The presumptious ego of politics
Have you ever noticed how some people change when they're elected to political office? Most of them were "the guy next door" at some time, with careers to build, families to care for, hobbies, grass to mow, etc... pretty much like the rest of us. There have been exceptions, of course... Bill Clinton decided in high school to become President and never wavered off that course. Several of the Kennedy family were bred, schooled, and pushed to become political animals. But... most sort of slide into politics, running for local office, or working on a citizen action group.
President Harry Truman said "My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse or a politician." President's don't talk like that any longer, but Harry went on to add... "And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference." That's what I liked best about Truman; he never took himself too seriously. He did what he thought was neccessary and right, and some of his decisions were awesomely large, but he never developed that god-complex that so many politicians seem to adopt so easily.
Take R.T. Ryback, current Mayor of Minneapolis. Just a few years ago, an unknown man who gained some fame and publicity as head of R.O.A.R., fighting airport noise. He also looks like the current image of a politician. Add in a city political environment with a current black woman mayor who had had some troubles, and R.T. became the Minneapolis Great White Hope, easily elected as the new Mayor.
I'm not competent to judge Ryback's administration since then, but I'm quite comfortable in analyzing what is coming out of his mouth these days. Ryback has developed a rampant case of "grandiositis".
Let me just repeat a few phrases from his ideas for managing the city, which he is prescribing in 3 doses:
January's focus is (was) to "lay the groundwork for the next generation," with the goal of making sure young people are ready by 21 for "college, career and life."
February's revelations will be to will be to "reweave the urban fabric," which the mayor describes as "a sustainable collection of urban villages."
In March he will present how he intends to "close the gaps between the haves and have-nots."
I'm not sure why Ryback didn't include Peace on Earth... maybe he does acknowledge some geographical limit to his realm. Realm is the correct term, obviously, for Ryback doesn't see himself as mayor of a mid-size, so-so city, but as god of, at least, Minnesota.
Make sure young people are ready by 21 for "college, career and life". Not sure what happened to the 3 years of so between high school graduation and age 21. Not sure what he means by "ready" either. What does seem clear is that he sees the lives of young people going on a specific path... college, then career, and, oh yes... life. Wonder what he will do to those young people who don't want to go to college, or even those who don't want to specialize in some "career". Makes me wonder what Ryback sees as his "career". He once was a business consultant of some kind, but being mayor hardly fits into that career.
I can hardly wait to get some clue as to what will be revealed this month, about "reweaving the urban fabric... the sustainable collection of urban villages". I can almost imagine the Ryback at the big loom in his office, putting a new village over here, and one over there. We've watched that sort of weaving for many years... a grand shopping mall downtown (that flopped and cost the city a lot)... the grand riverfront whatchamacallit that was such a flop that I can't even remember the name of it (I remember it was all green)... or the old Fuji-ya sitting abandoned for 15 years... or the great Humphrey inflatable dome that already is totally inadequate. This reweaving is also going to be "sustainable". Doesn't that word just send shivers up your spine? At last, we'll do it right and won't have to change it again. THIS one is going to work. We won't be changing our minds, or our desires, or wishes, or needs... this will be locked in place and sustained, whether you like it or not.
Finally, Ryback will show us how to "close the gaps between the haves and have-nots." Obviously, he knows WHAT the haves have that the have-nots WISH they had but someone is keeping them from getting. Could he be talking about money? Political power? Opportunity? Freedom? Security? Hell... maybe it's all of those... maybe it's "whatever". Maybe it's - if you have it and I want it, the gap should be closed. I should either have more, or you should have less, or both. By most standards, I'm a "have-not"... live in a poor apartment next to railroad tracks, work on a 5-year old computer, and drive a 15-year-old car. I can hardly wait to see what R.T. thinks I should have that I don't. Problem is, R.T., I have what I want, and I'm not willing to do what it takes to get much more. I used to be a "have" but I actually prefer being a "have-not". I'm sure that would shock the mayor, but there are a lot of people like me (and unlike him).
If indeed we're talking about wealth gaps, R.T. and I could add our incomes together and split it down the middle. That would really close that gap. Possibly, I could close another gap between he and I; I could loan him either my first name or middle name, since he doesn't seem to have either. I certainly don't use either one of mine very often.
For those who might be awed by the scope of Ryback's suggestions, he responds "You can move the dial on it," he said. "If we don't do anything, that's a recipe for failure." That's doublespeak, trying to close with something so inspecific that its hard to argue with, but that still might make his proposal sound comprehensible and even feasible to those who just skim it. It sort of means... "well, I can try, but if we don't try, we can't succeed".
I've got news for you, R.T., and for the many liberals who will support you. I've lived in, or next to, Minneapolis for 40 years. If I were to make a list of actions of Minneapolis governments during that time, I would come to the opposite conclusion... PLEASE, PLEASE don't do ANYTHING ELSE. During that time, I've watched the city deliberately drive many thousands of poor people and small businesses (those have-nots) OUT of the city, and sell the space to the highest bidders... corporations and "haves". It has been damned close to "ethnic cleansing". Your "reweaving" will do more of the same, so don't talk to me about "have-nots". There are damned few of us left even near Minneapolis, thanks to grand-scheme liberals like you.
As for your grandiose plan for "saving the children" (which every liberal promise list MUST begin with), I want you to just get the hell out of way and let people set their OWN goals for their children. Just because a family lives in Minneapolis and you happen to temporarily be the Mayor does NOT mean that you're in a position to decide how they should live their lives.
My next commentary will make some suggestions that R.T. COULD run with, that really WOULD make Minneapolis a better place for anyone to live.
President Harry Truman said "My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse or a politician." President's don't talk like that any longer, but Harry went on to add... "And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference." That's what I liked best about Truman; he never took himself too seriously. He did what he thought was neccessary and right, and some of his decisions were awesomely large, but he never developed that god-complex that so many politicians seem to adopt so easily.
Take R.T. Ryback, current Mayor of Minneapolis. Just a few years ago, an unknown man who gained some fame and publicity as head of R.O.A.R., fighting airport noise. He also looks like the current image of a politician. Add in a city political environment with a current black woman mayor who had had some troubles, and R.T. became the Minneapolis Great White Hope, easily elected as the new Mayor.
I'm not competent to judge Ryback's administration since then, but I'm quite comfortable in analyzing what is coming out of his mouth these days. Ryback has developed a rampant case of "grandiositis".
Let me just repeat a few phrases from his ideas for managing the city, which he is prescribing in 3 doses:
January's focus is (was) to "lay the groundwork for the next generation," with the goal of making sure young people are ready by 21 for "college, career and life."
February's revelations will be to will be to "reweave the urban fabric," which the mayor describes as "a sustainable collection of urban villages."
In March he will present how he intends to "close the gaps between the haves and have-nots."
I'm not sure why Ryback didn't include Peace on Earth... maybe he does acknowledge some geographical limit to his realm. Realm is the correct term, obviously, for Ryback doesn't see himself as mayor of a mid-size, so-so city, but as god of, at least, Minnesota.
Make sure young people are ready by 21 for "college, career and life". Not sure what happened to the 3 years of so between high school graduation and age 21. Not sure what he means by "ready" either. What does seem clear is that he sees the lives of young people going on a specific path... college, then career, and, oh yes... life. Wonder what he will do to those young people who don't want to go to college, or even those who don't want to specialize in some "career". Makes me wonder what Ryback sees as his "career". He once was a business consultant of some kind, but being mayor hardly fits into that career.
I can hardly wait to get some clue as to what will be revealed this month, about "reweaving the urban fabric... the sustainable collection of urban villages". I can almost imagine the Ryback at the big loom in his office, putting a new village over here, and one over there. We've watched that sort of weaving for many years... a grand shopping mall downtown (that flopped and cost the city a lot)... the grand riverfront whatchamacallit that was such a flop that I can't even remember the name of it (I remember it was all green)... or the old Fuji-ya sitting abandoned for 15 years... or the great Humphrey inflatable dome that already is totally inadequate. This reweaving is also going to be "sustainable". Doesn't that word just send shivers up your spine? At last, we'll do it right and won't have to change it again. THIS one is going to work. We won't be changing our minds, or our desires, or wishes, or needs... this will be locked in place and sustained, whether you like it or not.
Finally, Ryback will show us how to "close the gaps between the haves and have-nots." Obviously, he knows WHAT the haves have that the have-nots WISH they had but someone is keeping them from getting. Could he be talking about money? Political power? Opportunity? Freedom? Security? Hell... maybe it's all of those... maybe it's "whatever". Maybe it's - if you have it and I want it, the gap should be closed. I should either have more, or you should have less, or both. By most standards, I'm a "have-not"... live in a poor apartment next to railroad tracks, work on a 5-year old computer, and drive a 15-year-old car. I can hardly wait to see what R.T. thinks I should have that I don't. Problem is, R.T., I have what I want, and I'm not willing to do what it takes to get much more. I used to be a "have" but I actually prefer being a "have-not". I'm sure that would shock the mayor, but there are a lot of people like me (and unlike him).
If indeed we're talking about wealth gaps, R.T. and I could add our incomes together and split it down the middle. That would really close that gap. Possibly, I could close another gap between he and I; I could loan him either my first name or middle name, since he doesn't seem to have either. I certainly don't use either one of mine very often.
For those who might be awed by the scope of Ryback's suggestions, he responds "You can move the dial on it," he said. "If we don't do anything, that's a recipe for failure." That's doublespeak, trying to close with something so inspecific that its hard to argue with, but that still might make his proposal sound comprehensible and even feasible to those who just skim it. It sort of means... "well, I can try, but if we don't try, we can't succeed".
I've got news for you, R.T., and for the many liberals who will support you. I've lived in, or next to, Minneapolis for 40 years. If I were to make a list of actions of Minneapolis governments during that time, I would come to the opposite conclusion... PLEASE, PLEASE don't do ANYTHING ELSE. During that time, I've watched the city deliberately drive many thousands of poor people and small businesses (those have-nots) OUT of the city, and sell the space to the highest bidders... corporations and "haves". It has been damned close to "ethnic cleansing". Your "reweaving" will do more of the same, so don't talk to me about "have-nots". There are damned few of us left even near Minneapolis, thanks to grand-scheme liberals like you.
As for your grandiose plan for "saving the children" (which every liberal promise list MUST begin with), I want you to just get the hell out of way and let people set their OWN goals for their children. Just because a family lives in Minneapolis and you happen to temporarily be the Mayor does NOT mean that you're in a position to decide how they should live their lives.
My next commentary will make some suggestions that R.T. COULD run with, that really WOULD make Minneapolis a better place for anyone to live.
posted by Robert Ronald Smith at 2:31 AM
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