“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.
Yes and that is why I oppose term limit laws. Because every functionary sticks around for decades, almost impossible to fire, and no elected leader has to face the consequences of their decisions. They spend their 2 terms feathering their nest or working for a bigger better elected position while the worker bees have no incentive to do their best and know that, especially with long term projects, the political winds will inevitably shift priorities.
We have term limits, it’s called the voting booth.