Miami does something good? Seriously?

It's been just about five years since I moved to Miami, and I still feel like a visitor. I'm not so sure the feeling will ever wear off, nor am I sure I want it to. I feel better about living here because I don't really feel like I do.

All that said, it makes me happy when the city does anything right, and every once in a while I actually have feelings resembling pride. These feelings are rare because the city and county governments of Miami and Miami-Dade have become symbols of corruption and municipal governments' failures to act in a pro-active manner when it comes to anything related to planning.

In addition, remember that the Dade County vote count clusterfuck was instrumental in allowing the US Supreme Court to award the 200o election to Bush. Though I didn't live here at the time, I think it's fair to say that we all still feel the impacts of the recount being halted.

But today is one of those rare occasions where I feel pride in local government. Today the City of Miami, by a vote of 5-0, approved a measure that offers health benefits to its employees and their declared domestic partners.

While this measure in limited in terms of the scope of its impact, it will impact real people's lives in a significant manner and will also serve as a symbol that change and progress is indeed possible.