A mayor's job?

(Photo source) Of course THIS is old news now and I am doing nothing more than flogging a dead horse, but I have to say that this whole Lahovary-Vanghelie outrage has simply eaten me alive. Hmmm... I look at the last sentence where I have typed Lahovary-Vanghelie and realise how preposterous it is to see those names side by side. Apparently (according to my greatest and most reliable source!), Vanghelie said he had never even heard the name Lahovary and had no idea how to even pronounce it. Hardly a surprise there as (see last post) he didn't know how to pronounce 'google' either which is slightly more astonishing.

I have a question for my readers and I'm honestly not being facetious in asking: what exactly is the mayor's job within his sector in Roumania? Here in Paris we have mayors of departments and in England there are mayors of boroughs. I know what their jobs entail since I vote for them and must therefore understand the workings in order to vote responsibly, but I do not understand a sector mayor's job in Roumania. How is it possible (as Paula also asked in her comment under the last post) that an individual who cannot pronounce 'google' and knows absolutely squat about his country's history could be mayor when there is a great deal of administrative work to be done which I guess would involve a fair amount of reading and writing skills. Can someone explain how he would get round this and what his job description actually is. An explanation would perhaps clarify how he has managed to keep the position for so long. I know he is much liked by certain social groups in sector 5. When I lived in Bucharest 2007-8, someone said he was popular because he had painted the apartment blocks pretty colours, cleaned up the parks and given chocolates to all the pensioners at Christmas time. Aha! I also heard he was a good-hearted guy. Just as well since he doesn't seem to have much traffic moving between his ears. And one doesn't become a mayor by being a good bloke. I would imagine one would have to be well educated and have excellent knowledge of the country, its history (and that would include family names such as Lahovary, Ghica, Mavrocordat and Cantacuzino) and... um... a certain ability with regards the language itself. No? If this is not the case, then perhaps I could take Roumanian nationality and become mayor myself. My Roumanian is useless, my knowledge of Roumanian history much lacking and after a few glasses of moonshine I too have problems pronouncing 'google'.

Thank you for educating me. I've obviously missed something.

Comments

[Paula]

Primarul de sector e votat de locuitorii sectorului, ca si la Paris. Avand in vedere ca majoritatea sunt tigani ca vanghelie, e normal sa voteze pentru el cu atat mai mult cu cat in prejma alegerilor mai pica cate ceva dela catindat: faina, ulei, sau socolata pentru copii. Nici unul nu-i mai breaz in ce priveste educatia, asa incat nu ma mira ca vanghelie e asa cum sunt citatele lui: un smecher si un mitocan iliterat, adica la fel ca alegatorii.