We have a system set up now where only the rich and the retired can serve as mayor. The job is not truly open to the public because most people can't afford to do it for free.

You see if you have money, being a politician can make you really wealthy. Most of that cash comes from land speculation and getting those insider deals because you know where the city is going to grow and develop. All it takes is a little favor here and there, and you're getting paid on the side. It's a shady business for sure.

The mayor's position should be a paid position to allow for the real democratization of the post. We should be electing the best mayor for the job, and not the person who can afford to take advantage of the position. Don't believe for a second that, as a whole, these guys are there to serve. They are there to adjust the rules of the game in their favor.

The problem is that the general public still hasn't realized that you get what you pay for. A friend of mine likes to say, "when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys." In politics, that saying should be adjusted to, "when you pay peanuts, people will steal from the nut factory."

The mayor's position should feature a salary in the upper five-figure range. Not enough to break the bank, but enough that more people could afford to take on the challenge.

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