Mayor sets example by heeding public voice

The mayor of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province, Central China, has been praised by the public for replying to a recent open letter by a city resident criticizing his government's failure to reduce air pollution. That such a normal act has become news itself testifies the lack of a regular interaction mechanism between government officials and grassroots people.

So instead of basking in the public glory for just one action of the mayor, local decision-makers should ponder how to establish a regular and smooth communication channel to ensure public voices are fully heard and considered while devising policies.

In the letter to Zhengzhou Mayor Ma Yi, posted on the Internet, 59-year-old Li Guofa expressed dissatisfaction over the local government's efforts to clear the smog shrouding the city. His manner of complaint was in sharp contrast to the polite ways people usually choose to interact or deal with even mid- or lower-level officials, let alone a high-ranking official like the Zhengzhou mayor.