Miami’s District 2 commission election shows democracy, though messy, can work

Winston Churchill said that, “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

There is no doubt that democracy is inefficient and messy. And it can be expensive.

It has been estimated that this week’s special election to choose a commissioner from City of Miami District 2, covering Coconut Grove, Brickell, Downtown, Edgewater and Morningside, cost taxpayers close to $300,000, not to mention the close to $1.5 million spent by the 13 candidates running.

But the election shows the irreplaceable benefit of allowing citizens to choose their leaders.

This election almost didn’t happen: Commissioners Joe Carollo and Alex Diaz de la Portilla attempted to place ex-judge Martin Zilber, a favorite of developers and city lobbyists, on the commission without a vote of the residents. They failed because they couldn’t get commissioners Manolo Reyes and Christine King to vote with them.

And the election ended with the Sabina Covo rising to the top, the first woman and first Hispanic elected District 2 commissioner.

That residents were able to have a free and fair election to choose who leads them is a triumph of democracy and good government.

Zilber garnered only 12% of the votes. If he had been appointed, he would have been making decisions on behalf of the 88% of residents who didn’t vote him.

This is what democracy looks like. Its disorderly and cumbersome. But it’s a right that we must cherish and nurture.

If residents who remain silent instead demand better, more transparent government, we can leave behind the ugliness and begin writing a new chapter to improve the situation at City Hall and throughout Miami.

Let’s continue to do the hard work and stop tolerating self-interest and unscrupulousness and demand cleaner, better government.