Harry Moroz

Pennsylvania Mayors Call on Presidential Candidates to Talk about Cities, Citing MayorTV

Pennsylvania Mayors Christopher Doherty of Scranton and Thomas McMahon of Reading put aside political differences after last week’s Democratic primary and co-wrote an op-ed in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer calling on the presidential candidates of both parties to start talking about cities. The mayors cited interviews on the Drum Major Institute-The Nation co-production MayorTV as evidence that urban issues are being neglected.

"[A]lthough we supported different Democratic candidates in the Pennsylvania primary, we are firmly united in our commitment to ensure that all the presidential candidates address a topic critical to the future of our state and our country: America's cities."

In a recent interview with MayorTV, Mayor Doherty elaborated on the concerns that he expressed in the op-ed with Mayor McMahon. Mayor Doherty was optimistic about cities, describing them as engines of economic and cultural production.

Mayors Doherty and McMahon want the presidential candidates to think long-term about cities:

"We've got to go beyond the political safe zones when it comes to talking about cities – poverty and crime alleviation, though both are critically important – to address idiosyncratic problems of infrastructure, economic revitalization, and sustainable development. A real federal urban policy would not only provide funding for city programs such as COPS that keep police officers on the street, but also would articulate a vision of economic prosperity for our country."

The mayors of the fifth and sixth largest cities in Pennsylvania understand cities’ importance to our economic and cultural prosperity. Why don’t the presidential candidates?

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Posted at 3:20 PM, Apr 28, 2008 in Election 2008 | Mayor Christopher Doherty | MayorTV | Urban Affairs
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