Big City Politics is For the Politically Connected

Managing city governments is a difficult job.  The public decides every four to six years who will be their spokesmen.  If a city councilman, mayor, or other elected official believes he has the support of the public there is no way another politician or a citizen with good ideas can stand in the way. Los Angeles has known some serious battles between elected officials.  The outcomes are not easy to predict.

Michael Bloomberg has been given the right to run for a third term as mayor of New York City, even though there are term limits, because he has the public’s confidence.  It’s the reason that FDR successfully ran for president four times.

Richard Daley has been mayor of Chicago since 1989 because when all is said and done the public really likes the way he manages that city.

Yesterday the superintendent of public schools in Los Angeles saw his four year contract canceled after just two years.  He really never lived up to expectations.  It’s also true that the mayor wanted control of the schools and tough politics added to his demise.  Mayor Antonio Villaragosa is popular with the public.  That Superintendent David Brewer is Black had no bearing in the decision.  Los Angeles has had a Black mayor, Tom Bradley, and he was a popular figure.