Friends,
Recently, hundreds of U.S. mayors gathered in Columbus, Ohio to share ideas and advocate for progress. For eight years, I have attended these national U.S. Conference of Mayors meetings, and they consistently remind me of the deep resilience that cities give America.
Do we at times get discouraged watching state legislatures or Congress? Not only what happens or doesn’t – like ravaging women’s rights or perpetuating economic disparities or ignoring basic public safety steps – but also how things happen – with such vitriol and partisanship and posturing.
City governments led by mayors of course include their own challenges, but I do believe they reflect the truth that most people, most of the time, mostly just want their governments to work in partnerships to make lives better, day by day, for as many of us as possible.
America is much more resilient in dealing with big challenges because we have hundreds of communities full of people of good will trying to improve things for our neighbors and families – to grow the middle class and make life easier for all. Yes, cities are subject to state preemption or national and international forces we don’t control. But still, the resilience is palpable. American cities and their leaders are persistent and tenacious about fighting for progress.
A couple of recent books are good introductions to cities’ roles: The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism, by Bruce Katz and Jeremy Nowak, urges that cities are specially positioned to advance justice and well-being, and to address big challenges. The Nation City: Why Mayors Are Now Running the World, by Rahm Emanuel, argues that this oldest political form, the city, is resurgent and should be recognized as the engine of progress we need and are seeing arise.
A few months back, I asked another two-term Indiana mayor what surprised them most about city government as they led their community. They said they were most struck by the competence, professionalism, and public commitment they saw in their hundreds of city employees. Simply, that so many people came to work every day doing excellent work, trying hard to make their city better. That struck me as true. And something I truly wish all of our community members could personally see and feel directly.
Mayors are practical people just trying to get things done for their communities. And by the way, you know who else is a practical, tenacious leader? President Joe Biden! With Vice President Harris, they have done an historic job bringing tangible, real progress to Americans: building our future from the bottom up and the middle out -- investing in our people, lowering costs of prescriptions and college and housing, and securing retirements and dignity. While also fighting for democracy at home and abroad, and for freedom and dignity that some are taking away.
Mayors make me hopeful about our resilience and our path ahead. So do President Biden and Vice President Harris. And so do you, in all the ways you make Bloomington better. Thank you!
Democratically yours,
John Hamilton
P.S. One of the funny things about mayor conferences is you often can’t tell, listening to a mayor talk about their cities and their issues and efforts, whether they are a Republican, Democrat, or Other. (Most are Democrats, it’s true, but by no means all.) But most sound like Democrats anyway: using the power of government to invest in people and make lives better. That’s what we do, and I’m so proud of how Bloomington continues to do that. Watch for the 2024 city budget to continue the progress.