Wait for the first lawsuit after someone gets mugged or trips and falls on a dark street.
Are all politicians idiots or does it just seem that way?
No. That's the problem. Everyone else is held legally accountable for bad decisions that cause injury, but government honchos and their staffs are generall immune from legal liability for bad decisions. Now if they do things that are clearly outside the scope of what they are supposed to do, like running a gambling hall or brothel on government property, or self-dealing, that's different. But they are basically immune from liability for dangerously stupid mistakes.
Also, I remember learning somewhere that local governments owe no "duty to protect" the public. You can vote the elected people out of office, but you cannot sue the police for never showing up to save a life.