Grand Rapids Mayor took to mlive.com yesterday morning with an article defending cities and the Obama budget. The former city commissioner and ordained minister’s editorial list’s off a healthy number of reasons why he supports the budget as our President has proposed, citing a lack of local funds and struggles in keeping services such as police and fire. Additionally, he also defends The American Recovery and Reinvestment act as an example of the good that can come from federal funds being used locally to improve infastructure.

Obama has received criticism from people who claim that he marketed himself as an urban president, yet has done little to improve American’s cities, but it would seem that Heartwell sees something else. His basic bullet points on why he supports the budget can be summarized as:

Support highway, transit, rail and multimodal projects.

Grants for police and fire support

Youth worker and worker assistance programs

Race to the Top money for schools

Increase in public housing support.

The third term mayor then takes on a different tone, saying that these budget items are good for cities, which in turn will be good for the country. He also touches on the difference between urban and rural perspectives on what cities mean to regional economies.

Take what you will from the budget talks, but any urbanist regardless of political persuasion can undertand Heartwell’s thoughts when he says

I have to acknowledge that the radically different opinions about the budget may signal a divide beyond partisanship: one between urban America and our suburbs and rural areas. If that is the case, then I want to say to my suburban and rural neighbors that without strong cities, this nation will wither. Cities are the heart of commerce, the manufacturing centers and banking capitals. Corporate America depends on healthy cities. It behooves all Americans to ensure that our cities thrive. Do you drive on our city streets and cross our local bridges? You know how important great infrastructure is. Do you hire the graduates of our urban public schools? You know how important quality education is. Do you care about the 36.7 percent of our Grand Rapids children who live in poverty? You know the importance of stable, affordable housing and employment training to reducing poverty.

Good food for thought. Read the rest of the article at mlive.com.