Q&A #2: Menino, Flaherty, And Services

 "Michael Pahre" asks:

Have the changes enacted to the "Mayor's 24-hour constituent services" -- particularly how online submissions now get a tracking number that they can use to follow the complaint -- nullify Councilor Flaherty's "CityStat" issue for the upcoming election?

Perhaps, but Flaherty's people don't think so. They are absolutely intending to make city responsiveness an issue; they believe that there is a general perception -- fair or not -- that things are not getting taken care of in the city as well as they should be, and that they can exploit and broaden that perception, particularly as services inevitably get cut in the current budget crisis. 

Flaherty will probably make this a key part of his argument, that (in my words here) Menino is a 20th century mayor ill-prepared to lead a 21st century city. 

I don't think that Menino's baby steps toward a real CityStat program have infiltrated the public consciousness yet, but we'll see whether he is able to portray it as a success in the coming months. 

Another thought: if Flaherty is smart (and, of course, assuming he's got the cajones to run), he will also find a way to exploit people's perception -- again, fair or not -- that their problems and complaints fall far back in line behind those of the well-connected or financially generous.