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Washington Post Features NewDEAL Mayors in EJ Dionne Column

News Category: News Posts

The practical solutions proposed by NewDEAL Leaders offer “hope for our country in the long run. But they also inspired a longing,” writes the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne in his latest column.

Dionne, who highlights NewDEAL for helping local officials “swap ideas about how to make their cities grow economically in sustainable ways.” details his meeting with five NewDEALers and their focus on big issues. They talk about the impact of climate change, infrastructure investments, affordable housing strategies, and a shared desire for greater commitment to the economic needs of cities by the federal government.

As noted by the headline of the column (Trump’s selfishness harms you, too), their comments illuminate the Trump Administration’s missed opportunities to work with local leaders on the challenges affecting Americans every day. The article features observations from NewDEAL mayors, including:

Eric Johnson (Dallas, TX), who said voters “have gotten so tired of Washington not really doing a whole lot;”
Rick Kriseman (St. Petersburg, FL), who put climate change at the top of his list of problems needing more action from national politicians;
Leirion Gaylor Baird (Lincoln, NE), who added: “We really need to partner with the federal government to fix our well fields, to address our levies, to build more resilient communities;”
Lauren McLean (Boise, ID), who talked about innovations to address housing; and
Steven Reed (Montgomery, AL), who urged an expansion of the Community Development Block Grant program and infrastructure investment that includes “fiber.”