Mayor Ethan Strimling knocked on my door Thursday evening, seeking my vote. “No,” I said.

“Why?”

“Potholes.”

His face registered confusion, flummoxed that anyone would care about potholed streets.

I continued: “Didn’t you read my letter to the editor last month (Aug. 12) about needing the skills of Neil Armstrong to navigate Portland’s streets?”

“No.” He then asked if I’d called him out by name.

And there you have it. Unconcerned whether the everyday essential functions of city government are, or are not, carried out, to the point of bemused entitlement.

There’s a truism about municipal governance: Make sure the streets are smooth and the schools function well, and all the rest will be OK. Every time Portland’s potholed streets rattle my teeth, I’m reminded that Mayor Strimling’s social justice promises and initiatives do little to make the city work better for residents and visitors.

“Results that matter,” indeed.

David Sokasits

Portland