There is one South Carolinian, at least, who is too good at his job.
I said a moment ago that I didn’t have anything to say about Joe Riley’ latest victory except congratulations again, but apparently I lied.
It just hit me what else I wanted to say…
Aside from my happiness for Joe, it occurs to my what it does my heart so much good to turn toward the Holy City and behold what he has wrought.
He shows that South Carolinians can make the smart move.
One might look on Joe being elected to 40 straight years in office and say, “Big deal. Strom Thurmond was in for longer than that, and few South Carolinians can remember him ever doing squat to distinguish himself or our state.” (Note, Strom lovers, that someone might say it; I didn’t say I would.”)
But that can’t be said of Joe. He has transformed that city into one of the nation’s most inviting and well-run — and the voters there, regardless of political affiliation, know it. And the rest of us know it, too. He is the gold standard against which all others are judged. To give but one example of the Riley effect, whenever I push for a strong-mayor system in Columbia, the naysayers almost inevitably say, before I can even direct my gaze southward along I-26, “There’s only one Joe Riley.” As if there were no point having a strong mayor unless that mayor happened to be that good. As I said in a 2005 column, from a Columbia perspective, “The problem with Joe Riley is that he’s too good at his job.”
Actually, that’s a problem from the perspective of the whole state, in a sense. My one beef with Joe is that he never became governor, and the reason why was that he was too focused on being mayor. He made that one half-hearted attempt in 1994. By half-hearted, I mean he was too busy running Charleston to campaign. So he lost a heartbreaker of a primary runoff (by less than one vote per precinct) to Nick Theodore, who had done little other that run for the office as hard as he could for the past 8 years. Then, when everyone expected him to run four years later, he decided he would not, leaving us to choose between David Beasley and Jim Hodges’ lottery campaign.
I was pretty unhappy with him for that. I believe our state would have been much better off today after 8 years of Joe in charge. But that was not to be.
So I just have to take satisfaction in the fact that Joe is Joe, and to him that meant being mayor of Charleston — so he did everything with that that anyone could possibly do.
And the fact that Charleston voters have been so persistently wise as to recognize it, over and over, gives me hope for the rest of our state. And after Mark Sanford, and Nikki Haley, and Alvin Greene, and so many other things I’d rather not think about, hope is something that we all need.
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The Onion piece about South Carolina-ravaged South Carolina noted that Charleston had escaped damage. It does seem to be far more evolved, but Columbia does pretty well, too. As an involved resident, I do not share the non-residents’ desire to impose a strong mayor upon us, and get a lot annoyed by it. Some strong mayors are great, some suck. Same with city managers–I’ll ride the Steve Gantt horse as far as it will go before I take a chance on getting one of the good strong mayors.
40 years in office and heading into Charleston from the north still looks as run down as it did 40 years ago. Outside of the historic/tourist sections, Charleston is a run down dump.
I remember meeting Joe Riley several years back at luncheon in Charleston honoring volunteers.
Riley is alone in South Carolina for having established, in the mayor’s office, an office focused on aging and disability issues. (Aiken County Council has just done something similar.)
In commenting on that office, Mayor Riley said something that has resonated with me through the years.
I won’t put quotes around it, but this is nearly what he said.
If you want to build a great city, you have to build it for everyone. For Charleston to be a great city, we had to incorporate the views and the needs of our older citizens and our disabled ones.
His vision explains why Charleston is the top destination city in America, and why you can find plenty of parking, marvelous restaurants, and energetic entrepreneurs ready to dispense enjoyable shopping services in Charleston.
Joe has had a vision to make his community the best. He’s to be congratulated and has made a significant impact beyond Charleston and SC. He’s been a model for other leaders in this state and the nation. It’s unfortunate that our state leadership and legislature are “owned” by corporations. I had the pleasure to work with him over 15 years relative to business development and bringing jobs to downtown Charleston for my employer at the time. He’s one of the most creative and practical individuals I’ve known. With the strong mayor form of govt., you know who is in charge and not some administrator or manager who is not accountable to the electorate. As in Columbia and other municipalities the mayor is just one vote along with the other council members.
But the teapartiers want term limits. People like Riley, with their expertise and experience, should be limited to one term and that’s it.
No knock to Joe on this, but I do see Doug’s point to a degree. Has the success of one individual lulled Charlestonians (and their neighbors) into also believing Harrell and McConnell are of the same worthy character? Because that can’t be any better for them than it is for the rest of the state.
I don’t want to link the three but maybe when Joe retires the Holy City will find the will to replace the other two as well.
Sometimes it does feel more like this state values complacency over leadership and that the few good eggs with legs do great harm by giving cover to the others who do too little for too long.
Steven, I suppose you’re from Greenville and don’t know where the municipal limits are between N Chas and Chas. Having dealt with both mayors and visions, You look at the results and you’ll know the line between the two cities. Joe’s vision includes the less fortunate, disabled and seniors and his community shows it. Tired Old Man is right on.
I grew up in Columbia and had it not been for Kirk Finlay’s vision, there would not be the blue print for the success they’ve had so far. I’m not a non-resident and have dealt with leaders of the three types of municipal govts all over SC and those in NC and poor strong mayors in those type govts don’t last very long.
@burl
So are you saying Joe Riley was a lousy mayor but got better? Or was he just good at what he does from the start?
Term limits don’t prevent a person from coming back to the job after a break. Might even be helpful to get someone out of the routine for a couple years to see what’s going on.
Would people govern better if they knew they didn’t have to worry about re-election?
@j – You’d suppose wrong. I live in Lexington and out of state prior to moving here (well except for a short stint in Shandon).
I have a pretty good idea where North Charleston ends and Charleston begins. Take the Charleston Battery for example, beautiful area… go a mile north (a few blocks north of College of Charleston) and you’ll see buildings that haven’t been occupied since Hurricane Hugo. I believe those buildings are well within Riley’s jurisdiction.
I’m interested in hearing why you’d think I was from Greenville?
@Burl – I’d be happy with a 12 year term limit. Politics isn’t supposed to be a career.
Why restrict mine, yours or any voter’s right to re-elect someone to office?
@j – If it can be done for federal elected positions why can’t it be done at the state and local level? Are you upset that you can’t elect a president for a 3rd term?
I don’t know about J — to whose comment I add an “amen” — but I remain ambivalent about the presidential term limit.
I’m generally opposed to term limits, while at the same time can see that if you were to apply such a limit to any office, it would be the presidency, because of the vast power invested in it.
I am not sure that term limits really are necessary even in the Presidency. Most men are ground down by the end of the second term. In all our history, only one ran for a 3rd and 4th term, and that was due to the most dire war in Human history. He was greatly diminished in the 3rd campaign. And he was spent at year 13.
So you’re opposed to it as long as you get to pick and choose which offices it applies to.
I want M&M’s but I want them packaged without the red ones.
@ Steven–Is that what’s on your backstage rider?
@Kathryn – Nope, a half bottle of room temperature Publix bottled water.
@ Steven
http://www.mymms.com/
Y’know, the Sam’s water at Walmart is so much tastier than the Publix stuff they give you for a penny some Wednesdays. You might want to upgrade!
Actually I prefer Dasani’s… something about it tastes better.
Steven, I really didn’t know where you’re located and don’t really care. If you do live in Lexington, I suppose you were represented by the former rep and new governor. You probably voted for her.
If you go one mile North of the of Battery you’ll see a great upturn in the real estate cycle and redevelopment. If you’re referring to the cross town route or above Calhoun Street, I wonder when the last time you were in Charleston and how much you know about real estate in historic districts.
When you restrict terms of elected officials you’re inviting a significant restriction on democracy. I don’t have a problem with limiting the Presidency to two terms though.