We recently noted that Dan Lurie, San Francisco’s new pro-business mayor, has presided over falling crime, cuts in bloated city departments and a resurgence in office occupancy.

Now, we have Houston Mayor John Whitmire, who is all about improving daily life for the residents of America’s 4th largest city, with 2.3 million people.

The lifelong Democrat has conducted a public spending audit, reduced the city’s workforce and curtailed public transit boondoggles.

“Most major cities are in turmoil,” Whitmire says. “We’re not.” He faults fellow Democratic mayors Karen Bass of Los Angeles and Brandon Johnson for prioritizing “performance protesting” over the delivery of city services. As for New York’s Mamdani, he bluntly says “He and me are in different universes.”

With a 59% approval rating, Whitmire’s one of the most popular big-city mayors. Los Angeles’ Karen Bass is at 32%, and Chicago’s Brandon Johnson is at 26%.

Americans simply want, as the old Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley used to say, “a city that works.” Is that so hard?