The California wildfires reveal a simple truth: good government is not about rousing speeches. It has nothing to do with ribbon cuttings. It has nothing to do with press conferences.

Instead, when done right, good government is actually beautifully boring.

Reflecting on the school board of my youth in my hometown during the 70s and 80s, I recall the most boring, strait-laced group of individuals this side of a morticians' conference. There was an accountant, an architect, someone who worked in "computers," an insurance agent, a retired principal, and a woman who owned a local crafts store.

You know who wasn't on the board? There were no "community organizers." 

Though the school board wouldn't have thrown a great party, they knew how to balance a budget, build an addition on time and under budget, plan for contingencies, and prevent emergencies from becoming crises. If they saw six people filling a pothole -- five watching and one working -- they took action. Better yet, they filled the next one themselves. 

They were boring and underwhelming. They wore their pocket protectors with pride. They had some technical expertise. They knew what they knew, and as important, acknowledged what they didn't know.  

The community never heard much from them as they quietly did their job. No fanfare. Just a lot of blocking and tackling -- the basics. Yawnsville.

Importantly, they also weren't climbers. Their service wasn't a steppingstone to something bigger. After a couple of terms, they received a plaque and handshake and went along their way.

In contrast, what we're seeing in California now is what happens when government forgets the basics and skews its priorities. 

Though no one factor caused the death and destruction in California, many things contributed: empty reservoirs and failing to build more despite laws mandating them; inoperable fire hydrants; no controlled burns; failure to remove brush; equipment and personnel shortages; and cutting fire budgets to shift funds to immigrant and homeless programs.

Sarcastically, I wonder if the first thing LA rebuilds will be an immigrant center with transgender bathrooms and needle exchanges. Perhaps the reservoirs will be filled with the endangered smelt fish California worked to save. 

Sadly, these events exposed how deficient, inefficient, incompetent, and incapable California's government is. While politicians spent years virtue-signaling and high-fiving themselves, basic services and infrastructure were neglected.

Why? 

Because there's nothing fancy about fixing sewer systems. Nobody throws press conferences for fire abatement. Few politicians rise higher in office by studying organization charts. 

Sure, most of the time government can get by on autopilot with incompetent politicians masquerading as leaders because legacy systems are maintained by someone who knows what they're doing. But when few elected leaders have a clue, get their hands dirty, are minding the store, or sweating the small stuff, you end up with a charred city.

It's a sad reminder -- and teaches a sad lesson -- that there's nothing sexy, entertaining, or exciting about good government.

William Choslovsky is a lawyer in Chicago who served multiple terms on his kids' local school councils, the highest political office to which he aspired.

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