Not having examined the poll itself, I’m not yet sure how much credence to give it, but I was very encouraged by the report that a survey sponsored by local business leaders found that 60 percent of active Columbia voters would ditch the city’s present Byzantine governmental structure for a strong-mayor form. I hope the commission considering changes in that structure will study the poll and take its results into consideration.
My eyebrow rose, however, at the words the political consultant whose firm conducted the survey chose to (almost dismissively) explain how unremarkable such responses are, including on the state level: “There’s been a tendency to want to give the governor top power,” said Richard Quinn. “It makes them (voters) feel government is more accountable to them.”
Well, you know why they feel that way? Because a government in which the elected chief executive is actually in charge of the executive functions is more accountable. Or at least it would be, if we’d give it a try for a change. We’ve paid too much over the years for our failure to trust democracy.
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