Yep. Same around here. Planters, in a drought in a desert city. Smart thinking. Politics and bureaucracies attract the worst people. Maybe a few have good intentions when they started and the job just demoralized them.
“Maybe a few have good intentions when they started and the job just demoralized them.”
I think it’s just the fact that they are insulated from competition that does it. They can do the bare minimum effort and get by, and there are no consequences. They can push the same failed strategies over and over, and the worst that will happen is the mayor and his deputies get replaced, while all the bureaucrats in middle management and below keep on being mediocre.