A mayor’s power is often seen, even when compared to a governor’s or prime minister’s/president’s power, as having the highest potential of actually being appreciated, as the latter positions come with having a bunch of invisible pieces and filters to tend to, even supposing you decided to be dictatorial about things. Despite this, or maybe in spite of this, whenever I see very loved and communal individuals, they see it as above their area of motivation to run for local office. There isn’t a single city, town, or village I’ve been to where the mayor’s level of connection to the people around them isn’t overshadowed by that of at least some of the citizens, in fact I see the mayor, district attorney, sheriff, town judge, etc. in my own area as being visibly condescending blowhards who are bedfellows with the local activists who are known to have no issue ruining childrens’ lives the Ally Bank way. Even to you I’d recommend running for some form of town office, though with you too, I doubt the challenge would be stepped up to. You could make a difference in your own little fragment of the world.

So considering most people I talk to wouldn’t take up the suggestion to run for something like mayor, district attorney, sheriff, town judge, etc. what is your local government scene like? And are you different from those who won’t step up to the challenge?

  • cybervseas@lemmy.worldEnglish
    111·
    2 months ago

    I live in NYC. As is tradition, no one likes the mayor. Though this one is among the worst in recent history.

    Being mayor of a city like this is so far away from my capabilities. I think you need to be kind of sociopathic or narcissistic to believe you can do this job.

      • cybervseas@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        2 months ago

        I know! As I commented on a post about that, I’m sure it was done with great care. You don’t criminality indict the sitting mayor of the largest city in the country on federal charges unless you are sure a crime was committed.

    • CraigOhMyEggo@lemmy.mlOP
      81·
      2 months ago

      I personally don’t understand why the five boroughs (there even being precisely five or six of them, which would make this all the better) don’t adopt a system of governance similar to the five Iroquois tribes which once lived right next door to it. It was quite designed against the possibility of totalitarian rule.