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- Mayor R.T. Rybak
- Minneapolis, MN / Pop. 387,970 / Elected 2002
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“I want a community organizer in the White House, because that's what I do every single day.”
— Mayor R.T. Rybak
- Mayor R.T. Rybak: “A community organizer in the White House”
- By Andrea Batista Schlesinger, DMI Blog
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"I hope when the presidential candidates talk about cities, they stop thinking about us as basketcases, and think instead of the potential of cities to turn this country around."
That's Mayor R.T. Rybak's urban agenda in a nutshell. It's time, he argues, for federal policymakers to get over the outdated notion that cities are a drag on America. Instead, whether you're talking about a better workforce, a stronger economy or a healthier environment, "urban America is the future of America."
For Rybak, that philosophy also means valuing the diversity and inclusivity of cities. "I was elected right after 9/11," said Rybak, "when there were a lot of messages coming out of Washington that attacked immigrants, that attacked the gay and lesbian community. But you can hardly go to a block in Minneapolis where there isn't a significant contribution from the gay and lesbian community. And you can go to streets that were moribund before large scale immigration happened that are now totally revived because of it. My city is stronger because we had different values than the Washington values that have been pushed onto us."
As a prairie populist with community organizing roots, it's no surprise to hear Rybak wax poetic about the 100 different languages spoken in Minneapolis, or the value of listening to community leaders. His hope is that the next president will bring that same sensibility to the White House. Which is why he was the first big city mayor to sign onto the Obama bandwagon.
"We need a person in Washington who understands that leadership often comes from the grassroots," Rybak said. "I want a community organizer in the White House."
- Read the full article on DMI Blog >
- Mayors We Interviewed
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Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles, CA
“Poverty, work and opportunity, bolstering the middle class, housing, infrastructure ... it is absolutely criminal that the federal government has failed to address these issues.”
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Shirley Franklin
Atlanta, GA
“We must invest in infrastructure, or Atlanta's economy -- and the national economy -- is going to shrivel up and die.”
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Manny Diaz
Miami, FL
“The media and the pollsters focus on issues like war, abortion, gay rights. Quite frankly, for those of us in the trenches, they're not the hot button issues.”
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John Hickenlooper
Denver, CO
“Cities are America's laboratories. But once we figure out solutions, we need the federal government's help to roll them out to the entire country.”
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R.T. Rybak
Minneapolis, MN
“I want a community organizer in the White House, because that's what I do every single day.”
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Douglas Palmer
Trenton, NJ
“Our cities are where it’s at.”
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Christopher Doherty
Scranton, PA
“The strength of a city is the combustion engineering that takes place inside it.”
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Pegeen Hanrahan
Gainesville, FL
“Use our cities more effectively.”
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Byron Brown
Buffalo, NY
“The presidential nomination process certainly has a negative effect on the coverage of cities.”
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Tom Menino
Boston, MA
“I challenge you, presidential candidates - talk more about cities. It will be beneficial to you, it will be beneficial to the country.”
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Rocky Anderson
Salt Lake City, UT
“President Bush has not only neglected cities, but has hurt our cities in such enormous ways.”
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Sheila Dixon
Baltimore, MD
“We have wars here in our city. We should be making strides against drugs and gang violence, but it's something I never hear the presidential candidates talk about.”
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Bob Duffy
Rochester, NY
“Our cities across this country are proud. They have a great history. But like a boxer, they've taken one knee, and they have to bring themselves back.”
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Antonio Villaraigosa
- More About:
- The Nation
- Drum Major Institute
Norman on 01.10.08:
Thank you for installing surveillance cameras everywhere in the City. I feel so much safer with the government watching everyone all the time. We never had them before, and terrorism ran rampant on the streets of Minneapolis.
What can I do to get more of your policy of government intrusion in our lives so as to empower workers?
Are there any other ways the City needs to monitor its citizens?