The iron law of urban politics: Not every elected official who rides transit will be a good elected official. But every good elected city official will ride transit.
The iron law of urban politics: Not every elected official who rides transit will be a good elected official. But every good elected city official will ride transit.
In the US listening to and relaying the political concerns of constituents is ostensibly a core part of the job of being a public representative, and even bought and paid for reps usually feel pressure to uphold that reputation.
Yeah but this is rude. They shouldn’t have to be accosted everywhere.
No, it’s not rude. It’s a normalized and expected part of US political life. If it seems like there is some friction between this mayor and the person asking the question, that is because the question is regarding a topic for which the mayor has been largely in conflict with and unresponsive to his constituents on. The person asking the question is being direct because the mayor has been derelict, and the mayor is pained because his own irresponsibility has caught up to him.
Good representatives don’t get nearly so many pointed questions like this, because they listen to and account for their constituent’s concerns. I don’t know what keeps reps in other countries honest, but whatever it may be we don’t have it here in the USA. We have this, and if you think we shouldn’t because it seems “rude” to you then consider what it might be like for your country to have to deal with a USA even less restrained by it’s more politically-active citizens than it is now.