If you want the job done right . . .

For all its endless benefits, representative government has always suffered from what police officers, firefighters and emergency services personnel would refer to as "slow response time."

While no freedom-loving American would ever prefer dictatorship over democracy, one can't argue with the fact that when only one person is making all the decisions, things tend to move through the system at a much faster pace. Checks and balances are what make democracy so great, but they're also what make it run- the majority of the time- at a snail's pace.

Such is the case with the City Council's futile efforts to get an outside government agency to take a look at residents' concerns over Runkle Canyon and KB Homes' already approved 461-home upscale community, an idea that seemed to make a lot of sense when it was first proposed in October.

It's now been eight months since the council first directed city staff to solicit the aid of agencies like the state's Department of Toxic Substances- which is helping to oversee the cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory- and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the city is still no closer to getting the kind of definitive answers it needs to put the fears of some citizens to rest.

Meanwhile, the bulldozers sit still; opponents of the project get louder, and the average citizen is left wondering what will ever come of all this fuss. Basically, nobody wins.

Fortunately, Simi Valley Mayor Paul Miller has stepped up and said, "Enough is enough."

This week, Miller told the Acorn that he is arranging a trip to a location in Runkle Canyon that the most vocal opponents of the Runkle Ranch development have claimed is contaminated with- of all things- arsenic, one of the world's most recognizable toxins. Come hell or creek water, it appears the mayor is going to get at least some of the answers he wants.

While it's doubtful the city's proposed trek and resulting water samples- which will be obtained by an independent laboratory contracted by the city- will finally solve the mystery of Runkle Canyon, one thing's for sure: At least the gears of government have finally started grinding due to the efforts of one fed-up mayor.

If the state and federal government won't help Simi Valley in the case of Runkle Canyon, then Simi must help itself. Lives may- or may not- depend on it.