The closest I've been able to get to local politics for the past few days is the online version of our local newspapers. I've been out of town all week, which means that I missed our city council meeting on November 1st. Neither do I have access to a high speed internet connection, so I cannot watch the streaming video of the proceedings, either.

A high point (?) of that meeting was the election of our municipal loose cannon, Eric Bever, as mayor pro tem. The article in the Daily Pilot that announced the election speculated that he would be the next mayor of our fair city in 15 months. Theoretically, the position of mayor pro tem is used to groom a potential new mayor.

Since his election a year ago Bever has proven to be an erratic, undisciplined, immature representative on our council. He is obviously dancing to the tune played by at least one controversial activist in our city - a man with an underlying philosophy that will likely lead this city back into the dark, intolerant days of the mid-1950s. So far, Bever seems more than willing to be the instrument of this march backward.

I've not been without images from home, though. While watching television yesterday I glanced up to see the smiling countenance of our young mayor, Allan Mansoor, speaking in a commercial for Proposition 75. A Daily Pilot comment tells me that he's been "on the stump" around the state, pushing for the passage of this proposition. It's times like these that the mayor pro tem would be left in charge. Scary, huh?

With a year to go until the next municipal election it's time to begin paying attention to the people you've elected to run this city. In just over 12 months you'll have to decide whether Mansoor deserves to be re-elected - if he runs. The way it looks right now, he seems to be laying the groundwork for a run at a different job - Assemblyman, perhaps. Time will tell.

In the meantime, start paying attention. Listen to what the potential candidates have to say. Watch what they do. Ask them tough questions about issues that are important to you. If you don't, you'll likely elect someone who won't serve the community well. All you have to do is remember two words - Chris Steel.