Who said it’s the worst form of government except for all the others? I think about that frequently. Because, yeah, people really, really don’t like it. And I think sometimes, like here in town, they don’t even realize they don’t like it. But really, acting like it’s somehow outrageous that the city council doesn’t fall in lock-step with the mayor is anti-democratic.
And we have a system of checks and balances for a reason. Yes, it sucks for the mayor that one of the checks and balance on his power is that the council doesn’t just rubberstamp everything he wants done.
BUT THAT’S HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
They are checking the mayor’s power. Anyone who would fault them for that either doesn’t understand our form of government–in which case it’s pretty stunning that she gets to write about it for a big newspaper–or she doesn’t like it and is advocating for something closer to an elected dictator–in which case, well, that’s a pretty stunning turn of events as well.
I guess I could have just left this as a comment over at Jay’s place, but I wanted to link to him here. So, here I go.
Tiny Cat Pants 
On the other hand, one could interpret Holleman’s obstruction on the fairgrounds issue as “Sylvan Park deciding whether or not Wedgewood-Houston and Woodbine have to live with a racetrack”.
Not to say that Dean & Co going after him isn’t a little vicious, just that I’m having a hard time crying for him, and that what is or isn’t democratic is often in the eye of the beholder. Or the ears, in this case.