Arguing for Reelection

Alejandro Martí wrote an op-ed piece calling for reelection that mirrors my own thoughts on the subject:

In convoking the national citizen pact "My vote for your commitment" that we launched June 15, we proposed to the citizenry that, instead of annulling their vote, they vote for candidates who made a written commitment validated by a notary public to work on fulfilling demands regarding diminishing public insecurity and establishing effective mechanisms of accountability for those who will be elected June 5.

We have proposed the reduction of the indices of impunity in the crimes like kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and homicide because they are the crimes that most affect and destroy the peace and tranquility of individuals and their families, and inhibit the creation and development of businesses that generate jobs and wealth for the country. Furthermore they constitute effective thermometers for the effectiveness of the governmental anti-crime strategy.

With this path, it is vital that mayors, borough chiefs, and governors to be elected have specific goals to drive down these crimes during their terms, because society will be more secure when, on the one hand, it trusts in its authorities more and, on the other, has effective public security.

Nevertheless, one of the big problems that state and especially municipal governments confront is the lack of continuity of their crime policies, with the reason being that they don't have a true career-based professional service, which not only would eliminate forever the corrupt "clientist" practices in public posts, but would also permit the permanence of functionaries beyond the political terms.

Linked to the above is the prevailing need for reelection of mayors, as a form of ending the lack of continuity in public policies for short periods of three years. Without a doubt this annuls the possibility of planning long-term actions and concreting plans of government, which indubitably has a negative impact on the results that can be offered to their constituents.

If a mayor does his job well, let's reelect him. If not, let's not vote for him ever again.