This morning I came across a blog item about Doug Duncan, a county executive in Maryland who just dropped out of that state’s race for governor.
Apparently he was a very good administrator:
Since he became county executive in 1994, we have had no big scandals. The county services are excellent. If you call 911, someone comes immediately. When I complained to the county’s consumer affairs office that the cable company was overcharging me, and wasn’t responsive to my phone calls, a representative from the cable company called back that day, corrected my bill, and mailed me an apology. When the snow plows demolished my mailbox last winter, I complained to the public works department, which sent people out that week to replant and repair my mailbox. OK, that’s no big deal, but try getting that kind of response in other cities or counties. There is a loud-mouthed lawyer who has put anti-tax initiatives on the local ballot, but they are always voted down, because people in the county believe they are getting their money’s worth from their taxes.
I’ll have what they’re having.