Received from our Citistates Colleague Bill Fulton:
Brewpub regionalism?
That’s the phrase that came to mind the other night as I listened to John Hickenlooper, the mayor of Denver, talk about how he operates.
Hickenlooper’s technique is best described as the “no mayor left behind” approach. He approached to the suburban mayors who historically hated Denver. He talked to them. He asked them if they could support joint initiatives if he let them take all the credit. The historic 2004 vote for Denver’s multi-billion dollar light rail expansion had 100 percent backing of the area’s mayors.
It’s hard to imagine Antonio Villaraigosa having these kinds of conversations with the mayors of Pasadena, Huntington Park, and Anaheim.
Hickenlooper said that the restaurant business is the best training for politicians. He’s probably right. Just think of the suburban mayors as customers. The restaurateur is constantly fussing over his customers – getting instant feedback, tweaking the menu, improving the experience and, of course, getting people to loosen up by putting a little alcohol in them.
Maybe it’s time more metropolitan political leaders practiced brewpub regionalism.
You can read more about brewpub regionalism at http://www.cp-dr.com/node/1702