E9:6G6D[ :7 J@F <?@H H92E x >62?]k^Am

kAm(6 6?;@J65 E9@D6 uC:52J ?:89E 52?46D] #@33:6 2?5 x 5:5?’E 92G6 @?6 3:E @7 EC@F3=6 6?;@J:?8 E96 D:=6?46] xE H2D 2 BF:6E 6G6?:?8[ F?E:= 2C@F?5 h A]>] %92E’D H96? E96 2DD:DE2?E AC:?4:A2= E6=6A9@?65 >6] xE D66>65 |2C< 925 8@EE6? 9:>D6=7 :? 2 >:?@C “5:DAFE6” H:E9 2?@E96C 3@J] x H2D E@=5 E@ 4@>6 A:4< 9:> FA :>>65:2E6=J] “r@?EC@= J@FCD6=7[” #@33:6 E@=5 >6 2D x DE@C>65 @FE E96 5@@C]k^Am

kAmx DFC6 76=E 96C AC2J6CD 5FC:?8 E96 `_ >:?FE6D :E E@@< >6 E@ 86E E@ |2C<’D D49@@=] (9:=6 x H2D DE62>:?8 H96? x 2CC:G65[ x AFE 2 D>:=6 @? >J 7246 2?5 D2:5 96==@ E@ D@>6 @7 >J 7C:6?5D 2D x D42??65 2C@F?5 :? D62C49 @7 |2C<]k^Am

kAm~?6 @7 E96 A2C6?ED E@=5 >6 |2C< H2D 5@H?DE2:CD H2:E:?8 7@C >6] x 4@F=5?’E 92G6 366? >@C6 6>32CC2DD65] %96J H6C6 92G:?8 2 H@?56C7F= E:>6] %96:C <:5D H6C6 3692G:?8] qFE ?@E >J <:5P |J 49:=5 H2D 5@H?DE2:CD :? D@=:E2CJ 4@?7:?6>6?E H2:E:?8 7@C E96 “32:= 3@?5D>2?” E@ 2CC:G6]k^Am

kAm(96? x 7@F?5 9:>[ x D2:5[ “(92E :? E96 H@C=5 2C6 J@F 5@:?8 7:89E:?8n pC6 J@F 4C2KJn {@@< 2E E96 <:5] w6 @FEH6:89D J@F 3J c_ A@F?5DP”k^Am

kAmx H2D D@ 2?8CJ x 5:5?’E DA62< E@ 9:> 2== E96 H2J 9@>6] x <?@H :E H2D 2 C:56 96 5:5?’E D@@? 7@C86E]k^Am

kAmw6 6IA64E65 2 DE6C? “2EE:EF56 25;FDE>6?E]” %92E’D ?@C>2==J 9@H x 562= H:E9 >2;@C :?7C24E:@?D] p7E6C 2==[ 6G6? E96 q:3=6 D2JD[ “(:E99@=5 ?@E 4@CC64E:@? 7C@> E96 49:=5i 7@C :7 E9@F 362E6DE 9:> H:E9 E96 C@5[ 96 D92== ?@E 5:6]” W!C@G6C3D abi`bX qFE E9:D E:>6[ 36EE6C ;F58>6?E AC6G2:=65 2?5 3@E9 @7 FD =62C?65 2 =6DD@?]k^Am

kAm“v@ 86E J@FC 32D632== 8=@G6 2?5 J@FC 72G@C:E6 4@>AFE6C 82>6 2?5 AFE E96> 96C6 @? E96 E23=6[” x E@=5 9:> H96? H6 2CC:G65 9@>6]k^Am

kAmw6 C6EFC?65 H:E9 3@E9 2?5 A=2465 E96> @? E96 4@7766 E23=6 :? @FC 56?]k^Am

kAm“!:4< E96 @?6 E92E’D >@DE :>A@CE2?E E@ J@F[” x E@=5 9:>] x <?6H E92E 9:D =@G6 7@C 32D632== H@F=5 4=@F5 9:D ;F58>6?E] w6 A:4<65 FA E96 8=@G6]k^Am

kAmx D2:5[ “*@F E@@< >J 8@@5 ?2>6 2H2J 7C@> >6 E@?:89E[ 2?5 E92E’D E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E E9:?8 :? E96 H@C=5 E@ >6] $@ x’> E2<:?8 32D632== 2H2J 7C@> J@F] *@F’C6 @77 E96 E62>] *@FC D62D@? :D @G6C] }@H 8@ 86E J@FC D9@H6C 2?5 86E :?E@ 365]”k^Am

kAmx =6E 9:> D:>>6C 7@C 23@FE 2? 9@FC 2?5 E96? H6?E :?E@ 9:D 365C@@> E@ D2J 8@@5 ?:89E] w6 H2D 4CJ:?8 9:D 6J6D @FE] “(92E’D HC@?8[ D@?n” x 2D<65]k^Am

kAm“*@F EC:4<65 >6[” 96 D2:5] “*@F <?6H x’5 A:4< E96 8=@G6]”k^Am

kAm“*6D[ x <?6H J@F’5 A:4< E96 8=@G6 3642FD6 x <?@H H92E’D >@DE :>A@CE2?E E@ J@F] qFE J@F 5:5?’E DE@A 2?5 E9:?< 23@FE H92E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ >6] p?5 H96? J@F 8@E :? E92E 7:89E[ J@F 5:D9@?@C65 6G6CJ@?6 :? E9:D 9@FD6 H9@ 92D E96 #F77:? ?2>6] *@F 42?’E 3FJ 2 8@@5 ?2>6[ |2C<] xE’D AC:46=6DD[ 2?5 :E E2<6D J62CD E@ 62C? :E] %96 D92>6 :D :E @?=J E2<6D 2 76H >@>6?ED E@ =@D6 :E]”k^Am

kAm“xV== E6== J@F H92E x’== 5@] x’== EC256 H:E9 J@F] x’== 8:G6 J@F 32D632== 324< :7 J@F AC@>:D6 E@ 3692G6 2?5 96=A FD <66A @FC 8@@5 ?2>6] s62=n”k^Am

kAmw6 BF:4<=J C6A=:65[ “s62=]”k^Am

kAmx =62C?65 D@>6E9:?8 23@FE A2C6?E:?8 E92E ?:89E] x 5:5?’E 92G6 E@ 362E 2?J D6?D6 :? 9:> 27E6C 2==] x ;FDE 925 E@ E2=< H:E9 9:> @? 9:D =6G6=] p?5 3@J 5:5 96 6G6C F?56CDE2?5Pk^Am

kAmx 9@A6 E9:D A2C23=6 H:== 96=A J@F E9:?< 23@FE 9@H @FC A@@C 49@:46D 3C:?8 D92>6 E@ E96 u2E96C’D ?2>6] pD r9C:DE:2?D[ H6 D9@F=5 ?6G6C H2?E E@ 5@ E9:?8D E92E H@F=5 3C:?8 w:> D92>6]k^Am