Every year, I read a couple dozen "state of the village speeches," delivered by mayors in small towns around the country. Normally content to boast about modest gains they've made—the town has acquired a truck mounted leaf-blower; there's a new A&W restaurant opening in town; we hope to replace the old sludge pump by midsummer—this year, some mayors spoke out on presidential politics, as I report in a piece in today's TheAtlantic.com.
Most of them came out against Trump—and none more forcefully (and simultaneously politely) than Joe Sack, mayor of Rye City, New York.
"With all due respect to the President-elect—Mr. Trump could not be elected mayor of Rye, or any other city, for that matter," Sack said at his state of the village speech.
Why not?
Because the qualities and characteristics of a good and effective mayor, are the willingness and ability to listen to all perspectives, to sometimes absorb people’s anger and frustration, and to try to build consensus.
Believe me, I’m only human, and there are plenty of times when I’d like to take a page out of the Trump playbook, and tell an unruly or unreasonable speaker or two where they could go, and what they could do.
That may be the new definition of what it means to be presidential. But it wouldn’t be mayoral.
And it would certainly not be any way to treat my fellow neighbors and residents.
Joe Sack for President.
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