The Consummate Politician

Councilman Scott Galvin has the smile to win the ladies and the gestures to win the votes. In the nearly twenty years that we've been friends he's gone from being "The Kid" with political ambitions to becoming a force to be reckoned with. He's a fantastic public speaker, and he'd even be great on the radio where you couldn't see his smile or his gestures.

The city built this nice outdoor plaza next to city hall (which is behind him here) and in front of the new art museum and the new police station. Since we have the plaza, suddenly everything from swearing in the new mayor and council to the Flag Day celebration has become an outdoor event. No more crowding into the council chambers. No way!

For swearing in the newly re-elected mayor and council it's customary for each one find a prominant person in the community to administer the oath of office. We had the chief judge of the circuit court there, and former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. Scott did something very unique. He had a group of North Miami High School students go up there and administer his oath of office.

Now we get to sit or stand outside in the sunny summertime heat (or hope that the rain will please wait twenty more minutes) while we listen to seemingly endless speeches telling us what a great city this is, how dedicated the city staff is, and how lucky we are to have elected the right people. Seeing them standing up there for a couple of hours wearing black suits in the ninety degree heat, though, makes me wonder just a little bit, just a little tiny bit. It made me think of that line "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun..."

Come winter and cooler weather that plaza will probably be a very inviting place. For now we might consider adopting a variation of that old song as the official North Miami anthem. "Only mad dogs and councilmen go out in the midday sun..." The rest of us want our AC!