Can you name a city with a less accomplished city council? (Philadelphia: lawyers, office)

[caroline2]

I was just thinking about how utterly unaccomplished our city council is for a city our size. The cities of comparable size that I'm most familiar with have former judges and lawyers, accomplished business people, entrepreneurs, etc. We are graced with a failed academic, a union mouthpiece, two lifelong bureaucratic aides, a housewife, etc. (I don't know about Lavelle -- I can't find a very good bio for him.)

[hornet67]

City government has consisted of political hacks for a loooong time, starting at the top, including the boy mayor currently in office. Hey, all yunz has to do is win the Democratic primary, and you are IN! The bar is NOT set very high, that's for sure!
Pittsburgh is likely surpassed for hackdom by Chicago, Philadelphia, and most other large cities, but for a "small market", we do OK. Anyone remember Michelle Madoff, or Jeep DePasquale? Salah Udin? Double yoi!

[BrianTH]

I immediately thought of Chicago's aldermen. With many of them, their most notable moment was being indicted and convicted on federal charges.

Edit: Incidentally, it is probably worth noting that while the Pittsburgh Metro is a major metro (#22 in the US), the City of Pittsburgh is relatively small (#61 in the US, right after Toledo, OH).

[Bo]

Do you have term limits there? In San Antonio, we just went through a 20-year stretch where the council members were limited to two 2-year terms. About the time they'd become effective at the job, they'd be term-limited out of it. Their replacements were almost always brand new to public service, in their 20s or 30s, and could generally be counted on to say something embarrassing or illegal during their first year in office.

A charter change in 2009 revised the council and mayor terms to 4 years and kept the limit of 2 terms. That should help.

Surely they aren't that bad in Pittsburgh?

[SteelCityRising]

For what it's worth I'm pursuing my CPA and MBA and hope to run for Pittsburgh City Council before I turn 30. That's somewhat accomplished.

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by hornet67

City government has consisted of political hacks for a loooong time, starting at the top, including the boy mayor currently in office. Hey, all yunz has to do is win the Democratic primary, and you are IN! The bar is NOT set very high, that's for sure!
Pittsburgh is likely surpassed for hackdom by Chicago, Philadelphia, and most other large cities, but for a "small market", we do OK.
Anyone remember Michelle Madoff, or Jeep DePasquale? Salah Udin? Double yoi!

And of course, Tom Flaherty.

[ki0eh]

Bell, CA

[prairiestate]

Chicago. They don't do anything but approve whatever the mayor tells them to, and show up for their court appearances. It will be interesting when Daley is gone and they actually have to think for themselves.

[AaronPGH]

Cleveland.

[Tallysmom]

Oakland CA -- way too long serving and no other place to go. They wouldn't get elected anywhere else, given how they screwed up Oakland...