Pete Buttigieg says he's mayor of a turnaround city. Here's how that claim stands up.

[mtnsnake]

"SOUTH BEND — In today's political climate, Pete Buttigieg's presidential aspirations are resonating for a variety of reasons: He's a millennial, a war veteran, well-educated, gay. And, to some acclaim, he's taking on Mike Pence.

But before any of that caught the nation's attention, South Bend's mayor was building a reputation with another item on his résumé. He leads what he frequently calls a turnaround city.

When Buttigieg took office eight years ago, South Bend had been hemorrhaging jobs and population for a half-century. The blue-collar, rust-belt city hadn't recovered from the closure of hometown automaker Studebaker in the early 1960s.

Buttigieg, now 37, took on the resulting blight by demolishing a rash of vacant homes, left abandoned in neighborhoods throughout the city. Then, he spent tens of millions of dollars to spark a rebirth in what had been a dying downtown. Now, unemployment is down and the city’s population is slowly rising after decades of decline."

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/21/pete-buttigieg-democratic-presidential-hopeful-south-bend-indiana-turnaround-city/3165477002/

How many other candidates can say they have turned their city or state around in the same manner that Mayor Pete is turning South Bend around?

[leftofcool]

1. None but Mayor Pete

[karynnj]

7. Bernie Sanders

In his term, Burlington Vermont won awards because of changes that even Republicans here admit made the city better.

There are not many mayors or former mayors running. I really know nothing about the FL mayor.

That said I like mayor pete and do want Sanders to win.

[IndyOp]

2. He is a savant, IMHO. He's our best chance to

develop and implement policies re: climate crisis, ending endless war, racial justice, winning the new era, etc.

I worship the ground Elizabeth Warren walks on and have tremendous respect for Kamala Harris and Cory Booker.

Pete is a savant - on the level of Carter and Obama.

[CTyankee]

3. Pete is wonderful and perhaps a wonderful VP...

but I don't think he has the experience to be head of the ticket now. Carter had been a governor and Obama a senator. Let's have a bit more seasoning of Pete in getting to higher levels of responsibility.

I like the idea of an openly gay VP. In fact, it's wonderful and high time...

[mtnsnake]

4. The more I listen to him, the more I think that he does have what it takes to run a country

When he first came on the scene, I liked him well enough and thought the same as you that VP might be more up his alley. Then, with each successive interview of him, I became more and more confident that this guy could be President. As young as he is, he comes off as giving the impression that he can handle just about any situation. I've never heard him say anything that made me think he was a questionable candidate.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. He is one of a kind.

Intelligent, thoughtful, caring, kind, and so on.

The crisis that he's been handling this last week has shown us that he does indeed have the kind of experience that being President requires. Presidents don't get to run away and hide from trouble the way Senators or other members of Congress can. They have to stand up and take care of business, no matter what it entails.

Pete is such a man.

Thanks for the thread, mtnsnake.

[brooklynite]

6. HOw many people in South Bend are sharing in the turnaround?

[mtnsnake]

8. I don't know. How many would you say?