Urban Policy: Who’s the best Prez for NY and NJ?
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How To Use This Page
When a Brian Lehrer Show producer works on a segment, there are a number of steps. You'll see some basic ones below on which you can collaborate. You may also want to look at this sample "prep" to get a feel for what the final product will look like. Here are a few tips for using this wiki:
1) Keep it focused. The final prep needs to be easily read on the air and facilitate discussion by the guests.
2) Put your name (or, if you'd prefer, just your initials) next to your contributions so that we can credit you on the air!
And, a reminder from Brian Lehrer: "A wiki is a collaboration, not a debate. Work together with people you agree with and people you don’t to shape a segment that addresses the questions and concerns of all interested parties and the public at large. This is pretty experimental for talk radio. But we believe that the wisdom of the crowd can help produce more thorough, more balanced coverage than any professional journalists can do without you!"
Angles
What are the basic angles to explore in this segment, from left, right or other?
the interests of urban Americans: what do city residents stand to lose and gain at the hands of US urban policy? possible concerns:
- rising population and decaying infrastructure - transportation, waste management, electricity, communication
- food and water supplies
- social issues amplified by population density - immigration, poverty
- jobs
- urban education--impact of No Child Left Behind and other unfunded mandates; immigration and the NYC schools
- homeland security--do urban voters have more of an interest because the risk of an attack is greater in cities?
- transportation policy--public transit vs. highways
- federal tax policy & NYC's disapearing middle class
the interests of rural and suburban Americans: what are the cost and benefits of maintaining vital cities? possible concerns:
- supplying food and water to cities
- pollution
- cities as a source of culture
- cities as 'engines of the economy'
the political angle: representing urban and rural populations at the federal level
- Why doesn't Urban Policy get more attention from Presidential Candidates? Particularly considering the rising population of people who live in cities.
- Is this election essentially a contest between Urban and Rural?
- Does the primary schedule affect candidates' formulating urban policies?
- Is a strong urban agenda a (real or perceived) political liability among the rural electorate and farmers?
- Does the DNC take urban voters for granted?
broad philosophy
- Would Cities be better off with more input from the Federal Government or have they actually benefited from the general hands off attitude of the last seven years?
- Should the United States create (as Obama has proposed) a White House Office on Urban Policy with its director reporting directly to the President?
nuts and bolts
- Can the the federal government continue to support and finance the sorts of policies and subsidies that are perennially renewed in the farm bill and still prioritize urban issues?
- At the heart of Urban Issues is the issue of poverty. Poverty is not a glamorous issue with a strong lobby in Washington. A disproportionate percentage of poor Americans don't vote, and their is a higher concentration of families below the poverty line in urban areas. There is no incentive (beyond the moral imperative) for a politician to make the the needs of the poor and the fight against poverty central campaign or legislative issues.
The needs of Upstate NY, both rural and urban
- NY is not just the NYC metro area. Which candidate will address the needs of the rest of NYS?
Civil Rights in NY and NJ
- Equal Marriage is a major issue in both states. How will the candidates attitudes toward Equal Marraige affect policy in NY and NJ?
Cross border trade
- Some parts of Upstate NY depend heavily on trade with and tourism from Canada, especially Buffalo and Rochester. Recent border restrictions and concerns regarding NAFTA will affect the economy of NYS; what effects on NY's economy can we expect to see coming from the candidates' stated positions on issues that affect trade and tourism with our neighbors to the north? Rain City Blues 16:23, 29 October 2008 (UTC)
Candidate Positions
What have McCain and Obama said or done on this issue? Do their actions match their words?
Possible Guests
Who would help guide this discussion? This could be reporters familiar with the topic; academics or think-tankers who know the issue; people to talk on behalf of the candidates; or more "outside-the-box" guests who may have an interesting perspective.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg He is perhaps the person best suited to talk about how New York City's interests relate to those of the National Government
Carol Coletta, host of the public radio program Smart City and CEO of CEOs for Cities, would be an excellent person to talk about how Cities can be benefited by the Federal Government and particularly the President. (www.smartcityradio.com)
Michael Aron, Senior Political Correspondent for NJN News (New Jersey public television). No one knows New Jersey politics better than he does. He has covered countless elections (both state and national) over his 25+ years on NJ public televison, so would be well qualified to discuss how the choices for president will affect New Jerseyans.
Mitchell Moss, Henry Hart Rice Professor of Urban Policy and Planning, NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. He's a longtime adviser to Bloomberg. Pfrishauf 21:45, 12 October 2008 (UTC)
Andrea Batista Schlesinger, executive director of the Drum Major Institute. DMI and The Nation co-sponsor Mayor TV, which features interviews with mayors from cities across the US speaking about urban issues and what they would ask from the next President.
Michael Sorkin, Director the Graduate Program in Urban Design and Distinguished Professor of Architecture at the City College of NY. Sorkin is a distinguished urbanist who's work and research focuses on the physical city including issues of sustainability. As a New Yorker with an national and international perspective, he is uniquely qualified to comment on the candidates' abilities to address critical issues facing the contemporary urban environment.
David Jason Fischer, Project Director at Center for an Urban Future. He has written several reports about the effect of decreased federal funding for workforce development in NYC. He could present a case study of what federal neglect of cities means on the ground. You could also invite someone from the agency affected (Dep't of Small Business Services) to hear from the practitioners
Cory Booker, mayor of Newark since 2002.
Ed Koch, former mayor of NY, calls himself a "sensible liberal", meaning moderate, and supports Obama, although he was for Bush in 2004 because of foreign policy issues.
William A. Johnson, Jr. and Robert Duffy Current and former mayors of Rochester, NY, both of whom have reformed their city in recent years, both of whom have different perspectives on the direction cities in Upstate NY should go. Rain City Blues 15:58, 29 October 2008 (UTC)
Mario Cuomo and David Patterson Former and current governors of New York State, both of whom have made a major impact on New York. Both governors have made an impact on he national as well as state level, and would have a good perspective on what the federal government shoudl do to restore New York to prosperity and reverse the conditions that have led so many of our state's young people to leave the state in search of better opportunities elsewhere Rain City Blues 16:09, 29 October 2008 (UTC)
Jim McGreevy and Jon Corzine Despite what you might think of the scandal, McGreevy was a good governor, and Corzine would offer a good perspective on what the federal government could do to help develop NJ. Also, both men could offer comments on how the two candidates attitudes toward Equal Marriage will affect the citizens of their state. Rain City Blues 16:09, 29 October 2008 (UTC)
Iris Weinshall--formed NYC transportation commisioner, now working for CUNY. I know Brian is reluctant to mention Shumer when he has her on, but she might have an interesting perspective on how the federal gov impacts NYC.
Opening Copy
How should Brian frame the issue at the beginning of the segment?
// What are the most important sectors in the urban economies of NY and NJ? It seems that many social problems are related to economic gains or downturns. Cities in the US have experienced a long period of divestment and segregation (in terms of race, ethnicity and class) and that legacy is hard to correct in the short-run. To what extent do the two candidates include in their platforms provisions to improve urban economies and a long-term vision for cities? Also, would it be possible to jump-start urban economies following a two-way approach: a grassroots initiative (invest in really small, mom and pop shops, maybe with a focus on new energy) AND simultaneously push more more lucrative/higher capital sectors such as manufacturing, finance, tourism, healthcare and the ports in the case of NY and NJ? Myriam F. (Ithaca, NY)//
//Which candidate has a better sense of issues affecting both urban and rural America? Will Obama's experience as a community organizer in Chicago translate into a keener understanding of the needs in Buffalo and Rochester? Will McCain be capable of reversing the economic decline in Upstate NY? Which candidate will be better for improving cross-border trade with Canada? Will either candidate move to make it easier for Canadians to come to New York and spend money? Have either of them suggested anything that could improve infrastructure here? Rain City Blues 15:51, 29 October 2008 (UTC) (Rochester, NY)
Questions
What are the key questions? What order should they be asked in?
- Has the McCain/Palin campaign made this election a referendum on "small town values" vs big city vice?
- How will the candidates attitudes on Equal Marriage affect recent attempts by the courts in NJ and the legislature in NY to legalize Equal Marriage?
- What impacts on trade with and tourism from Canada can we expect to see from the policies of either candidate?
- Will either candidate be able to address the economic landslide that has been affecting Upstate NY for a decade?
- Can either candidate reverse the decline of urban areas in the upstate region? (e.g., Rochester, Buffalo, Troy, Schenectady)
Audio Clips to Use
Are there any audio clips out there that we should include? Or particular music we should include? Be specific.
Obama speaks to U.S. Conference of Mayors, June '08
Music suggestion: intro & opening chorus from De La Soul's "Stakes is High" (title track of "Stakes is High") (Yosef)
Clip from Sarah Palin's GOP convention speech about "growing good people in our small towns."
Links to Research Materials
Do you have any readings, videos or any other relevant material to recommend?
Mayor Diaz, President of U.S. Conference of Mayors, addresses the National Press Club on the issues he believes are most pressing in today's cities and what the federal government should do to help them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlWqYUTVFqw --are there any specific clips/quotes from this address worth using?
Obama vs. McCain on urban policy, from the Denver Post
Barack Obama's Urban Policy: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/urbanpolicy/
Sources worth considering: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/opinion/19tue1.html
http://allaboutcities.ca/presidential-candidates-wheres-the-urban-policy/
http://www.dmiblog.com/archives/2008/05/virtually_there_urban_policy_c.html (written shortly after Obama finally added the issue to his website)
USC's Election 2008 Urban Issues summary
Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program The Research & Commentary page has lots of useful links.
http://www.communitybasedplanningnyc.org/
about.com reports candidates' voting records on a few pieces of legislation:
http://architecture.about.com/od/communitydesign/p/mccain.htm
http://architecture.about.com/od/communitydesign/p/obama.htm
"Jumpstarting the Transit Space Race: How the New Administration Could Make America Energy-Independent, Create Jobs and Keep the Economy Strong" a report from the non-profit group Reconnecting America. It describes an increase in request for federal funding for mass transit projects and persistent disproportionate federal funding of highways. Released Oct 15.
"Small Town Values in a Big City Election" from Gotham Gazette, October 20,2008
"Do the candidates have an urban agenda?" from the Philadelphia Daily News
"AMONG HEARTLAND HOMAGES,POLS ADDRESS URBAN ISSUE" from Gotham Gazette, October 27,2008 http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=3644
What Else?
Use this space to offer any other suggestions or ideas that may not fit into the above categories.
Please don't forget about Upstate NY. There is an incredible amount of resentment toward NYC in the rural areas and envy in urban areas of upstate NY that have been largely neglected by the legislature. If you wonder why republicans like Joe Bruno can hold on to power in NY for so long, it's largely because Rochester has turned from a once beautiful city into a large slum, Buffalo is becoming less and less livable by the day, and Troy is following suit along with many other cities outside the NYC urban area and Long Island. It's not so much a rejection of NYC or it's culture, it's fear of falling into decline with nobody there to prevent it or to help stem the bleeding. When you ask who's better for NY, make sure you ask who's better for Upstate NY too. The failure to do so has been the main reason why the Democrats cannot control the Senate, and why so much good policy never even gets to the floor for a vote.
Not to belabor the point, but the recent attempt at legalizing Equal Marriage in NY is a prime example. The Assembly passed it, the Governor wants to sign it, everybody seems to want it, but it has never been allowed to come before the Senate for a vote, because the Republicans control the Senate. The GOP wasn't voted in there to begin with to block legislation granting equal rights to gay people, it was voted in largely as a check to the NYC democrats that many in upstate NY fear will bleed all of upstate's revenues for projects that benefit only NYC and not the rest of the state. However, the GOP itself is so adamantly opposed to equal civil rights for GLBT people, that they will take advantage of their hold on power to block any equality legislation that comes to the Senate. Thus, the reason why NYS can't legalize Equal Marriage has little to do with homophobia-the majority of New Yorkers are not homophobic-it's because Upstate fears NYC's unchecked power. And rural voters and voters from urban areas that have been long neglected will be more tempted to vote Republican so long as they see the urban centers like NYC as something that negatively impacts their lives and their towns. So ask yourself who the best Prez is for Upstate NY. Rain City Blues 19:04, 25 October 2008 (UTC)
How about efforts to revitalize our cities? (And what exactly do/should we mean by that?) I know of recent efforts in Camden (State Aquarium) and Newark (Prudential Center). These attractions do provide jobs, and bring investment and suburban residents into these cities that they are usually afraid of. But the cities themselves do not seem to be much better off (in terms of poverty, crime, etc.). Is this the wrong approach? Or should there be more of this kind of investment, possibly from the federal level? (Mitchell S., Central NJ)
Joe Biden's fondness for Amtrak is well known. Would he help push an Obama administration towards increased support for mass transit?
Please focus on the city vs small town rhetoric of the McCain campaign.Are there urban values?
Do politicians tend to show favoritism toward places they've lived and are familiar with? Obama went to Columbia and lived in New York City.
