Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton praises bipartisanship of US city leaders

PHOENIX — Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said that city officials across the country were taking charge of their own fates because leadership in Washington was at a standstill.

“While the president abdicates leadership, mayors are stepping forward and taking a leadership role,” Stanton said in an interview that ran Friday morning on MSNBC.

Americans don't trust DC – but they do trust their mayors. 2 of them explain why.https://t.co/ea1yPuZAwr

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Stanton was among many mayors participating in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. The executive-leadership program on the East Coast gives city leaders support, coaching and guidance on innovation in governing.

“You see this massive partisanship that goes on in Washington where nothing can get done, that’s why people have lost faith in Washington,” Stanton said.

The GOP has been unable to pass a health bill and some voters have turned town halls turned into angry, finger-pointing encounters with their congressional leaders.

“Where you don’t see the hate is toward mayors and cities because they see us as the last form of government that is still getting things done and still acting in a very positive way. And we act in a bipartisan way to get things done.”

Stanton and Oakland, California Mayor Libby Schaaf cited President Donald Trump’s pulling the United States out of the Paris climate accord last month as an example of mayors going against the federal grain.

“Hundreds of mayors across the United States said if the president takes him name off it, we’re going to put our names on that agreement,” Stanton said.

“We are doing great, so our message to the president of the United States (is) instead of trying to tell us what’s best for the cities, come work with us.

“We are working well and we will tell you the urban policy that you should adopt and we can finally create a partnership. But if you’re not gonna do it, we’re still going to lead.”

Mesa Mayor John Giles was also taking part in the initiative.

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