On the same day as President Obama’s State of the Union address, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has published an opinion piece in The Hill, Washington DC’s ubiquitous congressional newspaper, urging national lawmakers to combat inequality in America.
Coleman, the president of the National League of Cities, is pushing for affordable housing, public transit, and an immigration reform bill that provides “resources for cities to integrate immigrant families into their communities.”
And yes, he’s very proud of the new St. Paul-to-Minneapolis Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line, or Green Line.
The piece is available online here: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-budget/196664-to-fix-inequality-think-local.
Here’s a selection:
…the persistence of poverty is directly connected to lack of access to resources such as quality education, affordable housing and reliable transit options.
Our nation’s city leaders understand that providing a fair chance at the American dream means addressing inequality comprehensively. It means ensuring all students are reading proficiently by the end of third grade, graduating from high school and pursuing post-secondary education or training. …
… I’ve witnessed firsthand the positive impact of equity-minded community development in the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Five months before the Central Corridor Light Rail Line carries its first fare-paying passenger, we’re already seeing $1.2 billion worth of investment in an area subject to disinvestment since the mid-1960s, including 7,500 housing units that are planned and being built.