Mayor R.T. Rybak: "A community organizer in the White House"

MayorTV is a challenge from America's Mayors to 2008 candidates: start talking about cities! MayorTV asked Mayor Rybak what he thought a national agenda for cities should look like.

"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 It's time, he argues, for federal policymakers to get over the outdated notion that cities are a drag on America.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."

(More interviews and your comments at MayorTV.com)

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[monitajb]

Very interesting, thank you.

[SohailAC]

Great video.

[mnwiseguy]

I voted for Mayor R.T. Rybak but I will never again after watching him on the Ed Show. This guy needs some class. What an idiot!

[kaar0012]

Not only is most of this not true, you have no idea what people say in Greater Minnesota. I lived there for 18 years. NOBODY calls it Murderapolis. That was a term used in the 90s due to the high murder rate (obviously) at that time. Don't pretend to speak for the people of rural Minnesota.

[Dhimmicrats]

JimsZR2 is right. Minneapolis is a completely fucked over city. The city council made it crime for its police to check on legal imigration status of criminals. Rybak has such a huge black gang murder rate and yet he chose to lower the police and fire fighting funding. The rest of the state refers to Minneapolis as Murderapolis and Rybak simply won't do a fucking thing about it. Democrats used to be great buy now the extreem liberals, like Rybak put the criminals before the Minnesotans. Sad.

[JimsZR2]

This guy helped pass a vetoed 6.6 billion dollar transportation bill. They claim Mn will have over 1 million new residents in the next 10 years. I guess that would be more gang bangers, Mexicans and other non english speaking idiots in the state. Every year they claim they are falling short on money for everything. Well, Maybe they shouldn't take so many damn days off and use other things for write offs for more money on there paychecks. Take money from programs that NEVER work instead my wallet

[elyohcsrev]

.....then elect Obama or someone like that ... the US needs a leader who is educated, intelligent, caring, honest and respected; sort of the opposite of Bush.