Discuss: The Boston City Council is all but invisible and should be eliminated

Ross just doesn't want to lose his job grandstanding for public adulation, followed by a vote which compromises everything he promised in public. The council is corrupt, gerrymandered, and usually useless. The strong mayor system allows cronyism at its worst and deprives many citizens concerns due process in development issues and budgeting.

The city really needs to reform a new city government under a new charter which focuses on transparent and equitable representation of individual neighborhoods.

Let's face it, the councilors are just rubber stamps of the Mayor, especially Ross who used to work for him and has had a special relationship with him ever since.

Ross knows better than anyone that for him to be a councilor means he must not rock the boat. Unfortunately, as as Mission Hill resident, this leaves his constituents %^*# out of luck. When push comes to shove, he has the Mayor's back even though he slimily gives his constituents, like me, the impression he has ours. It sad to think his father escaped a Nazi concentration camp only to see his son rise to "power" and then be a pawn of another dictator - the Mayor. Then again when you are going to law school when you should be working, who has time to stand up to the Mayor or want to open yourself up to attack.

The council gives the ear of being a checks and balance, but it is not. The Mayor has gotten involved in most ever councilor's race past and present. He does this by steering support to the person he knows he can control. If anything, a bill should be passed to limit his involvement. Otherwise the council should be eliminated because the millions saved from their paychecks as well as their employees could be use to stop the closing of the libraries or the various layoffs of city employees.

Great letter to the editor from a guy who lives less than 10 miles from the Mexican border:

LINES DRAWN ON IMMIGRATION
The Boston Globe
Before you punish Arizona, spend a day near the Mexican border
May 16, 2010

THE BOSTON City Council is clueless (“Council calls for a boycott of Arizona,’’ Metro, May 6). I live less than 10 miles from the Mexican border. I moved here from Maine. Near my home is a route for illegal immigrants to enter Arizona. On many occasions the Border Patrol helicopter flies over the house, rattling windows and shining its searchlight in the yard. In March rancher Robert Krentz was killed on his own land. The day before, eight illegal immigrants were arrested with 280 pounds of marijuana on that ranch. A Pinal County sheriff’s deputy reportedly was ambushed by drug traffickers. He was shot with an assault rifle.

This month my wife heard and saw two Spanish-speaking men in our backyard, looking in the windows. She fled the house. I had to use my own .45 pistol to clear my own house and ensure it was safe to enter.

And you judge us. I wear a gun everywhere I go. People on remote ranches answer the door with rifles in their hands. And you dare tell us not to enforce the law.

Wise up, people. It’s not drug violence in Mexico; it’s drug violence on the border, both north and south of it. Try becoming informed instead of just being opinionated.

Tim Woodard
Sierra Vista, Ariz.
The writer is a retired Army lieutenant colonel.

Question: How come those busy city councilors, tending to important administrative tasks like the budget, have the time to pursue a law degree that is a 3-year full-time job to anybody else?

Answer: Because they have so few things to do that we might as well rid ourselves of the council.

A) Shrink it - to maybe 9 or even 7 councilors - any mix of 2-3 at large and/or 5-9 district councilors is probably plenty - anyone want to run on a slate that if we're elected we cut the council by 4-6 as our first act and then fire ourselves?
B) Give them more responsibility and greater checks and balances - e.g. - have the council ratify certain board/committee appointees, more budget oversight, some powers over collective bargaining etc. so the mayor has to play ball with them as much as they have to play with him.
C) Make the whole damned thing part time and slash salaries and share staff - not a huge savings in a $2.5 billion budget - but personally I'd rather have horse patrols, emt's, more teachers etc.

That's it - not much to ask for, is it?