What makes an effective local leader of a big city for Gen-Y citizens? Fiscal conservatism or a more liberal government programmed approach?

I grew up in a small town and have spent nearly my whole in small towns, with the exception of an eight-month stint in Washington, D.C. Being a student of politics, I have studied this issue and have come to the following simple conclusion. Gen-Y citizens are far and away liberal when it comes to social issues and most don’t yet make enough money to see the economic impact of their unwavering support for liberal candidates when it comes to election time. I do, however, predict that the election of Barack Obama will somewhat change this as we see massive tax increases come from Obamacare and out-of-control deficit explosion…and we aren’t even a year into his administration yet…

I digress, the question is about metropolitan leadership. My analysis here is simple. I will use the city of New York as an example. New York cracks the top 25 in terms of most liberal U.S. cities, yet its two most recent mayors have been Republicans. Citizens of New York have trended toward somewhat of a hybrid in that they prefer the social freedoms that liberal policy provides yet at the same time prefer the fiscal restraint and economic guardianship that a more conservative policy approach provides. Hence the leadership of Rudy Giuliani and subsequently Mayor Bloomberg, who just won a third term for himself in what is the most expensive local government race ever run.

On that point, I find it a bit odd for Republican candidates to preach fiscal restraint yet spend recklessly when it comes to their own races. Mayor Bloomberg spent a whopping $35,000 PER HOUR on his reelection bid. I just find that astounding.

So what kind of candidate would I consider a more effective leader for Gen-Y citizens? The bottom line is this. Find the candidate who supports me as an individual, who doesn’t want government getting in the way of my progress, wants to get government out of the way of economic growth in the private sector, who stays out of my personal life….and makes sure that the government does the same, and who makes sure that my tax dollars are wisely cared after….because I work hard for the money that I make, and don’t want to see it wasted.

What do you think would make a great leader for Generation Y?

I’d love to hear from you,

Justin E.

Being the Florida boy I am, I am been accustomed to a  way of thinking about life and how I want to live it. I love the beach, open air, sunshine and peace and quite that sometime gets lost in the major metropolitan areas. As a chef, I feel far more creative and inspired by a simple life without the stresses of what I like to call “The Fast-Forward Effect.”

That’s why people are in the city anyway, right? To achieve, to succeed, to “rise” to the top, to go, go, go… it’s as if the Fast-Forward button gets pressed. These major metro areas are truly awesome (using the true definition of the word), they have so much to offer, from food to history, education to architecture, opportunity to saturation…I think all of you actors out there know what I mean on that one!

For me, spending the majority of my time in the quite outskirts of these cities is where I find my place. It’s where I find my tempo. It’s where I find… well… myself.

Don’t get me wrong, there is no better place for a weekend of loud unabated partying than NYC or L.A., but as far as Nate Lippy goes, I need the calm ocean by my side and sunshine on my face and of good food in my tummy, of course.

City
Stewart Panton

No, I don’t want to spend my quarterlife in a big metropolitan city. I would rather live right outside the city but not inside the city. The city itself is too crowded and noisy and I would quickly grow annoyed I am sure. However, if I am outside the city (10-15 mins away) I would be able to enjoy the quiet and relaxed environment I believe a home should have.

When I need to go to some parties, dining, or work or whatever other city activities you can think of, I only have to make a short trip into the city, enjoy myself and leave.

City
Russell Michael

I would rather spend my quarterlife in a big metropolitan city; mainly because there is a better chance for me to meet the love of my life…that is if i ever get time off work.

City
David Borron

I’d love to live in a big metropolitan city. It all comes down to weather, money, and the amount of single people living in that city. The only drawback for me would be traffic.  I have a feeling I’d be spending an hour or more a day yelling at how dumb other drivers are. Once I find a place that it suitable to my likings, it will be a grand time. Our quarterlife is generally one of the few times in our lives where we live care free. Metropolitan cities bring culture, independence, and a sense of adventure of discovering a new and big city. Personally, it is the adventure that draws me in more than anything. I think the key to every city though is finding a core of friends to be with. Find people you love that won’t drive you up the wall.  Then you can build around that core as you expand your realm of friendships.

Rural
Paul Eulette

As much as I love living in metro-Atlanta and visiting my friends downtown – I am made to be away from all those people. My pseudo-ADD and over-social self would never get anything done if I lived within the confines of a city. I feel my productivity increases the further away I am from people – and I am more able to appreciate my interactions with the people I choose to be around when I choose to see them.

City
Shannon Mullings

The bright lights, the honking of car horns, the smell of bums on the sidewalk asking you for change as you stroll to club in your heels, these are a few of my favorite things. I’m a city girl, through and through, and the idea of living anywhere else in the world, especially in the country makes me gag with repulsion. One weekend however, my mother had the bright idea to test my limits and suggest a trip to visit my grandfather at his home in Ocala, Florida. We did – and after 48 agonizing hours of listening to crickets chirp and staring at one of the few traffic lights to turn green, we were back on our way to civilization. While my mother rambled on about how sad she was to leave the clean-smelling air and the fresh-from-the-tap milk,  I stared at her and wondered if I was adopted and when I could be reunited with my real fashionista mother in Manhattan. As we drove into our neighbourhood past overfilled dumpsters, flashing blue and red lights of cop cars speeding past us and skateboarders hanging out at the corner store, I let out a long-held sigh of relief, I was home…