Corinne Ramey

DMI in the News: MayorTV on ABC 7

Yesterday, DMI's Andrea Batista Schlesinger was on ABC 7's "Eyewitness News UpClose" with Sunday's host Bill Ritter to discuss the importance of cities and MayorTV. MayorTV is a joint project by DMI and the Nation in which mayors from around the country challenge the Presidential candidates to talk about cities and urban issues.

In the interview, Andrea talks about the importance of including the urban agenda in the upcoming election, and why the country -- and not just the 80% of Americans who live in metropolitan areas -- should care about urban issues like infrastructure, health, environmental sustainability, and education. "If cities aren't functioning, being the economic engines for their regions, then it becomes the problem of suburbs and exurbs, and it becomes the problem of the country," she said. Talking about issues like infrastructure isn't as sexy as what Ritter calls the "horse race" of the campaign, but ultimately, it's more important to the future of the nation.

Andrea discusses MayorTV, and why DMI and the Nation have worked to bring the issues of cities back to the national discussion. "When you see such a glaring absence in the conversation you have to step into that vacuum," she said. Ritter shows short clips from two of the MayorTV interviews -- with Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.

Watch the segment online here and learn more about MayorTV at www.MayorTV.com. Check back for updates, as DMI will be adding more interviews to the site in the future.

Corinne Ramey: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 12:08 PM, Jan 14, 2008 in Cities | Drum Major Institute | MayorTV
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